by Rebecca Cochrane, Charter Oak Academy Of Global Studies
This WebQuest is designed to lead 2nd graders on journey to creating a modern day Hero, Monster, God or Goddess based on the traditional Greek characters of Mount Olympus.
Teacher Introduction
As a media specialist I have the pleasure of being able to take on small projects with groups of students when they need some extra support or when they need some stretching. This WebQuest is the stretching kind. Four 2nd grade students have recently finished Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, and they are very interested in finding out more about the Greeks and Mount Olympus. Also, they have not had a lot experience with computers or working online, so this seemed like a reasonable solution to both problems!
We'll all be working together, though on separate creations, and all of the work will be done in school. Character is a large part of our theme as a school, and making reader-to-world and reader-to-text connections is an area that we're working on. By having these students think about kind of person would be a benefit to society, and defending their choice, students are forced to look at themselves as well as the history and purpose of the Olympians and compare.
The process of building this WebQuest has really challenged me to be clear about my expectations for my students. And the expectations I have for my teaching. I hope the students find the activity challenging and fun at the same time. Leave them wanting more.