Friday, March 28, 2014

Festival of Learning: Mythology

Every culture has its own mythology and now ACDS does too!  

Every year, the Alexandria Country Day School community comes together for a week-long Festival of Learning focused on a single topic.  This year we explored myths and legends from around the world.  Our students read, discussed, compared and contrasted myths in their classes and arrived at definitions of mythology. We generally agreed that a myth is a story used to teach a moral lesson or explain a natural occurrence. First graders enthusiastically consolidated their definition into three words: "love, magic, violence"!

During the Festival of Learning, we heard fantastic stories.  We listened to Native American storyteller Dovie Thomason tell legends from across North America.




Storyteller Baba Jamal Koram shared compelling stories from the African and African American traditions.




We watched and participated in myths through dances presented by the Nepal Dance School.   




Our art students created inspired mythical art work.


 






The 5th and 6th grade drama students shared several Greek myths with us.  We joined together as a community (with popcorn and cotton candy!) to watch the 4th graders present the hilarious Circus Olympus (password: "acdsacds"). 





Best of all, throughout the week, we wrote, drew, filmed and created our own stories, which we shared on Friday morning.  Here is the collected Mythology of ACDS:

Kindergarten:
First Grade:
            How Buddies Came to Be at ACDS
Second and Fifth Grade Collaboration:
            Why We Have a Gargoyle
            The Origins of Field Day (Open in iBooks on iPhone or iPad)
Third Grade:
            Why We Play Capture the Pig
Sixth Grade:
            The Misunderstood Monster of ACDS  (Open in iBooks on iPhone or iPad)
            Why We are Green and White  (Open in iBooks on iPhone or iPad)
Seventh Grade:
            Why Seventh Graders are So Chatty
            The Epic Seventh Grade Overnight
Eighth Grade:



** ACDS Families-- email Elizabeth Lockwood for the password.

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