A pattern was beginning to take shape as we spun the wheel. I would search all my resources, list what I considered the highlights (which was probably too much, but I found it all so fascinating that I didn't want to leave anything out). I'd spend hours reading up more details on these highlighted points trying to own them enough to share with the class. On Sunday nights (or Monday mornings if I forgot) I'd send out an e-mail to class members so they would have two days to study and prepare a presentation. Then I'd find pictures to represent what I studied, shrunk them, copied (a lot of) them, and add a caption - print, cut, & paper clip.
This week was on 22nd Century BC - or 2200 BC to 2101 BC. It still takes me a little while to wrap my mind around how that works, but I think some of the kids are catching on to the concept. The highlights that I made timeline pictures were the following:
Aridification (who'd of thought climate would be interesting in the past - but it contributed to the end of some great kingdoms).
Old Kingdom Ends - Egypt and it's monumental time period of pyramids and mummies declines and passes during this century.
Middle Minoan Period - Bull jumping, King Minos and the Minotaur, First known civilization on Crete.
Epic of Gilgamesh - The very first fairy tale (that I think was dripping with tidbits of truth - half god, the flood, seeking immortality, etc.)
Biblical Flood according to Hebrew Calendar - It was so interesting to see the differences between calendars and how our history is mostly chronologically dated rather than specific dates. I don't believe the flood took place during this century, but it was interesting enough to see the discrepencies in histories that I wanted to share.
I couldn't find a good activity for the kids to engage in during class - in fact I was quite frantic about it all week. I finally decided on them playing the dot game to create a maze like the one under King Minos Palace to find the Minotaur and then draw a picture of how they envisioned Enkidu. But the stories of King Minos and the Epic of Gilgamesh were so enthralling to the kids, that I forgot the need to engage them in an activity - I barely remembered to pass out the dot game/maze that I had created. I love it when I can see the passion and interest in their eyes which is so different than the 'how are you going to entertain me today' look that is so common in kids today.
