The fifth grade adjusted its annual Odyssey Storytelling Project to fit the distance-learning model. After hearing a professional oral retelling of The Odyssey in its entirety, fifth-graders chose their favorite sections of the story, read various versions of these parts, and created their oral presentations of their sections of the epic tale. Students practiced together live in Zoom breakout rooms, but they also practiced at home and uploaded video performances via Google Classroom. Classmates and teachers provided both synchronous and asynchronous feedback on these videos, which students addressed in subsequent practice sessions.
They uploaded their final polished toga-clad performances before the end of school, which were combined into an iMovie showing the complete story from "The Belly of the Horse" to Odysseus' "Battle in the Hall." Current Ithaca College film student, Charlie Bemis, produced and edited the movie!
Instead of a live performance followed by a Greek Feast at DCD, fifth-grade families enjoyed Greek takeout and a special family movie night at home this year.