The journey into The Odyssey continued with students from 3rd grade A, who participated in the first storytelling session of this interdisciplinary project. Following the experience that began with 3rd grade B, this new group brought its own curiosity, energy, and way of participating to a story that has travelled through time for more than two thousand years.
The activity was developed as part of the Junior Area Music subject, guided by Mr. Rodrigo Vega, and articulated with the English Immersion Plan, led by Mr. Marcos Riveros. From this starting point in Music, the experience opened connections with History, Geography and Social Studies, Language and Communication, and English, helping students explore Ancient Greece through sound, story, maps, myths, and visual art.
During the session, students listened to an adaptation of The Odyssey in English while following Odysseus’ long return home to Ithaca. As the ship moved across the map, students encountered some of the most memorable moments of the story, including the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops Polyphemus, Circe’s magic, the song of the Sirens, and the dangerous passage between Scylla and Charybdis.
One of the most engaging elements of the activity was the use of sound. Students created controlled sound effects with their voices and bodies, representing waves, wind, rowing, storms, danger, magic, and the Sirens’ song. These moments helped them experience music as a way to tell stories, build tension, create movement, and express emotion.
The story was also supported by repetition and participation. The question “What does Odysseus want?” guided the class through the different episodes, while the answer “He wants to go home!” became a shared phrase that helped students follow the purpose of the journey and participate confidently in English.
Students also worked as Art Detectives, observing historical artworks related to The Odyssey. They looked carefully at characters, poses, expressions, foreground, background, symbols, and visual evidence before discussing what each scene represented. This allowed them to understand that artworks can tell stories and that different artists have imagined the same myth in different ways.
For 3rd grade A, The Odyssey became a living experience through English, music, geography, mythology, and artistic observation. The activity showed once again that the same project can feel different with each course, because every group brings its own rhythm, reactions, and classroom spirit.
In the second session, students will move from listening and observing to creating. Using historical artworks as references, they will work in groups to recreate selected scenes through photography, frozen poses, expressions, composition, and simple instructions in English.
