Students from 3rd grade C continued their interdisciplinary journey into The Odyssey with the second part of the project, moving from interactive storytelling to artistic recreation. After exploring Odysseus’ journey through maps, sound, mythology, music, and historical artworks, this new stage invited them to step inside the artworks themselves through photography, body expression, and visual composition.
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. Through this experience, students connected Music with History, Geography and Social Sciences, Language and Communication, visual art, and English as a communicative tool in a meaningful classroom context.
One of the central ideas of this second session was that The Odyssey has travelled through time in many different forms. For more than two thousand years, this ancient story has been told through voices, poetry, pottery, sculpture, painting, and now through the students’ own creative interpretations. In this way, 3rd grade C did not only observe the artistic legacy of The Odyssey; they became part of it.
During the activity, students worked with historical artworks connected to key figures and episodes from the story, including Homer Reciting his Poems by Sir Thomas Lawrence, Odysseus in the Cave of Polyphemus by Jacob Jordaens, Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses by John William Waterhouse, Odysseus and the Sirens from Ancient Greek pottery, Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse, Athena Appearing to Odysseus to Reveal the Island of Ithaca by Giuseppe Bottani, and Ulysses and Argus by Briton Rivière.
Each artwork opened a different visual challenge. Students observed how artists represented power, fear, magic, temptation, patience, guidance, recognition, and homecoming. They looked carefully at gestures, body positions, gazes, expressions, foreground, background, and the relationship between characters in order to understand how visual details can tell a story.
Before entering the photography studio, each group received an Artwork Mission Card and followed the sequence Observe, Plan, and Recreate. Students chose roles, organised their positions, practised frozen poses, and used simple props to bring each scene to life. The objective was not to copy the artworks perfectly, but to interpret them through teamwork, observation, and creative expression.
English was naturally present throughout the process through simple studio instructions such as “Look at the artwork,” “Find your position,” “Find your expression,” “Hold your pose,” and “Lights. Camera. Art!” These phrases helped students use English in an active and communicative way while preparing their recreations.
Through this second stage, 3rd grade C opened the photographic recreation experience with creativity, concentration, and teamwork. The activity reminded students that The Odyssey is not only an ancient story to hear, but also a cultural journey that has inspired artists across centuries.
We invite our school community to see the highlights of this activity and stay tuned for the final artwork recreations, which will be shared soon once they are ready.
One story, thousands of years, many artists, and now our students.
