Wandering, Mourning & Questing for Home: Greek Myths in the Intermediate Grades

Home to Ithaca by Romare Bearden.

I.
I have marveled at and treasured the copy I have of Romare Bearden's A Black Odyssey, a most ambitious and visually arresting series of collages.  Bearden created 20 collages based on Homer's Odyssey. In the opening essay to the text, Robert O'Meally suggests that the motifs of wandering, mourning, and questing for home are ones that Bearden thought aligned well to African Americans and their experiences.

I was pleased to see that The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey will be on exhibit from 2012m- 2014 at these sites:

10/13/12- 01/13/13 Reynolda House Museum of American Art , Winston-Salem, NC 
02/02/13- 04/28/13 Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN 
05/18/13- 08/11/13 Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX 
08/31/13- 11/24/13 Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
12/14/13- 03/09/14 Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta, GA
03/29/14- 06/22/14 Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH
07/12/14- 10/05/14 Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY

This is a video that highlights Romare Bearden and the exhibition, providing background information about Bearden's thinking.

II.
It is the idea of wandering, mourning, and questing for home that resonates and upon which a dynamic unit of study for intermediate grade children might be developed.  Here is some initial thinking.

Read Aloud Texts 

Burleigh, Robert. (2002). Pandora. Illustrated by Raul Colon. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Burleigh, Robert. (1999). Hercules. Illustrated by Raul Colon. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Byrd, Robert. (2005). The Hero and the Minotaur: The Fantastic Adventures of Theseus. New York: Dutton. 

Clayton, Sally Pomme. (2009). Persephone. Illustrated by Virginia Lee. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books.

Cross, Gillian (2012). The Odyssey. Illustrated by Neil Packer. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Demi. (2002). King Midas: The Golden Touch. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 

 Kimmel, Eric. (2008). The McElderry Book of Greek Myths. Illustrated by Pep Montserrat. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Lively, Penelope. (2006). In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid. Illustrated by Ian Andrew. London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

Lupton, Hugh & Daniel Morden. (2006). The Adventures of Odysseus. Illustrated by Christina Balit. Cambridge, MAL Barefoot Books.

Mayer, Marianna. (1998). Pegasus. Illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft.  New York: harper Collins.  (Lexile Level 960)

Rylant, Cynthia (2009). The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths Retold.  Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin.

Sutcliff, Rosemary. (2005). Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad. Illustrated by Alan Lee. London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books. 

Williams, Marcia. (2011). Greek Myths. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Yolen, Jane. (1991). Wings.  Illustrated by Dennis Nolan. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Independent Reading Texts (N – T)

Holub, Joan. (2012). Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom - Heroes in Training, Book 1. New York: Aladdin. Lexile Level 570/Guided Reading O.

Holub, Joan. (2012). Poseidon and the Sea of Fury - Heroes in Training, Book 2. New York: Aladdin. Lexile Level 570/Guided Reading O.

Karas, G. Brian. (2010). Young Zeus. New York: Scholastic. Lexile Level 570/Guided Reading O.

Linke, Jeff. (2008). Theseus: Battling the Minotaur: A Greek Myth. Illustrated by John McCrea. Mineapolis, MN: Learner/Graphic Universe. Lexile 470/Guided Reading N.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Have a Hot Time, Hades!  (Book 1). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 550/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Say Cheese, Medusa!  (Book 2). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 540/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Phone Home, Persephone! (Book 3). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 530/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Nice Shot, Cupid! (Book 4). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 590/GR Level P.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Stop the Bull, Theseus! (Book 5). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch. Lexile Level 500/GR Level N.

Mullins, Kate. (2011).Keep a Lid On It, Pandora. (Book 6). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 480/GR Level N.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Get to Work, Hercules. (Book 7). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 530/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Go for Gold, Atalanta. (Book 8). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 530/GR Level O.

Osborne, Mary Pope. (2010). Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1. New York: Hyperion. Lexile Level 760/Guided Reading Level T.

Osborne, Mary Pope. (2010).  Tales from the Odyssey, Part 2. New York: Hyperion. Lexile Level 790/Guided Reading Level T.