War with Troy:The Story of

Achilles

War with Troy:The Story of

AchillesExtending access to ClassicsExtending access to Classics

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Why the Trojan War?

Beware the men whose talents are driven by rage. These people are not in control of their own art, their own selves, their own lives. They may produce great things, but they are dangerous to deal with; dangerous to their friends, their enemies and themselves.

Simon Barnes on Roy Keane

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Why an oral retelling?

Children at the end of Year 6 should be able to listen actively and selectively for content and for tone. As they listen to people in and outside the classroom, including in the media, they should be able to distinguish the ways speakers use different registers, moving between formal and informal language as they adapt their talk to the audience and emphasise or undercut surface meanings. They should be able to discern different threads in an argument or the nuances in imaginative anecdotes and stories.

Children at the end of Year 6 should be able to develop their ideas in extended turns in talk for a range of purposes, including persuasion and imaginative story telling. They should be able to assimilate information from different sources and contrasting points of view, presenting their ideas in ways appropriate to spoken language. As they move between informal and Year 6 children should be able to use some of the features of standard English appropriately. Their talk should demonstrate an ability to make connections and organise thinking.

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Why the Trojan War?

Research evidence from:

• GRIPS project (1997/8)– 5 LEAs– 10 schools– 21 teachers– 225 parents

• WWT trialling (2002)– 1 LEA (Barking & Dagenham)– 1 Education Action Zone (Thetford)– 5 schools– 10 classes

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Evidence from GRIPS project

• 78% of parents said that learning about the Ancient Greeks and Romans was of ‘significant relevance’ to children’s lives today

• 69% of children said that they chose to do work on their own relating to the Ancient Greeks and Romans

• Teachers were more confident with myths & legends than any other part of Ancient Greeks

• Pupils enjoyed and remembered myths and legends more than any other part of the Ancient Greeks

• Teachers believed that children of all abilities benefited from myths and legends

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The challenge of Homer

’The Wrath of Achilles is my theme, that fatal wrath which, in fulfilment of the will of Zeus, brought the Achaeans so much suffering and sent the gallant souls of many noblemen to Hades, leaving their bodies as carrion for the dogs and passing birds. Let us begin, goddess of song, with the angry parting that took place between Agamemnon, King of men and the great Achilles son of Peleus.'

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The storytellers

Hugh Lupton

Daniel Morden

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War with Troy contents

• 12 episodes (32 tracks for ease of use)• Each episode approx 15 minutes• From the Golden Apple to the Wooden

Horse

• Interview with storytellers

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Online teacher support

• Episode-by-episode teaching guidance• Full transcript• Printable illustrations• WWT and its place in the curriculum• Background information for teachers• Useful weblinks

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Visual resources

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Teaching guidance

Show the class the illustration, Hector and Andromache (p. 103). What does the arrangement of the figures (Helen and Paris on the left; Andromache and Hector in the middle; Hector’s servant on the right) tell us about the character of Hector? (Hector and Andromache centre stage, looking fondly into each other’s eyes; Hector’s fighting prowess emphasised by the massive shield.) Who is missing from the scene as described on the CD? (Hector and Andomache’s son, Astyanax.) Why do you think he has been left out?

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Teaching guidance

For each episode there is:• Information on length of episode • Brief summary of the story• Starting points• Follow-up activities• PSHE & Citizenship links

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Feedback from pilot schools

Very much

Quite a lot

Not much

Not at all

No response

94 81 38 15 8

How much do you enjoy reading stories in books?

How much have you enjoyed listening to War with Troy?

Very much

Quite a lot

Not much

Not at all

No response

159 39 19 5 14

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Feedback from pilot schools

Very much

Quite a lot

Not much

Not at all

No response

28 13 7 5 0

(Responses from the 53 pupils who said either that they did not enjoy reading stories in books very much or did not enjoy reading stories in books at all)

How much have you enjoyed listening to War with Troy?

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What the pupils have said

It was great because you could picture it in your head as the CD was going onThe story is action filled to the very brim, bursting with blood and gore and full of passionIt was exciting because each week we would listen to it and they would finish it with something exciting going to happenEvery Friday I used to walk home telling my mum all about it, it was so fun