House of Atreus:
Atreus, the king of Mycenae had a
brother Thyestes who bitterly resented Atreus’ kingship. Thyestes
seduced his brother's wife, and in revenge, Atreus
invited Thyestes to a “reconciliation dinner,” during
which Atreus served a stew whose main ingredient was
the flesh of Thyestes’ own sons. After Thyestes found out what Atreus
had done, he pronounced a terrible curse on the house of Atreus—that
generation after generation of family members would destroy each other. Thyestes’ only surviving son, Aegisthus,
grew up nursing a bitter hatred for his cousins. Atreus’
eldest son, Agamemon, succeeded to the throne of Mycenae/Argos,
while his brother Menelaus married Helen and assumed kingship of Sparta
Introduction
We have been reading the ancient sagas of the Greeks, as told in
the Oresteia and the Odyssey, containing stories of revenge played out in
act after act of bloody violence. Before
the house of Atreus falls, brother will kill brother,
father will eat son, wife will murder husband, and on and on. But how did this begin? Who started it? And, most importantly, could it have been
stopped?
In this web quest, you will take on the huge responsibility of
analyzing such cycles of vengeance.
JUST AS THE FURIES HEARD TESTIMONY FROM APOLLO, YOU WILL HEAR THE EVIDENCE
AND PASS JUDGEMENT. It will be up to
you to learn from history and possibly lay the groundwork for a more peaceful
future. By finding a way to break the cycle of vengeance and violence, you
could save countless lives and untold suffering.
Task 
Your job is three-fold.
First you will enter the world of the ancient Greeks. You will choose one scene of struggle,
confrontation, or conflict from the ORESTEIA.
Using the six-step Public Policy Analyst model (see
hyperlinks below), you will define that conflict and its history, then propose
an alternative solution that will end the cycle of violence for future
generation. This part of the task will
include completed worksheets (see below) and a one-page written description of
the problem and proposal for an alternative.
The second part of your task involves a leap into the present. What present-day situation contains the same
cyclical elements of conflict as those you have studied? It could be a family situation, a
neighborhood or urban problem, a world crisis.
For example, gang conflicts are often motivated by acts of revenge, but
it might be impossible to identify where it started. You may find an example
from the news, from TV, from your family.
It is up to you to draw the parallels.
This part of the task will be presented in a ONE-PAGE WRITTEN
PAPER
that includes a description of the situation, the parallels you see, and a copy
of an article from a media source (newspaper, periodical, on-line news, etc)
referring to the modern-day situation.
In the final phase of your task, you will travel through time once
again. Your group of four will CREATE A NEW SCENE
BASED on the original texts and characters, incorporating your
alternative to the ancient conflict. This is a performance…it should have a beginning, middle and
end. Be sure characters and situation should be clear. The time and length for
the scene will be discussed in class.
Process:
Part
One:
-
As a group, select the scene on which you want to
focus.
-
Gather and assess data relating to your chosen scene: its history, causes and players. You will make use of the PUBLIC POLICY
ANALYST at the TIPS website.
-
Go to http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.html
and complete the Public Policy worksheets on the sites hyperlinked below. The worksheets will guide you through the
following steps: You will use these worksheets to complete your task.
Evaluating Existing
Public Policies
Developing
Public Policy Solutions
Part Two
-
Working individually, decide what modern-day
conflict compares to the Saga of the HOUSE OF ATREUS.
-
List reasons for your choice.
-
Present reasons verbally to your group
Part Three
-
Create a scene including your
solution for breaking the cycle of violence.
You should re-visit the original text of the scene you have chosen – use
this as a jumping-off place. You may
choose to combine elements of the Greek story with present – day conflicts or
vice-verse. You may choose to fit your
solution directly into the original text.
It’s up to you now.
-
Document your scene verbally,
either in narrative or dramatic form.
-
Project will end with shared
performances of scenes.
You will use the information gathered through the PPA
and your worksheets to guide you.
***Extra credit will be given
for additions of ELEMENTS OF GREEK DRAMA: These elements include chorus, mask, ritual, heightened and
language. GOOD LUCK !!!!
Here’s a checklist to guide you through your
research:
I
used resources that had data to support my main points.
I
used a variety of pertinent resources.
I
collected enough information to understand the topic well.
I used
up-to-date resources.
My
resources were from reliable sources.
Here’s a checklist to help you keep on track with your group:
I
actively participated with other group members.
I
showed respect and support for fellow team members.
I
listened to my partners' ideas.
I
provided ideas that contributed to the success of the project.
I
contributed both time and effort.
I
did my fair share of the project.
I
held myself accountable for high quality work.
Your work will be evaluated using the
rubric below:
Resources:
Public Policy Analyst format –Use the explanation of
the PPA website to help you better understand the Public Policy Analyst
INFORMATION ABOUT ANCIENT
http://www.intelligenesis.homechoice.co.uk/niki/HEGB/conres/bigtruce.html
Information about present day conflicts (again, some
suggestions):
http://www.nyssba.org/adnews/misc/schools021703.htm
http://www.gothamgazette.com/iotw/gangs/
Violence prevention/Conflict mediation/:
http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/apa-aap.html
http://ericcass.uncg.edu/virtuallib/conflict/conflictbook.html
General Information - Search engines
that you may find helpful
www.askjeeves.com www.excite.com
www.dogpile.com www.google.com
www.dejanews.com www.altavista.com
Conclusion
At
the conclusion of this project, you will have gained an understanding of finding
a solution to public problems through research and analysis. Your research and analysis will be used
collaboratively to create a performance piece based on classical texts and
modern concepts. The final work will be
shared, and applauded, by the student community. You should have understood the
importance of preventing violence in our communities and you should now
understand the critical need to find public policy remedies.
ENGLISH:
EVALUATION
|
|
Needs Improvement Excellent |
|
Research Do your responses to the
research questions reflect thorough, careful research? |
1 2 3 4 5 |
|
Analysis Process Do your PPA worksheets
reflect a well-thought-out analysis of the problem and development of policy? |
1 2 3 4 5 |
|
Scene Presentation Does your Scene
Presentation creatively present the required information, follow the
appropriate procedure, and compel the audience? |
1 2 3 4 5 |
|
Analogy Have you identified and
supported an analogous modern situation in response to the problem? |
1 2 3 4 5 |
|
Group Work and Class Presentation Have you conducted
yourselves professionally during class time while doing your research and
while presenting your findings to the class? |
1 2 3 4 5 |
23-25
points A
20-22
points A-
17-20
points B
14-16
points B-
10-13
C
5-10
points D
0-5
points F
STANDARDS
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
Standard 1. Students will listen, speak,
read, and write for information and understanding; they will collect data,
facts, and ideas and use electronically produced texts.
Standard 4. Students will listen, speak,
read, and write for social interaction.
SOCIAL
STUDIES
Standard
2: World History
Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras,
themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad
sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.
Standard
5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for
establishing governments; the governmental system. Also, students will
understand the need for basic civic values of the American constitutional
democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship,
including avenues of participation.