Rising Sixth Grade

Name:
Odyssey City

Overarching Goals:
Truth, Justice, Freedom

Social Sciences
Concept:
Through the process of studying
Atlanta—students will create their
own city.

Topics:

• Safety—Rules
• Constitution
• Flag/Crest
• Schools (Public/Private)
• City: song, flower, bird etc…
• Government
• Newspaper
• Sports
• Technology
• Food
• Census
• Housing
• Taxes
• Product
• Arts
• Parks/Recreation

Deliverables:

• Create actual city
• Four Newspaper Updates
• Create City Song
• Reports based on one of the areas
  listed above. What is Atlanta Like?
  How will my City be different?

Big Connections to Odyssey/APS:
Journaling throughout the program,
Vocabulary and writing comprehension,
SAT words intentionally added
by faculty

Faculty Needed:
Language Arts
Social Studies
Math
Music

Field Trips:

• Atlanta City Tour
• Aquarium
• Museum of Patriotism
• Zoo Atlanta
• Fernbank Museum

Potential Guest Speakers
Reporter
Professional Athlete

Big Event
Creation of City Song with student
designed choreography

Other “Great Ideas”

• Create weekly newspaper update
• City Passport (stamp each area visited)
• Utilize Peace Corps Project to introduce
  World Cultures
• Begin every day with a “town hall
  meeting” to highlight the day/weeks goals

Rising Seventh Grade

Name:
Undercover Odyssey

Overarching Goals:
Science, forensics, debate, mock trial

Concept:
Students come across a crime scene
and begin to decipher the mystery.
Through the process of discovery, students
are learning the appropriate
science, journaling the discoveries and
beginning to learn about debate and
trials.

Topics:

• Scientific Method
• DNA
• Fingerprints
• Sketch Artist
• Interviewing Skills
• Photography
• Detective Skills
• Laws
• Chemistry
• Meticulous Science Investigation
• Debate
• Mock Trial

Deliverables:

• Detective Notebook (includes
  sketches, Photography, Journaling,
• Open ended Questions, Hypothesis
• Middle School Beginning Debate
• Middle School Beginning Mock
  Trial

Big Connections to Odyssey/APS
Journaling throughout the program,
Vocabulary and writing comprehension,
SAT words intentionally added
by faculty, Connection to National
Debate Project

Faculty Needed:
Math
Art
Language Arts
Science

Field Trips:

• State Superior Court
• CDC
• Emory Medical School
• Zoo Atlanta
• Aquarium

Potential Guest Speakers
Head of APS Detectives
Law Partner
Sketch Artist
CDC Scientist
Police/Fire Department
Fulton County animal defense team

Big Event
Mock Trial

Other “Great Ideas”

• Create a realistic feel and keep mystery
  level high
• Each classroom takes on a theme
• Crime Scene
• Lab
• Briefing Room
• Photography Studio
• Debate/Courtroom
• Partner Fulton County Animal Defense
  team
• Begin each day with a “briefing”
  from each of the themed areas
  

Rising Eighth Grade

Possible Name:
Odyssey Apprentice

Overarching Goals:
Economics, math, public speaking

Concept:
Students are given the skills necessary
to learn how to deal with money in a
variety of different situations.

Topics:

• Job Interviewing
• Public Speaking
• Consumer Debt
• Debt Management
• Compounding Interest
• The Power of Saving
• Philanthropy
• Investing
• Business Leader Forum
• Public Service Announcements
• Portfolio creation
• Drama
• Peace Corps Project
• Bridge—the card game.

Deliverables:

• Create Economic Portfolio
  (research company, “purchase”
  stock, chart activity
• PSA—Radio Spot for Investing
• Create TV Commercial for Fundraising
  Possibilities
• Mock Interviews to work on Public
  Speaking Skills
• Learn to play bridge

Big Connections to Odyssey/APS
Journaling throughout the program,
Vocabulary and writing comprehension,
SAT words intentionally added
by faculty, Connection to APS owned
Public Radio and TV, Public Speaking/
Interviewing Skills

Faculty Needed:
Language Arts
Economics
Math
Drama/Public Speaking

Field Trips:

• Federal Reserve Bank
• CNN
• Food Bank (service learning)
• Turner Broadcasting

Potential Guest Speakers
Business leaders
MJ Thorne
Sam Bacote
Bill Gates
Warren Buffett

Big Event

• Business Leader Form
• Bridge tournament

Other “Great Ideas”

• Visit two banks—money and food.
  Give students the opportunity to
  help within their own community
• Capture many of these activities on
  tape to be used in future Odyssey
  videos.
• Begin each day with a “board meeting”
  to discuss the agenda for the
  day