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Star Wars & Ancient Rome Club. Jedi, Heroes, Villains, & Mandalorian.

May the Force be with you, Caesar! Star Wars was influenced by ancient Roman society, literature, and mythology. This fun weekly club will discuss different aspects of the films, the ancient influences, & our favorite aspects of this genre
Sondra Rapoport
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:
(655)
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What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per week

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Get $5 off my classes with coupon code RAPOPJ4W1W5 until Mar 31, 2022. Look through my classes at https://outschool.com/teachers/Sondra-Rapoport and enter the coupon code at checkout.

It is clear that Star Wars is influenced by the history, culture, and mythology of the ancient world. In this class we will use Star Wars to learn about the ancient world. There are many examples of Roman style military and government and ancient Greek myths of heroes that are seen in Star Wars that we will have endless topics of conversation.

It is not required to have prior knowledge of ancient history or culture to join our club. I have included a list of books that your student may find useful, but they are not required for class. I will be teaching all of the information about ancient history, culture, and mythology in our discussions. For each class I will provide slides with information and examples from history and mythology that are relevant to our conversation. I am a Roman historian and and archaeologist and I taught with Harvard University's Dept. of Classics for 6 years as a Head Teaching Fellow. I taught Medieval Culture, Roman Games (gladiatorial games and the Colosseum), and The Rome of Augustus, in addition to other classes covering mythology and history during Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Medieval Period. 

History can be fun and history via Star Wars can be even more fun! I am looking forward to seeing you in class.

IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE ANY PREVIOUS CLASS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE. NEW STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.

Example topic question: The fight between good and evil and the role of the Force. Who are the Jedi and the Sith? What is the Force? Consider also the fight between the gods of Olympus against the Titans. Are the Greek gods equal to the Jedi in terms of good? With the Titans imprisoned, what force counters balances the Greek gods? We know  what happens when evil outweighs good, but what about when good outweighs evil? 



This is an ONGOING class. New topics will be chosen by the students and by the flow of our discussion in this fascinating subject.  I am greatly looking forward to the conversation. Please feel free to send me any requests for topics and I will add them.

IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE ANY PREVIOUS CLASS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE.

Learning Goals

Students will use their interest in Star Wars to expand their knowledge of the history and culture of the ancient and medieval world as well as gain a greater understanding of the traditional characters and storylines in ancient and medieval literature.
learning goal

Other Details

Supply List
THESE BOOKS ARE NOT REQUIRED.
I recommend these books for a greater understanding of the mythology, history, and culture of the Ancient and Medieval world. 

The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell (George Lucas used this book, too!)
Mythology, Edith Hamilton
Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer (poetry edition)
Aeneid, Virgil
The Lives of the Caesars, Suetonius
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
I recommend these books for a greater understanding of the mythology, history, and culture of the Ancient and Medieval world. THESE BOOKS ARE NOT REQUIRED. The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell (George Lucas used this book, too!) Mythology, Edith Hamilton Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer (poetry edition) Aeneid, Virgil The Lives of the Caesars, Suetonius
Joined February, 2021
4.8
655reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello! I’m Sondra Rapoport, your friendly neighborhood Roman Historian. I taught with Harvard University's Dept. of Classics for 6 years as a Head Teaching Fellow. I taught Medieval Culture, Roman Games (gladiators), and The Rome of Augustus, for which I was nominated for the Levenson Teaching Award and won awards for distinction in teaching each semester I taught with Harvard. Now, I homeschool my son and I greatly enjoy adapting my knowledge and classes designed for university level to each of his grade levels. On of my goals is to bring Classics into the modern world. 

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Live Group Class
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$19

weekly

1x per week
55 min
Completed by 32 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
3-10 learners per class

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