MENSA for Kids Greek Myths posted by Ruth Paget

MENSA for Kids Greek Myths activities.  Info below:

MENSA Greek Myths for Kids

Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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The Peloponnesian War reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago’s favorite classic 1982 - 1986 - The Peloponnesian War.  Click for book information below:

The Peloponnesian War

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget’s Books

Mushroom - Cheese Pizza and Greek Salad from Marco's Pizza in Augusta, Georgia by Ruth Paget

Mushroom – Cheese Pizza and Greek Salad from Marco’s Pizza in Augusta, Georgia by Ruth Paget 

One of my travel rituals when I go to the East Coast of the US from California is to order a large mushroom – cheese pizza and a large Greek salad from a local pizzeria to perk up after several airline flights.

In Augusta (Georgia), the pizzeria my husband Laurent and I order from is Marco’s Pizza, a local Georgia chain. They use high quality ingredients and deliver late at night, which pleases a hungry traveler like me. 

While waiting on the pizza delivery, I open the room window for fresh air, put away clothes, wash my hands and face, and brush my teeth. 

When pizza delivery arrives, I start dinner with the Greek salad. I am a Californian from Salinas, who can tuck into a family-size salad and easily eat the whole thing. 

At Marco’s, they make their Greek salad with a combination of crunchy, chopped Romaine lettuce and baby greens. On top of the lettuce, they place about 1/3 cup chopped yellow banana peppers, 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/3 cup chopped red onion, 1/3 cup sliced black olives, and 2/3 cup of diced, salty feta cheese. 

I add tangy, Greek lemon-oregano vinaigrette on top of the vegetables and feta cheese and toss everything together. This tart and tonic salad chases away any germs I may have encountered on the plane it seems and gives me the strength to finish organizing the room and take a shower. 

Once I am all squeaky clean, I leisurely eat two or three slices of mushroom-cheese pizza. At Marco’s, they use a mozzarella cheese that melts yet is firm and salty, which I like. The tomato sauce is savory and tastes great with the meaty mushrooms that probably come from the forest around Augusta. 

Marco’s uses protein-rich semolina flour in their pizza crust, which I also like for the rough finish on the crust edges. 

With tip, delivery of our large artisanal pizza and large Greek salad was $36. We ordered Marco’s several times during our stay in August, especially on NBA game nights when we watched the New York Knicks play teams from around the country. (I love games decided by 2 or 3 points.) 

Marco’s Pizza was a delicious, enjoyable, and convenient part of our stay in Augusta, Georgia. If you like pizza, it is definitely worth a try. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe Created by Ruth Paget 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-1 pound bag of cleaned lettuce 

-6 medium Campari tomatoes 

-1/2 red onion 

-black, pitted Kalamata olives (optional)

-4 chicken breasts (about 1 pound all together)

-3 tablespoons olive oil 

-oil and vinegar dressing or lemon juice and oil dressing 

Steps: 

1-Rinse 1 pound lettuce in cold water and drain it to perk it up and chill it. Mound lettuce in a large serving bowl. 

2-Rinse tomatoes. Cut them into sixths. Place tomato slices in a separate bowl. 

3-Peel red onion and slice it thinly. Place onion slices in a separate bowl. 

4-Place black olives in a separate bowl.  

5-Cook chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Cut to verify it is thoroughly cooked. The flesh should be white not pink when it is cooked. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a separate bowl. 

6-Place on all bowls on table with serving utensils, so diners can personalize their salad.

If possible, sprinkle fresh chopped chives or parsley on the salad.

(Note: You can substitute tuna, canned black beans, sesame seeds, or cheese cubes for the chicken or offer all of them for an eclectic dinner party.) 

(Note: Table wine can easily be turned into vinegar to use in vinegar and oil dressing - 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard for 2 to 3 people.  Maille or Pommery Dijon mustards are both good.  Sunflower oil can be used for a true Burgundy vinaigrette.)

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Feta Omelets at the Agora Restaurant by Ruth Paget

Feta Omelets at the Agora Restaurant by Ruth Paget 

A delicious memory I have of attending the University of Chicago is eating feta omelets at the Agora Restaurant in Hyde Park before going to study at the Regenstein Library. 

My college roommate was a Greek-American, so getting her to support the local Greek diner was no problem. We took the University bus to the nearest stop and walked the final few blocks. 

We were the steady diners, but three of our friends always tried to make it to breakfast, too. I warned them that if they did not come, we would talk about them. One of our male friends joined us for breakfast once and called us the female mafia. 

By the time senior year rolled around, we spent our breakfasts sharing job-hunting information. We were looking for work in different industries, which made it easier to share what we had learned. There was a recession in 1986 with fewer recruiters coming to campus. We were unhappy about this, but industrious about finding work nonetheless. 

I had found an international job in downtown Chicago doing informational interviews. I was a salesman at a translation agency that also did public relations work. (I eventually helped two classmates get work with the agency doing foreign-language narration and teaching/cultural consulting.) 

Since I was employed, I bought two extra pots of coffee for the table, so my friends could have abundant coffee refills as we talked about Richard N. Bolles’ book What Color is Your Parachute?, which counsels people on how to find dream jobs. 

We were all mortified that employment agencies downtown had typing skills tests. I told everyone to bite the bullet and learn to type 50 words per minute without a mistake; it could help with finding a job. Most businesses still used IBM electric typewriters in 1986 and were just beginning to introduce desktop computers to the workplace. 

The University of Chicago had “Apple” computers in the study halls, but companies downtown used all kinds of computers with Microsoft software being introduced. Knowing lots of software programs was an asset and hard to obtain. 

The tech change happening in 1986 was stressful. I credit the food I ate during this period of competitive and stressful tech change with keeping me strong, able to sleep, and willing to learn new ways of organizing and presenting information. Notably, I loved my weekly calcium-rich feta omelet with sliced, kalamata olives and roasted red peppers preserved in olive oil. 

Greek diners offer plenty of nutritious sides to go with omelets like this that I always ate including bacon, whole wheat toast with butter, calcium-added orange juice, and real cream to go with coffee. (In addition to dealing with technological change, I credit this meal with preventing me from having osteoporosis – weak bones – later in life.) 

After this robust breakfast, the female mafia would walk to the Regenstein Library like the “Reg Rats” we really were for a day of studying as we thought of dream careers and the reality of entry-level jobs. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Greek Food in Marietta, Georgia by Ruth Paget

Greek Food in Marietta, Georgia by Ruth Paget 

When my husband Laurent and I visit Atlanta (Georgia), we always make at least one trip to Marietta Diner, located north of Atlanta by Kennesaw State University and Dobbins Air Force Base. Marietta Diner has an extensive all-American menu, which is popular with Atlanta Braves fans, military personnel, and students alike. 

However when I go to Marietta Diner, I study their menu and specials to look for Greek food, which hearkens back to my student days in Detroit and Chicago. 

I have been able to order delicious Greek meals like the following with the specials menu: 

For me – 

Greek pasta, which came with soup. The soup I ordered was naturally Greek, avgolemono, lemon-egg soup. Avgolemono soup is made with onions, rice, chicken stock, shredded chicken breast, eggs, and lemon juice. It is a sour cold fighter, which I like warm or room temperature. 

The Greek pasta was made with al dente penne pasta, melted feta cheese, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, small black olives, and bite-sized grilled chicken. The Greek pasta was salty and sour and perfect in Atlanta’s sweltering summer heat. 

For Laurent – 

A gyro (pronounced ‘yeer-o’) platter, which came with spanakopita (feta and spinach pie squares in buttered phyllo dough) and garlic fries. A gyro is shaved and roasted beef and pork served in pocket pita bread along with tomato, onion, and cucumber-yogurt (tzatziki) spread. The gyro disappeared. Laurent let Ruth, who likes vegetarian food, have the spanakopita. 

For dessert – 

A yummy baklava with rich lemon custard in the center of nutty layers of butter rich phyllo dough that were doused in honey. 

We ate this delicious meal for $44 and had leftovers to take home. We made 4 meals out of what we ordered, which averaged $11 each. I thought that was a pretty great price for Greek Isles food.

Marietta Diner 306 Cobb Parkway SE South 

Marietta, Georgia 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Gaugamela: The Ancient Greek Bittersweet Victory Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Gaugamela:  The Ancient Greek Bittersweet Victory Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down large books as a team to learn quickly

2-Learn about elephants and elephant conservation efforts

3-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Greek culture

4-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Persian culture

5-Write a media release for radio

6-Play the ancient Greek game of knucklebones

7-Sample Greek food

8-Learn about storytelling

Historical Background:

In 331 BC, the forces of the Macedonian King Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC) clashed with those of the Persian King Darius III (reign 336 BC – 330 BC) at Gaugamela near the modern city of Arbela in the north of modern-day Iraq.

King Darius had a huge army and used elephants from India as part of his forces.  The elephants, which were like tanks, were thought to make the Persian Empire invincible.

Battle Outcome:

The 47,000 Greek forces under Alexander the Great defeated Persia’s force of 86,000.

King Darius III fled the battlefield, and Alexander the Great died of battle wounds in the city of Babylon in modern-day Iraq.

Managing Group Reading:

To divide reading up, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters and 8 team members.

If you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading time and learn the material quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

33 chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters for each team member to read plus 1 remaining chapter to be assigned as decided by the group.  (Maybe a team member with a short assigned chapter among their readings could read the remaining chapter.)

For each assigned chapter, team members will note 5 to 10 main points to be typed up and sent to the team secretary for grouping into a single document for each book.

Team Set-Up:

Break a group up into two teams.

Both teams will complete tasks 1 to 4 as a team.

For task 5, the two teams will come together to write a media release for radio about the Battle at Gaugamela, play the ancient Greek game of knucklebones, and sample Greek food.

Number of tasks to complete: 5

Task 1: Learn about the Battle at Gaugamela 331BC

Read about the Battle at Gaugamela 331 BC in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about Alexander the Great in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about Darius III in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to see if there are any differences.  Note sources.

If you find differences, set up guidelines about how to establish the facts to use.

Task 2:  Learn about Elephants

At the time of the Battle of Gaugamela 331 BC, elephants outside of warfare were not an endangered species.  Today elephants are an endangered species.

Team members who educate themselves about elephants take the first step needed to help preserve elephant populations.

As a team, read the suggested following book and take notes for assigned chapters:

Elephant Rescue: All About Elephants and How to Save Them by Ashlee Brown Blewett (National Geographic Kids Mission)

Task 3: Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Greek Culture

As a team, read the following suggested books and note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green

Another book to read about ancient Greek culture is The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton.

A must-read is the Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green

This mythical battle imbued the ancient Greeks with ideals of heroism and knowledge of the cost of war even when justified.

What did each side in the Trojan War consider to be justification for war?  Do you agree with it?  Why?

As you read the Trojan War, ask yourself the following questions to learn about storytelling:

-Can you name conflicts that lead up to the point where both sides stop fighting?

-What is the story’s climax where hostilities stop?

-What happens after the conflicts?

-Read Homer's The Odyssey translated by Daniel Mendelsohn (University of Chicago Press)

-The action in this book is a straight line where Odysseus removes one obstacle after the other to return home.  He does not care about the obstacles he removed.  He wants to see his wife and son.  

What are the obstacles he removes to obtain his final goal?

Read Hesiod’s 800-line poem Works and Days.  Note 5 to 10 main points for assigned lines.

Read The Sarpedon Krater: The Life and Afterlife of a Greek Vase by Nigel Spivey as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter.

This beautiful vase depicts a fallen hero from Troy.  The book is a real Indiana Jones-like tale of putting an artifact in the right museum.

Task 4: Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Persian Culture

Ancient Persia is now called Iran.  The ancient Persians were not Muslims.  Islam did not exist at the time of the Battle of Gaugamela 331 BC.  Read the following suggested books as a team, note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Shahnameh: Book of Kings by Elizabeth Baird (after Ferdowsi – a children’s book)

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Abolgasem Ferdowsi

Persian Myths by Vesta Sarkosh Curtis

The Enchantingly Easy Persian Cookbook: 100 Simple Recipes for Beloved Persian Food by Shadi Hasanzade Nemati

Preparing for Task 5:

Before the combined teams meeting, team members will type up their main points from their assigned chapters and send them to the team secretary via email to be compiled into one document.

Team secretaries will email the single document to their team members and the other team’s secretary for distribution.

Team members should read both documents before the task 5 combined teams meeting.

Task 5: Media Release Meeting and Party

The combined teams will write a 2-minute media release for radio about the Battle at Gaugamela 331 BC.

The release should answer the following questions in the noted order below:

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

How?

Once the release is written, read it to see if it 2 minutes long.

If the release is too long, edit it down to 2 minutes.

If the release is too short, add details to make it 2 minutes long.

(This activity should take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.)

Once the meeting is over, play the ancient Greek game called knucklebones.  (Knucklebones was also played in ancient Rome.)

Knucklebones games are sold for $27.99 on Amazon as of 3/13/2020.

Sample some Greek food at your party.  The suggested following cookbooks provide recipes you can use:

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by the Recipe Club of St. Paul’s Church

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking: Explore this Classic Mediterranean Cuisine: 160 Recipes by Rena Salama and Jan Cutler

Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Entrées, and Desserts by Pano Kavatassos

My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from my Kitchen to Yours by Diane Kochilas

Orexi! Feasting at the Modern Greek Table by Theo A. Michaels

Have fun!

Gaugamela Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click for Laurent Paget's Book

Ruth Paget Selfie

Tyre: The Ancient Greek Engineering Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Tyre:  The Ancient Greek Engineering Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down large books as a team to learn more quickly

2-Learn basic engineering concepts (simple machines), which were crucial to the Greek victory against the Phoenicians at Tyre

3-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Greek culture

4-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Phoenician culture

5-Do systems planning for a simple sanitation system during a siege

6-Play the ancient Greek game of knucklebones

7-Sample Greek food

8-Learn about storytelling

Historical Background:

In 332 BC, ancient Greece became an invading country rather than a defensive one when it began the Siege of Tyre, a fortified island city under Phoenician control.  (The ancient Phoenicians were the ancestors of today’s Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians.)

The Macedonian King Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC) sought to expand the Greek Empire eastwards into the Persian Empire, but was thwarted in doing so by a Persian-controlled Phoenician naval fleet.

Alexander could not challenge the Phoenician fleet and sought instead to defeat Phoenician naval bases along the Eastern Mediterranean coast.  Many of the Phoenician towns surrendered without a fight to Alexander as they did not like the Persians.

However, Tyre did not.  This fortified, island city was not afraid of sieges.  Tyre had withstood a four-year siege by Assyrians from 724 BC – 720 BC under Shalmaneser V (died 722 BC) among many others.

Battle Outcome for the Siege of Tyre 332 BC:

Alexander the Great and his army of 70,000 defeated the Phoenician force of 70,000 after a siege of 8 months thanks to superior engineering and technology.

Managing Group Reading:

To divide reading up, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters to read and 8 team members.

If you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading tie and learn material quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

33 chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters for each team member to read with 1 remaining chapter to be assigned as decided by the group.  (Maybe a team member with a short assigned chapter among their readings could read the remaining chapter.)

For each assigned chapter, team members will note 5 to 10 main points to be typed up and sent to the team secretary for grouping into a single document for each book.

Team Set-Up

Break a group into two teams.

Both teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 as a team.

For task 5, the two teams will come together to set up a simple sanitation system for the home and community, play the ancient Greek game called knucklebones, and sample Greek food.

Number of Tasks to Complete: 5

Task 1: Learn about the Siege of Tyre 332 BC

Read about the Siege of Tyre 332 BC in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences. Note sources

Read about Alexander the Great in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

As you read, look for information about engineering and technology (specifically causeways and catapults) used by the ancient Greeks to defeat the Phoenicians at the Siege of Tyre in 332 BC.

If you find differences, set up guidelines about how to establish the facts to use.

Task 2: Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Greek Culture

As a team, read the following suggested books and note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green

Another book to read as a team is The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton.

A must-read book is the Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green

This mythical battle imbued the ancient Greeks with ideals of heroism and knowledge of the cost of war even if justified.

What did each side in the Trojan War consider to be justification for war?  Do you agree with it?  Why?

As you read the Trojan War, ask yourself the following questions to learn about storytelling:

-Can you name conflicts that led up to the point where both sides stopped fighting?  

-What is the story’s climax?

-What happens after the climax in the Trojan War?

Read Hesiod’s 800-line poem Works and Days and note 5 to 10 main points for assigned lines.

Read The Sarpedon Krater: The Life and Afterlife of a Greek Vase by Nigel Spivey as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each team member’s assigned chapters.

This beautiful vase depicts a fallen hero from Troy.  The book is a real Indian Jones-like tale of putting an artifact in the right museum.

Extra Reading: The Odyssey translated by Daniel Mendelsohn (University of Chicago Press)

Task 3:  Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Phoenician Culture

The ancient Phoenicians were the ancestors of today’s Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians.  The following suggested books provide information about this ancient culture:

History of the Phoenician Civilization by George Rawlinson

The Phoenicians (Cultures of the World) by Elsa Marston

For a taste of Lebanese food, the suggested following cookbook might have recipes you would like.  Lebanon’s cuisine is ancient:

Julie Taboulie’s Lebanese Kitchen: Authentic Recipes for Fresh and Flavorful Mediterranean Cooking by Julie Ann Sageer and Leah Bhabha

Each team member should note 5 to 10 main points for their assigned chapters in the above books.

Task 4: Introduction to Engineering

The Siege at Tyre 332 BC was won by Alexander the Great thanks to superior technology.  For this task team members will work to obtain an introduction to engineering for their assigned chapters:

Basic Machines and How They Work by Naval Education (Fred A. Carson)

Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love by Monty Cagan

Math is the language of science and technology.  The following suggested book will help team members assess their math skills:

Math Smart: The Savvy Student’s Guide to Mastering Basic Math by The Princeton Review

Preparing for Task 5:

Before the combined teams meeting, team members will type up their main points from the chapters they read and send it to the team secretary via email to be compiled into one document.

Team secretaries will email the single document to their team members and the other team’s secretary for distribution.

Team members should read both documents before the Task 5 combined teams meeting.

Task 5: Setting Up a Sanitation System and Party

Engineers who are successful make systems for their invention to work in and think about who will maintain the system. 

Setting up a sanitation system to withstand a siege like the one at Tyre is the basis for this task.

A cleaning system for your home using checklists is a basic sanitation system.

For this task, team members will set up a sanitation system for bathrooms and kitchens using checklists for cleaning inside the home.

Once that is complete, team members will analyze sanitation systems in their community.

Where does trash go when it leaves your home?  Is there recycling?  Is garbage burned?  Is landfill near water systems?  What community systems are in place to prevent the spread of disease to keep a population strong?

(This activity should take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.)

After the meeting, play the ancient Greek game called knucklebones.  (Knucklebones was also played in ancient Rome.)

Knucklebones games are for $27.99 on Amazon as of 3/13/2020.

Sample some Greek food at your party.  The suggested following cookbooks provide recipes you can use:

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by the Recipe Club of St. Paul’s Church

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking: Explore this Classic Mediterranean Cuisine: 160 Recipes by Rena Salama and Jan Cutler

Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Entrées, and Desserts by Pano Kavatassos

The Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours by Diane Kochilas

Orexi! Feasting at the Modern Greek Table by Theo Michaels

Have fun!

Tyre Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click here for Laurent Paget's Book

Ruth Paget Selfie