During our unit on ancient Greece, all students were exposed to some common Greek word roots and the idea that much of our language comes from Greek and Latin roots. (When we study the Middle Ages, we will quickly follow the progression from Greek to Latin and how it was combined with Germanic, as the Normans conquered England, making English the only language stemming from both branches of the language tree—Latin and Germanic. This is why we have so many synonyms in English!) Students who were interested could earn extra credit by participating in the Vocabulympics--also a nod the the very competitive Greeks. :-) Students completed worksheets on English words that derived from Greek roots. They could earn either the bronze, silver or gold level, depending on how many worksheets they chose to do. Students who did 20 worksheets earned the gold medal of extra credit plus Greek food, prepared by Mrs. Barry and Mrs. Kirby. On the menu was: Greek olives, tzaziki dip with pita chips, Greek salad, chicken souvlaki and baklava. We talked briefly about what was in each dish and how it would be served in Greece and learned the Greek words used for celebrations, “Opa!” and a Greek toast, “Jamas!” Then we enjoyed our meal with Greek music.