COMENIUS: Activities of grade 6 students

?FROM ICARUS TO INTERPLANETARY TRAVEL?

SEMESTER A'

Reference in Mythology

Legendary figures and stories, connected to the desire of humans to fly. The kids recollected from their memory knowledge from the previous years and looked for information and images from books and the internet related to the heroes of mythology and ancient gods and goddesses who had the ability to fly.

They discovered that since the ancient years, humans have observed the birds, insects and all the flying species and feel frustrated that they do not possess this ability. Thus, humans identify these extraordinary abilities to the gods and to their favorite heroes, attempting through the observation and research, to imitate the birds and to achieve through mechanics their own flight, which will set them free and elevate them.

The students worked in group plans, using the story of Dedalus and Icarus, Bellerophontes and his flying horse Pegasus, the rescue of Iphigenia from goddess Artemis and her flight from Avlida to Tavrida. Also, the rescue of Frixos and Elli with the help of their mother Nefeli, who sent the flying ram to carry them to Colhida.

Reference in Religions

Ancient Greek Gods

Study of the ancient Greek gods who were related to flying. Apollo, the god of light, rode his chariot from the east to the west every day. The winged god Hermes, god of merchant and mail, son and messenger of Zeus travelled long distances through countries flying, as mentioned in Homer?s work. Finally, the goddesses Ira and Athina were believed to fly in winged chariots.

The Incas

The students worked in groups, collected and evaluated information about the Incas in America, who believed that when someone passes away, s/he flies with a rock that had the shape of a flying disc to the highest mountain of the Andes, where the divine spirits resided and their most important god set, the Sun.

The Chinese

The Chinese believed that by flying their kites in the sky they sent away all the misfortune and the highest they would reach the more fortunate they were. Our students discovered that the Chinese decorated their kites with wishes and desires and sent them close to the God, along with small flutes, which whistled as the wind passed through and made the people believe that they sent away the bad spirits.

The kites were made by paper, silk and bamboo and were strongly constructed, so that they could even carry a soldier for quite a period of time. This way they used to spy the enemy?s moves and sent signals from one area to another.

The Egyptians

In Egypt, according to the analysis of Dr. Khalil Mesiha, a physicist, in the roof of 3000 year old temple in Abidos of the New Kingdom hundreds of miles south of Cairo, we can see ancient depictions of ancient Egyptian flying vehicles.

The Christian Religion

Last but not least, studying the Christian religion, our students found out that in the Orthodox as well as in the Catholic Church the Αrchangels Michael and Gabriel were worshiped. The battalion of the Angels, with the Archangels as leaders, delivers the messages of God to humans, and maintains peace and order by protecting the good people and flying around God. The angels are winged and incorporeal.

SEMESTER B?

Reference in History

Architas (440-360 B.C.

Ancient Greek mathematician from Taras, the last student of Pythagoras, close friend of Plato, undefeated general in all seven battles he lead.

He had constructed a flying mechanism with wheels and an imitation of a pigeon which threw with the assistance of a balloon built from the bladder of a pig. His work was examined by Galileo.

Leonardo Da Vinci

He examined the motion of the birds and was the first to come up with the idea of constructing an airship and a helicopter. Drawings of flying vehicles have been saved.

Kanellos Kanellopoulos- A modern Dedalus

The athlete and Balkan winner Kanellos Kanellopoulos, cooperated with the MIT (USA), in 1988 and flew a flying bicycle from the northern shores of Crete to Santorini and travelled the distance of 135 km. His success is mentioned in the Guinness record book.

Τhunderbοlt aerosystems

In the Olympic Games of Los Angeles in 1984, special zones moved by the wind with the technique of launching missiles of NASA were used and some athletes flew to the stadium that way. Since then this technique is used as an effect in important athletic competitions but also in famous superhero movies.