Black Ships Before Troy

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “A Story is a Trojan Horse”

You just read a story about a wooden horse that was used to secretly deliver soldiers into the enemy’s city. Did you ever think about how stories can be like Trojan Horses, though? Stories contain hidden ideas--themes--that they deliver to you while you read. Whether you consciously realize what a story’s themes are or not, you’re still absorbing them while you read.

For this project, you will create a representation of a Trojan Horse--and then you will fill it with themes from Black Ships Before Troy.

Part A: Think about the themes of Black Ships Before Troy.

• Read Esther Lombardi’s article “How to Identify the Theme in a Literary Work.”
• Make a list of five messages about life that this story seems to contain.
• Write each theme on a separate slip of paper.
• On the back side of each slip of paper, explain how the theme you wrote on the front side is “hidden” inside Sutcliff’s story.

Part B: Create a Trojan Horse to carry your messages about theme.

• Use construction paper to create a Trojan Horse that has a hollow space in the middle for carrying your messages: Cut two identical horse shapes out of the paper, then glue them together along the edges--remember to leave an opening along the horse’s belly where your messages can be tucked inside the horse!
• Decorate the outside of your horse with words and pictures from the story.