Upcoming Themes for CALLIOPE

2009-2010 School Year

Sep		Karnak - Egypt's Chosen Place Open any book on ancient Egypt and before you read even a couple of chapters, you are sure to come upon the name Karnak. Where is it? Who lived there? Why did the Egyptians honor this site? Lots of questions - and CALLIOPE has all the answers - well, most of them. There are still some unsolved mysteries. So, join us as we pull back the curtain on one of the world's most incredible complexes. Our friends are waiting to decipher the hieroglyphs and the stories the designs tell us about life more than 3,000 years ago. Never again will the word Karnak be just a six-letter name of an ancient place. Rather, it will be the home of your friends Mut and Amun, as well as Ramesses, Hatshepsut, and Akhenaten. So, come - they can't wait to have you see Karnak as they knew it!
Oct		Aesop and His Fables - Did He Really Exist? Love animals? Enjoy folktales? Amazed at how many links there are between past and present? Well, if you said "Yes" to all three questions - and even if you didn't - this issue is definitely for you. We travel back to ancient Greece for a visit with Aesop, a master storyteller. Then, we'll take a quick jaunt around the Mediterranean looking for clues to the role animals played in daily life at the time. On our journey back to the present, we have a few surprises for you - stop offs you won't soon forget. And, Aesop will be with you all the way!
Nov/Dec		Great Wall of China China's Great Wall is certainly the best-known wall in the world - but, is what you hear and read about it really true? Was it built by one emperor? Are people buried in it? Can you see it from space? Did it keep out the enemy - and who was this enemy? Did a girl's tears cause a section to collapse? What happened to the traitor that breached the wall? Can you walk from one end to the other, with no breaks? Intrigued? Good! Then, join us for a truly fascinating issue, one that is sure to hold your attention from cover to cover!
Jan		The Parthenon - Symbol of Eternal Greece Can you name Greece's most famous monument? If you said "Parthenon," you are exactly right! But, how about if you were asked: Who ordered it built? Why? What was inside? What happened to the paint that once decorated it? And, who blew it up? Certainly the answers to these questions are not so easy - but they are indeed fascinating. And, CALLIOPE will have them all for you and more in this issue. Two added treats: An exciting original play about a festival designed solely to honor Athena and the latest news on just how Greece is "treating" the Parthenon. So, join us for the "glory that was - and still is - Greece!"
Feb		Isabella of Spain - Queen of a New World Already a queen, she married a king - in secret, without going through the proper channels. A supporter of exploration, she did not want to see the natives in the New World treated poorly - and said so. A party to a treaty that divided the world, she had no idea what lands were still to be discovered. Who was this amazing woman? Isabella of Spain - and just wait until you meet her in this issue. She left no writings - except her will - but the information we do know is not only fascinating but quite revealing. And, what's more, in this issue, you'll learn that 1492 was not just the year that Columbus "sailed the ocean blue." For Isabella and her world, it was much, much more. But, we don""'t want to spoil the suspense. See you in February!
Mar		Michelangelo "Speak to me!" - This is exactly what Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists ever, said as he chipped away at the marble block before him. "What did he mean?" That's a question we ask in this issue of CALLIOPE, and you're sure to be fascinated by the answer! We had lots of fun getting this answer - and, actually, the answer has many parts to it. So, join us as we check out the blocks of marble brought to him for his many projects, walk the scaffolding in the Sistine Chapel with the master, help mix the paints to get all just right, and then listen to his poetry! Energy and determination were his middle names - so make sure both of yours are high to keep up! And, to help you get to know him even better, we've included a play and a bit about the jokes he enjoyed making. Sure, you've heard his name many times, but what else can you say about him? Lost for words? You won't be after you've read this issue. He's sure to take a place at the top of your list of fascinating and wish-you-could-meet people!
Apr		Dutch East India Company - Trade Goes International Meet a spy responsible for breaking the Arab monopoly on the spice trade, an unsuccessful businessman who created a mini-empire in Southeast Asia, a captain who disobeyed orders only to run his ship aground on reefs, royals who so loved porcelain from the East that they had rooms lined with it, countries that fought each other just to get control of trade routes. Home to the Dutch East India Company was a relatively small tract of land in Europe, but on the world stage, it matched any power-regardless of size. Find out how and why in this fascinating issue that will send you searching for even more information!
May/Jun		Exploring Africa with Stanley & Livingstone
Jul/Aug		"Dr. Livingstone, I presume!"-one of the best-known quotes in the history of exploration, but one that, in recent years, has been received little attention. Who said it and why are the focus on this issue on two of the world's most fearless adventurers. So, if you like adventure and incredible, but true, tales, join CALLIOPE as we travel inland into deepest Africa in the 1800s, on the trails with Stanley and Livingstone-both of whom were enthralled at the beauty of the land and its wildlife, determined to find the source of the great Nile River and make the Congo River passable, appalled when they meet slave traders, and helped and kept alive by natives. How they came to Africa, how they me, and what happened to both is a historical story you will never forget!   Meaning of Numbers
		What's with numbers? You use them every day - actually every minute! They rule the school day, every minute you are on the computer or check the time. They even control what you wear, as one size does not always fit everyone. But, just when did numbers begin and what did they look like? How, too, did these first number-users count? Who first thought of assigning weight and measurement to items for sale? And what about magic numbers such as three and seven? Superstitious? Then, you'll want to learn about #13-the article is titled "The Good, Bad, or Ugly"! CALLIOPE has the answers to these questions and many more in this issue, one that is sure to get you thinking, especially when you read about math problems that no one has yet been able to solve!

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Updated: 11/21/09 04:16 pm
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