As part of their study of ancient Mesopotamian societies, sixth graders learned about perhaps the oldest story on Earth: The Epic of Gilgamesh. We learned about the ancient Akkadian tablets on which it was written, and read the tale aloud together in class. We had lively conversations around the meaning of friendship, what it means to be an ethical ruler, the similarities we found between Gilgamesh’s story and that of other myths (in particular, other “Great Flood” stories), and the real meaning of immortality.To finish our study of this famous text, students were put in small groups and tasked with modernizing it in script form. Each group was assigned one of the three parts of the epic. Students wrote these scripts, infusing them with a 21st-century twist. When they were done, each group acted out their versions for the class. In one take, Gilgamesh took to “Instagram Live” to livestream his adventures. In another, characters clambered to order supplies from Amazon. One group used theme music, while another had Gilgamesh and Enkidu take selfies of their conquest. Makeshift costumes and props added a theatrical touch to these inspired and hilarious performances – it was truly an epic time!