Download (Greek Mythology).

Kathryn Wymer
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.
Greek Mythology(Differentiated Role Play Activity)
Essential Questions/Concepts:
 How did mythology help the early Greek civilization explain the natural world and the human condition?
 What impact did Greek mythology have on later civilizations and the contemporary world?
General Objectives:
Standards from the National Council for the Social Studies
NCSS IV: Individual Development and Identity
Standards from the Virginia Department of Education
WHI.5
The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western
civilization by
b) describing Greek mythology and religion
Learning Outcomes:
 SWBAT summarize in a brief statement Greek mythology and its effect on daily life in ancient Greece
(Comprehension).
 SWBAT role-play in a campaign the specific ways that ancient Greeks used mythology to explain their
natural world and human condition (Synthesis).
Lesson Body/Content Outline:
Set Induction (5 minutes):
Ask the students to answer the following question: What role does religion play in a society? The
students will THINK-PAIR-SHARE their ideas, individually in writing and orally in their pairs. After a minute
or two, have each group share their ideas, and the teacher will make a list on the board until all the ideas are
exhausted.
EXPECTED RESPONSES:
 Some people pray a lot
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 Religious holidays
 Can effect political/ethical views
 Can start a war
 Some extravagant church/synagogue/mosque buildings
 Can provide different types of music
 Can cause people to do outrages things (positive and negative)
Leave this question open-ended, because it will be part of a follow-up question at the end of the lesson.
The students will then be able to conclude how religion can help to define a culture.
Review (3 minutes):
Previous to this lesson, the students have already studied Greek mythology. From my observation, it
was taught by means of lecture and powerpoint. The goal of this particular activity is to reinforce the
significance of Greek mythology in Western literature, art, monumental architecture, and politics. Their
religion not only guided their moral decisions, but also their artistic expression, design, recreation, nature, etc.
It was an intrical aspect of their daily lives, because everything that happened could be attributed to the gods
and goddess.
Objectives for the Students (7 minute):
The students will work in groups of two to campaign in favor of their specificly assigned god/goddess.
The set-up for this activity is simple. The ancient Greeks believed that the gods/goddess possessed human
emotions, such as jealousy, fickleness, and a sense of competiveness. In our role-play today, for entertainment,
Zeus decided to hold the “Mt. Olympus Superlatives”. Each group, which represents one god or goddess, will
campaign to the people of Greece to win their superlative(s). Each group must apply to at least one, but as
many of the superlatives as they choose; however, each campaign must be supported by facts to rationalize
their selection for that superlative.
**The Mt. Olympus Superlatives**
 Most likely to have a new statue in your likeness appear at the next polis meeting
 Most likely to start another war
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 Most likely to inspire an artist
 Most likely to star in the next Greek epic
Guided Activity/Lesson (60 minutes):
The Teacher’s Actions are Designated in Red
Struggling Learners
Grade Level Learners
Advanced Learners
[These students will group together
[These students will be assigned to
[These students will be assigned
and begin reading over the
a pair, but will meet with the
to a pair. After the teacher has
descriptions of each of the
teacher first as a whole group. This
finished giving instructions to the
gods/goddess until the teacher joins
group requires the least amount of
campaign managers, then these
them. Their specific instruction will
guided instruction, so their specific
students will meet with the
come third.]
instruction will come first.]
teacher as a whole group. Their
specific instruction will come
second.]
 Each student will independently
 The teacher will give each
 While these students are
read the fact sheets of the gods and
student a graphic organizer.
awaiting their specific
goddesses that will present a
Instruct them that they will use
instruction, they will be
campaign.
this graphic organizer to
gathering the materials their
determine two things: the
pair needs to complete their
begin a guided discussion with the
qualities of the god/goddess and
campaign (i.e. poster board,
group. The teacher is responsible
the ways these it applies to the
markers, fact sheets).
for leading a Socratic discussion,
different superlative topics.
 The teacher joins the group to
making the following points:
 What similarities/differences do
 The students will return to their
 The teacher will explain to the
students that they will be
pairs and work on their graphic
responsible for creating the
these gods and goddess have in
organizer individually, using the
campaign speech. They will
common?
fact sheet about their
use the information that their
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 How do you explain these
god/goddess.
campaign manager collects,
similarities and differences?
 Afterwards, these students will
 Why do you think the Greeks
work with their pair to begin
independent time reading their
creating the campaign.
fact sheets and preparing their
had so many gods and goddess
with such particular traits?
 Where do you see evidence of
 These students will be
responsible for creating the
but they will also spend
outline for the speech.
 The teacher will remind them
the gods/goddess in ancient
campaign poster that they will
of what a persuasive speech
Greek life?
display while their candidate
means: they need to
gives their campaign speech.
distinguish what makes their
 Why might they choose to
include their gods/goddess in
specific god/goddess the best
those aspects of their lives?
choice for the superlative(s)
 The students, and with some
their pair chooses. This is not
beginning assistance from the
an exercise in “smear
teacher, will use their knowledge
campaigns”! They must use
of Greek daily life to decide on a
facts and positive traits to
uniform set of criteria for each
justify your position.
superlative. Students will use the
 These students will work with
following guided questions to help
their partners to decide on
them complete their score sheets
which superlative(s) they
with their developed criteria:
would like to attempt. They
 How does _ (topic of the
will then develop their
superlative)_ affect the Greeks?
 Why is the _(topic of the
superlative)_ important to the
arguments for their speech.
Each speech should be NO
MORE than five minutes.
Greeks?
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 How do the gods/goddess affect
_(topic of the superlative)_ ?
 Is it important that the
gods/goddesses affect the
_(topic of the superlative)_?
 After the students have created
their score sheets, the group can
work together to create
“hypothetical prizes” for the
superlative winners. What would
be a relevant and good price for
someone who wins the “Most
likely to start a war” superlative?
Etc.
 The students will hear the
campaigns and vote according to
their designated qualifiers.
 The teacher will collect the score
sheets at the end of the campaign
to tally the votes and declare the
winners.
 These students will offer the
“prizes” they created.
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Closure: (10 minutes)
Bring the students back together for a whole-class discussion. Review what happened during the
campaign and have everyone complete the graphic organizer. Ask the following questions as follow-up:
 Did anyone learn something interesting from the Fact Sheet? If so, what and why was it interesting?
 Were there any names or things you had heard of before? Where had you heard them (i.e. Orion’s
Belt)?
Ask them to refer back to the list they created during their set induction. Do these attributes remain true
after our study of ancient Greek mythology? Can we add or subtract anything from our list to make it
universal? How does the role of religion in society compare to their society?
Summative Assessment: (5 minutes)
On a sheet of notebook paper, have each student answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. How did mythology help the early Greek civilization explain the natural world and the human
condition?
2. Did Greek mythology have an impact on later civilizations and the contemporary world? Justify your
answer.
If the time allows, ask the students to share some of their responses to these questions.
Materials Needed for the Lesson:
 Index Cards to Group Students
 Mt. Olympus Score Sheets
 Greek Mythology Graphic Organizers
 Greek Mythology Fact Sheets
 Poster board
 Markers/Colored Pencils
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress/Performance:
Evaluation of student progress and performance during the lesson will come from the preparation work
they complete prior to the campaign speeches and voting. Each group has a specific, measurable task that they
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need to complete. At the end of the campaign speeches, however, the group discussion and final writing
assignment will prove if the students understood the major concepts of the lesson. If the students still do not see
a connection between Greek mythology and ancient daily life, then the lesson was unsuccessful. The most
important part of this lesson comes from the closure discussions, which brings the topic to a more global and
relatable level. The final writing assignment (answering the two questions) will be the true evaluation of
progress and performance.
Differentiation for Special Needs:
Type of Learner
Form of Differentiation
They will be the public of ancient Greece
voting on each god/goddess team. While the groups
prepare their campaigns, these students will be
reviewing the criteria for each superlative. These
students already have prior knowledge of Greek
mythology, but they will need a structured activity to
Struggling Learners
help them make a connection between Greek
mythology and the ancients’ daily lives.
In their study of ancient Greece, the SWBAT
summarize in a brief statement Greek mythology and
its effect on daily life in ancient Greece
They will be the campaign managers for the
group member representing the god/goddess. Even
On Grade Learners
though these students will be working with their
partner, their primary responsibility is the research.
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They need to discover the qualities that their
god/goddess possess. They must use that information
to determine which superlative(s) best fit their
god/goddess. These students already understand about
the god/goddess structure in ancient Greek society.
This activity will help them make a stronger
connection between the mythology and daily
occurances in ancient life. They will need less
structure and time to make that connection.
In their study of ancient Greece, the SWBAT analyze
in a graphic organizer the specific aspects with which
Greek mythology affected daily life in ancient Greece.
They will be the god/goddess that their group
represents. Even though these students will be
working with their partner, their primary responsibility
is to prepare the campaign speech. This persuasive
speech will be used to win their campaign for their
Advanced Learners
selected superlative. These students already
understand the use of Greek mythology in ancient
daily life, and they need to analyze their specific
god/goddess does that. For example, how, if at all,
does their god of sea affect politics, art, economics,
agriculture, etc.?
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In their study of Greek mythology, the SWBAT justify
in a campaign how each god/goddess had a specific
role in the daily life of ancient Greeks.
Subject Matter Integration/Extension:
This lesson falls into an interesting spot in my cooperating teacher’s unit. They have just finished the
first chapter out of a two-chapter unit. When I asked what material would be best to teach, he suggested that I
could review or introduce the next chapter. I took this opportunity to try a differentiated activity. The
cooperating teacher already taught the bulk of the information, but I wanted to drive home the essential
knowledge of this SOL. I intentionally chose to use the gods/goddesses that the SOL listed as essential to
know. With the study of these gods and goddesses, the students have the opportunity to see how the Greeks
used their religion in their everyday lives. The students will understand the importance of Greek mythology,
not only in ancient Greece, but also in the foreshadowing of the Roman Empire and how it appears in modern
Western culture.
Reflection:
This lesson was my first attempt at writing and teaching a differentiated, tiered activity. Overall, I am
very proud of its construction and translation to the classroom. The students really enjoyed the campaign
activities. It gave them the opportunity to be creative and work with the content repeatedly. However, this
lesson would work best over more than a ninety-minute period/block. If I had more time to explain the
assignment and gave more overall instruction to the entire class before I broke them into groups, there would
have been much less confusion in the classroom. I am fortunate that I could use my practicum partner and
cooperating teacher as a research to help me address concerns around the room. If I had given myself more
time, and therein given the students more time to work on their campaigns, it probably would have gone much
more smoothly.
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Bibliography:
Fleet Gazelle: Mythweb. (2006). Greek Mythology. Retrieved October 9, 2006, from
http://www.mythweb.com/index.html.
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Name: ___________________
Mt. Olympus Superlatives Score Sheet
Directions: Use the following questions to create a uniform criterion for scoring
each superlative. Afterwards, use your criteria to score each god/goddess for
the superlative(s) in their campaign. To score, give each god/goddess a score 1-6
by circling the number (1=LAST CHOICE; 6=FIRST CHOICE)




How does _ (topic of the superlative)_ affect the Greeks?
Why is the _(topic of the superlative)_ important to the Greeks?
How do the gods/goddess affect _(topic of the superlative)_ ?
Is it important that the gods/goddesses affect the _(topic of the superlative)_?
Scoring Chart
Most likely to
have a new statue
in your likeness
appear at the next
polis meeting
Most likely to
start another war
Most likely to
inspire an artist
Most likely to
star in the next
Greek epic
Zeus
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Hera
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Apollo
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Artemis
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Athena
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Aphrodite
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Name of
God or
Goddess
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Name: ___________________
Greek Mythology Graphic Organizer
Directions: Complete the following graphic organizer to help you understand
Greek Mythology and its effect on ancient daily life.
Art
Literature
Zeus:
Zeus:
Hera:
Hera:
Apollo:
Apollo:
Artemis:
Artemis:
Athena:
Athena:
Aphrodite:
Aphrodite:
Greek Mythology
Politics
Architecture
Zeus:
Zeus:
Hera:
Hera:
Apollo:
Apollo:
Artemis:
Artemis:
Athena:
Athena:
Aphrodite:
Aphrodite:
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Greek Mythology Fact Sheet
The
Olympians
Zeus
(zoose)
Hera
(HER-uh)
Descriptions
Supreme god of the Olympians, Zeus was the father of Perseus and Heracles, the latter of whom once
wrestled him to a draw.
Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. When he was born, his father Cronus
intended to swallow him as he had all of Zeus's siblings: Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera. But
Rhea hid the newborn in a cave on Mount Dicte in Crete. (To this day, the guides at the "cave of Zeus" use
their flashlights to cast shadow puppets in the cave, creating images of baby Zeus from the myth.)
When he had grown up, Zeus caused Cronus to vomit up his sisters and brothers, and these gods joined
him in fighting to wrest control of the universe from the Titans and Cronus, their king. Having vanquished
his father and the other Titans, Zeus imprisoned most of them in the underworld of Tartarus.
Then he and his brothers Poseidon and Hades divided up creation. Poseidon received the sea as his
domain, Hades got the Underworld and Zeus took the sky. Zeus also was accorded supreme authority on
earth and on Mount Olympus.
Hera was the goddess of marriage, the wife of Zeus and the Queen of the Olympians. Enemy of
Heracles, she sent snakes to attack him when he was still an infant and later stirred up the Amazons against
him when he was on one of his quests. On the other hand, Hera aided the hero Jason.
In Greek mythology, Hera was the reigning female goddess of Olympus because she was Zeus's wife.
But her worship is actually far older than that of her husband. It goes back to a time when the creative force
we call "God" was conceived of as a woman. The Goddess took many forms, among them that of a bird.
Hera was worshipped throughout Greece, and the oldest and most important temples were consecrated to
her. Her subjugation to Zeus and depiction as a jealous shrew are mythological reflections of one of the
most profound changes ever in human spirituality.
Tens of thousands of years ago, as the evidence of cave art and artifacts makes clear, humanity was
focused on the female body, either pregnant or fit to bear children. Childbirth was the closest humans came
to the great power that caused the earth to bring forth new life in the spring. To the extent that these distant
ancestors of ours were evolved enough to think of worshipping this power, we may safely conclude that
they thought of it as female.
Thousands of years later (and some five to nine thousand years before our own time), the European
descendants of these people lived in large villages, with specialized crafts and religious institutions. It is
clear from the artifacts they left behind that they worshipped a power (or a group of powers) that came in
many forms - a bird, a snake, perhaps the earth itself. And this great power was female. For the human
female has the ability to procreate - to bring forth new life.
It is said that it was only when humanity discovered man's role in procreation that male gods began to
be worshipped. There is no reason to doubt, though, that male gods were worshipped before the mystery of
birth was fully known. In all probability the greatest powers were thought of as female but there were male
deities as well. And it is clear that even after procreation was properly understood, the more peaceful
Europeans - perhaps down to the "Minoans" of Crete - continued to worship the Great Mother.
And there were many peaceful Europeans. Many of the largest villages of that distant era were
unfortified. The culture known as "Old European" did not fear aggression from its neighbors. But then
things changed and a great period of violence began. Invaders swept into Europe from the vast central
plains of Asia. They brought the Indo-European language family that today includes French, Italian,
Spanish and English. They also brought a sky god, the supreme male deity that in Greek mythology became
known as Zeus.
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Little is known of these early Indo-Europeans, but the peaceful settlements of Old Europe were no
match for them. In some places their new culture became supreme, in others there was merger. Hardier
mountain folk resisted, though many were displaced from their strongholds, moved on and displaced others
in a domino effect. The Dorian invasion of Mycenaean Greece can be seen as a result of this chain reaction.
The old order seems to have held out longest on Crete where, protected by the Aegean Sea from
invasion by land, the high Minoan civilization survived until almost three thousand years ago. Abruptly,
then, from the perspective of human existence, the gender of the greatest power changed from female to
male. And many of the stories that form the basis of Greek mythology were first told in their present form
not long after the shift.
Zeus's many adulterous affairs may derive from ceremonies in which the new sky god "married"
various local embodiments of the Great Goddess. That there was some insecurity on the part of the
supplanter god and his worshippers is seen in the mythological birth of Athena from Zeus's head - as if to
say that the sky god could do anything any Great Goddess could do.
This Goddess continued to be worshipped in some form down into historical times. Her worship is
sometimes dismissed as a "fertility cult", largely because religious practices degenerated under new
influences. But we may look for traces in the myths of the old order, in which Athena, whose name is preGreek, was the Goddess herself.
Under the influence of the Indo-Europeans, this bird goddess became the chief deity of war. Her earlier
guise may be glimpsed in her symbol, the owl, which derives from the preceding thousands of years of
sacred bird imagery.
Apollo
(uh-POL-oh)
Artemis
(AR-ti-mis)
Athena
(a-THEE-nuh)
Apollo was the god of prophesy, music and healing. Like most of his fellow Olympians, Apollo did not
hesitate to intervene in human affairs. It was he who brought about the demise of the mighty Achilles. Of all
the heroes besieging the city of Troy in the Trojan War, Achilles was the best fighter by far. He had easily
defeated the Trojan captain Hector in single combat. But Apollo helped Hector's brother Paris slay Achilles
with an arrow.
When someone died suddenly, he was said to have been struck down by one of Apollo's arrows.
Homer's epic of the Trojan War begins with the god causing a plague by raining arrows down upon the
Greek camp.
As god of music, Apollo is often depicted playing the lyre. He did not invent this instrument, however,
but was given it by Hermes in compensation for cattle theft. Some say that Apollo did invent the lute,
although he was best known for his skill on the lyre.
He won several musical contests by playing this instrument. In one case he bested Pan, who competed
on his own invention, the shepherd's pipe. On this occasion, King Midas had the bad sense to say that he
preferred Pan's music, which caused Apollo to turn his ears into those of a donkey.
Artemis was the virgin goddess of the hunt. She helped women in childbirth but also brought sudden
death with her arrows.
Artemis and her brother Apollo were the children of Zeus and Leto. In some versions of their myth,
Artemis was born first and helped her mother to deliver Apollo.
Niobe, queen of Thebes, once boasted that she was better than Leto because she had many children
while the goddess had but two. Artemis and Apollo avenged this insult to their mother by killing all or most
of Niobe's children with their arrows. The weeping Niobe was transformed into stone, in which form she
continued to weep.
When Apollo noticed that Artemis was spending a great deal of time hunting with the giant Orion, he
decided to put an end to the relationship. He challenged Artemis to prove her skill at archery by shooting at
an object floating far out at sea. Her shot was perfect. The target turned out to be the head of Orion.
Artemis is generally depicted as a young woman clad in buckskins, carrying a bow and a quiver of
arrows. She is often accompanied by wild creatures such as a stag or she-bear.
Athena was the goddess of crafts and the domestic arts and also those of war. She was the patron
goddess of Athens. Her symbol was the owl. She was originally the Great Goddess in the form of a bird. By
the late Classic, she had come to be regarded as a goddess of wisdom.
Zeus was once married to Metis, a daughter of Ocean who was renowned for her wisdom. When Metis
became pregnant, Zeus was warned by Earth that a son born to Metis would overthrow him, just as he had
usurped his own father's throne.
So Zeus swallowed Metis. In time he was overcome with a splitting headache and summoned help from
the craftsman god Hephaestus (or, some say, the Titan Prometheus). Hephaestus cleaved Zeus's forehead
with an ax, and Athena sprang forth fully armed.
The poet Hesiod tells the story to account for Zeus's great wisdom, since he can be said to have literally
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incorporated Metis. One can also read into the myth wishful thinking on the part of the mythmakers who
replaced the worship of the Great Goddess, mother of all growing things, for that of the male sky-god Zeus.
Zeus gave birth to Athena himself, as if to say, Who needs a woman in order to bring forth new life?
Athena aided the heroes Perseus, Jason, Cadmus, Odysseus and Heracles in their quests.
Both Athena and Poseidon wanted to be patron deity of Athens. To prove her worthiness for the honor,
Athena caused an olive tree to spring up on the citadel of Athens, the Acropolis. Poseidon sought to outdo
her by striking the ground with his trident and causing a spring of water to gush forth. But as he was god of
the sea, the water was salty. Athena's gift to the Athenians was considered to be more useful, so she became
the city's patron deity.
Athena sponsored Perseus in his quest to slay Medusa because she wanted the Gorgon's head to
decorate her shield.
Aphrodite
(a-fro-DYE-tee)
Aphrodite was the goddess of love. The Romans called her Venus (hence the famous armless statue known
as the Venus de Milo). Aphrodite lived on Mount Olympus with the other supreme deities and was married
to the homely craftsman-god, Hephaestus. She was said to have been born from the foam of the sea (hence
Botticelli's much-reproduced painting of the goddess floating on a seashell).
Aphrodite involved herself on several noteworthy occasions with the affairs of mortal heroes. When
Jason asked permission of the king of Colchis to remove the Golden Fleece from the grove in which it hung,
the king was clearly unwilling. So the goddess Hera, who sponsored Jason's quest, asked Aphrodite to
intervene. The love goddess made the king's daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, and Medea proved
instrumental in Jason's success.
Aphrodite can also be said to have caused the Trojan War. This came about in the following fashion.
When the hero Peleus was married to the sea-nymph Thetis, all the gods were invited to the ceremony -- all
but one that is. The slighted goddess happened to a specialist in sowing discord, so she maliciously
deposited a golden apple on the banquet table. The fruit was inscribed with the legend, "For the fairest".
Immediately all the goddesses began to argue about whose beauty entitled her to be the rightful possesor of
this prize.
Finally it was decided to put the dispute to arbitration. Reasonably enough, the designated judge was to
be the most handsome mortal in the world. This turned out to be a noble Trojan youth named Paris, who
was serving as a shepherd at the time. So the three finalists -- Aphrodite, Hera and Athena -- sought him out
in the meadow where he was tending his flocks.
Not content to leave the outcome to the judge's discernment, the three goddesses proceeded to offer
bribes. Hera, Queen of Olympus, took Paris aside and told him she would help him rule the world. Athena,
goddess of war, said she would make him victorious in battle. Aphrodite sized Paris up and decided he
would be more impressed with the guaranteed love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was
Helen, who happened to be married to the king of Sparta.
Paris promptly awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, who in turn enabled him to elope with Helen,
who thenceforth became notorious as Helen of Troy. Helen's husband and his brother raised a Greek army
to retrieve his wife, and this was the inception of the Trojan War.
Another occasion in which the goddess of love came to the aid of a mortal hero also happened to
involve golden apples. When the mighty heroine Atalanta agreed to wed whatever suitor managed to best
her in a foot race, Aphrodite favored one of the contestants with a peck of golden fruit. By strewing these
enchanted apples on the race course, the young lad caused Atalanta to become distracted and she lost the
race.
Information in chart borrowed from http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/contents.html and http://www.mythweb.com/gods/index.html
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Criteria
Gods/Goddess
Campaign Managers
The Public Voters
Preparation
(10 points)
Demonstrated
evidence of research
and knowledge for
assigned god with a
speech, which must
include at least 3
persuasive points
Demonstrated
evidence of research
and knowledge for
assigned god with a
completed graphic
organizer
Demonstrated evident of
research and knowledge
for assigned god with a
completed score sheet
that reflects rational
criteria for each specific
superlative
Presentation
(5 points)
Participation
(5 points)
Adequate public
Poster exhibits specific
speaking skills
qualifications and
demonstrated,
persuasive points for
knowledgeable about
chosen campaign
the topic
superlative
Participated with
group members
throughout the
process
/Points
Received
Prizes assigned to each
superlative winner is
relevant and specific to
the category
Participated with group Participated with group
members throughout members throughout the
the process
process
Total Score/Points
/
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