Download God/Goddess Cereal Box

Greek Gods/Goddess Group Cereal Box
Assignment
This is a pre-reading assignment. This assignment is intended to be done prior to reading
any Greek myths, the novel Mythology by Edith Hamilton, or The Iliad and/or The
Odyssey.
Teacher Instructions:
 The teacher should divide students into groups
 Assign each group a god or goddess
 Give each group the Group Instructions handout
 Supervise/Assist as needed
 Have students present their cereal box and god/goddess so that the students are
teaching the class the prior knowledge required for whatever reading will be
coming next
Materials Needed:
 Enough cereal boxes so that each group can have one
 Construction paper
 Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
 Scissors and glue or tape
 Handouts (provided)
Duration:
 1 class day for explanation (10 minutes or so) and students working
 1 class day for presentations
Objectives:
 Students will use fact sheets to learn about specific gods/goddesses
 Students will create a cereal box that represents that god/goddess’s character
 Students will work as a group to make sure their cereal box is cohesive and meets
all requirements
 Students will present their character to the class speaking clearly and making sure
to explain all vital character traits/stories that are important to the god/goddess
 Students will listen and take notes while classmates present
Zeus
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Ruler of the gods
Controlled the Heavens
Overthrew his father, Cronus
Brothers are Hades and Poseidon
Sometimes called the “Rain-God”
Also known as the Cloud-Gatherer
Married his sister, Hera
Had lots of affairs with mortal women and goddesses
Appeared to women in various disguises such as a bull or a swan
weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him
He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths.
Pandora
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First woman on earth.
Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create her as vengeance upon man and his
benefactor, Prometheus.
The gods endowed her with every charm, together with curiosity and deceit.
Zeus sent her as a wife to Epimetheus, Prometheus’ simple brother, and gave
her a box that he forbade her to open.
Despite Prometheus’ warnings, Epimetheus allowed her to open the box and
let out all the evils that have since afflicted man.
Hope alone remained inside the box.
Athena
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Goddess of warfare, wisdom, art, and crafts
She was the daughter of Zeus
She sprang full grown in armor from his forehead
She represented the intellectual and civilized side of war.
She is fierce and brave in battle but, only wars to defined the state and home from
outside enemies
She is often depicted wearing a crested helmet and carrying a spear and shield.
She was the patron deity of Athens (basically all people from Athens worshiped
Athena at her temple above).
She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the
flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot.
She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity.
She was Zeus's favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his
thunderbolt.
Her favorite city is Athens.
Her tree is the olive.
The owl is her bird.
Uranus
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Uranus is the sky god and first ruler.
He is the son of Gaia, who created him without help.
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He then became the husband of Gaia and together they had many
offspring, including twelve of the Titans.
His rule ended when Cronus, encouraged by Gaia, castrated him.
He either died from the wound or withdrew from earth
Demeter
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Demeter is the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest (goddess of all plants)
She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
It is Demeter that makes the crops grow each year.
The first loaf of bread from the harvest is sacrificed to her.
Demeter is intimately associated with the seasons.
Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the
underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss Demeter laid a curse on the world
that caused plants to wither and die, the land became desolate.
During these months Demeter grieves her daughter’s absence, and withdraws her
gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return brought the spring.
Hera
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Hera is Zeus wife and sister.
She is the protector of marriage and takes special care of married women.
Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife.
Zeus courted her unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into
disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her breast to warm it.
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Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he
gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame.
She often intrigued against Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him.
Most stories concerning Hera have to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus's
infidelities.
Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock.
Her favorite city is Argos.
Hades
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Hades is the brother of Zeus.
After the overthrow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon,
another brother, for shares of the world. He had the worst draw and was made
lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead.
He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects.
Those whose calling increase the number of dead are seen favorably.
He is exceedingly disinclined to allow any of his subjects leave.
He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth.
He has a helmet that makes him invisible.
He rarely leaves the underworld.
He is unpitying and terrible, but not capricious.
His wife is Persephone whom Hades abducted.
He is the King of the dead but, death itself is another god, Thanatos.
Persephone
 Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.
After her abduction by Hades she became his wife and Queen of the underworld
Poseidon
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Poseidon is the brother of Zeus.
After the overthrow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Hades,
another brother, for shares of the world.
His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen.
At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the
most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen.
So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse.
His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object.
He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods.
He has a difficult quarrelsome personality.
He was greedy.
Aphrodite
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Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty.
In addition to her natural gifts she has a magical girdle that compels anyone she
wishes to desire her.
There are two accounts of her birth. One says she is the daughter of Zeus and
Dione. The other goes back to when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his
severed gentiles into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant
scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus.
She is the wife of Hephaestus.
The myrtle is her tree.
The dove, the swan, and the sparrow her birds.
Hephaestus
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Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera.
Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father.
He is the only god to be physically ugly.
He is also lame.
Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an
ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others
that he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount
Olympus.
He is the patron god of both smiths and weavers.
He is kind and peace loving.
His wife is Aphrodite.
Apollo
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Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto.
His twin sister is Artemis.
He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre.
The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow.
The god of healing who taught man medicine.
The god of light.
The god of truth, who can not speak a lie.
One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four
horses and drive the Sun across the sky.
He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek
world to divine the future.
God/Goddess Cereal Box
Group Assignment Sheet
Each group is assigned a specific god or goddess. From your fact sheet, you should be
able to design a complete cereal box focused on your god or goddess. One person in the
group will be responsible for the front design of the box and the cereal name. Another
group member will be responsible for the sides of the box. The third member of the group
will be responsible for the design of the back of the cereal box. These boxes will be
covered with construction paper. Use the construction paper and other supplies at the
front of the room (crayons, colored pencils, markers, tape, glue, & scissors) to design
your box.
Member 1:
You are responsible for the cover of the box. The cover should be creative and colorful!
Use this opportunity to really convey what your god/goddess was all about. You may
consult with other group members for creating a title of the cereal. This too should be
creative and true to character for your designated god/goddess.
Member 2:
You are responsible for the sides of the cereal box. This includes the “nutrition fact” side
and the other side of the box. For the nutrition facts, you should simply list the facts
about your god/goddess in any manner you choose. If you’re feeling really creative, try
coming up with fake nutrition facts about your god/goddess (Ex. Strength….100%). On
the opposite side, try to create a recipe for your god/goddess. Feel free to place whatever
you would like on this opposite side. You are not restricted to a recipe. Make sure you
put something on this side!
Member 3:
You are responsible for designing the back of the box. Usually, cereal boxes have very
simplistic games on the back. Yes, this means you are responsible for making up a game!
I would suggest easily created games such as a word search or a maze. Feel free to follow
your creative urges.