Download D`aulaires` Book of Greek Myths (Freshmen summer reading

D’aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
(Freshmen summer reading assignment)
BACKGROUND :
This text, which you are assigned to read over the summer is an enjoyable overview of
GREEK MYTHOLOGY. Greek mythology is a body of stories which belong to the
ancient Greeks and tell the tales of their gods, heroes and the nature of the world they
lived in.
As American high school students you study Greek mythology because of the great
impact it has had on the literature , art, and culture of the world we live in now.
A basic knowledge of the myths will help you in English , History, Latin and many other
subject areas. A person who is educated in the Greek myths has a whole new world of
knowledge and understanding opened up to her!!
UNDERSTANDING HOW THE BOOK WORKS:
D’aulaires’ Greek Myths is divided into 4 major sections.
The first section ( pgs 9-15) gives an overview of what the Greeks believed about how
the world came to be and tells the story of the Titans, a race of giants who the Greeks
believed first inhabited the earth.
The second section ( pgs 16-69) tells the stories of the descendants of the Titans who
become the major gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. These are the most
important characters to recognize and remember.
The third section ( pgs 70-105) tells the stories of some of the other gods and goddesses
as well as of some other interesting creatures like Satyrs and Centaurs.
The last section of the book ( pgs 106-189) tells the stories of some of the human
characters of Greek Mythology as well as of some of the great Greek heroes.
ASSIGNMENT
It is best to read the book in order, taking one story at a time until you have completed a
section. As you read you will discover that there are many, many characters to meet and
keeping track of them may get confusing. For each new story you read:
1. Write a VERY short summary of what happened in the story. You do not need to retell
the tale, but just summarize the basic plot events. Basic plot summaries should include as
many of the five W’s as possible (who, what, when, where, why) based on the
information in the story. Your summaries should be 2-4 sentences. Your summaries must
be typed. Do not write more than 4 sentences!
YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS DUE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
Enjoy your exploration of the world of Greek Myths!! See you in the fall!!!