Download Implementing a Model Lesson Plan

Greek Myths in Advertising
References to Greek myths are prevalent in our society and around the world. One place that
they are often referenced is advertising. Companies use the public’s knowledge of Greek
mythology and the associations they have with it to sell their products. Today, you will be
looking at the advertising on the internet for some different companies and organizations and
exploring the references they contain to Greek mythology. You will also be creating your
own ad for a product you create relating to a Greek god or goddess.
Part One: EXPLORING ADVERTISING
Our culture is filled with references to Greek mythology. Companies use our associations
with certain gods and goddess to help sell their products. For example, let’s go to
www.nike.com. Nike is the goddess of victory. She is often pictured as winged and carrying
a wreath or palm of victory. (Her Roman is Victoria.) The company Nike is suggesting that
people who buy their shoes will fly faster around the track and be winners.
Go to each of the following websites and look for the connection between the product being
advertised and its reference to Greek mythology. For each of the following products, answer
these questions in complete sentences.
A. What is the product being sold, the service being offered, or the idea being represented?
B. Who or what reference is used? Briefly describe the god, goddess, character or event. (If you
are having difficulty, refer to Table One to determine the mythological reference.)
C. What connotation (the emotional associations of words) do they want the consumer to
associate with their product? Explain why the advertiser has chosen to use that particular
reference to mythology to sell their product, services, or idea.
Part One: WEBSITES
1. http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml
2. http://www.ftdfloristsonline.com/
3. http://automobiles.honda.com/models/model_overview.asp?ModelName=Odyssey
4. http://midas.com/Offers/GMSEM/tabid/593/Default.aspx
5. http://www.tridentdive.com/
6. http://www.atlasworldgroup.com/
7. http://www.athenian.org/
8. http://www.nbc.com/
Part Two: CREATING AN ADVERTISEMENT
1. Design your own advertisement for a make-believe product based on one of the Greek gods or
goddesses in Table Two.
2. Your company's product must have some reference or association to the mythological figure
you have selected.
3. Your advertisement should contain the following: a visual image, the product’s name, and a
slogan. Additional creative content is encouraged.
4. You will also need to write a paragraph explanation. Your explanation should include how
your image and slogan relate to your particular god or goddess. It should also discuss what
particular connotation you want consumers to associate with your product.
EXAMPLE:
DEMETER is the goddess of grains,
crops and agriculture. I have chosen her
symbol, the sheaf of wheat, to promote
my natural food company where all
products are organically grown. I am
trying to use Demeter's association with
the earth to advertise the goodness of
the foods I sell.
We Help Children Grow Strong!
Part Three: RUBRIC
_____ / 20 Thoughtful answers and complete sentences used to complete Part One.
_____ / 20 Created ad contains a visual image, a product’s name, and a slogan all of which
make reference to your specific god or goddess.
_____ / 10 A well thought out paragraph that explains how the image, product’s name, and
slogan relate to the god or goddess, as well as an explanation of the connotation
that you want consumers to associate with your product.
_____ / 5-10
EXTRA CREDIT: One to five advertisements found in the Record-Eagle
that relate to Greek mythology (Cut out and stapled to your questions).
This can only be completed in class during Project Friday after the rest of
the project is completed.
Table One
Mythological
Figure or
Concept
ZEUS
(JUPITER)
HERA
(JUNO)
POSEIDON
(NEPTUNE)
ARES
(MARS)
APHRODITE
(VENUS)
ATHENA
(MINERVA)
ARTEMIS
Story or Role in Greek
or Roman Mythology
ZEUS was the most powerful ruler of all
the gods and lived on top of Mount
Olympus. He is often associated with the
lightening bolts that he hurled through the
sky when he lost his temper. The eagle, a
symbol of power, has often been used to
represent Zeus.
HERA was Zeus' jealous and proud wife.
A symbol often associated with her is the
proud peacock with many colors.
POSEIDON, brother to Zeus, was
another strong and powerful god who
ruled the seas. His moods changed as
often as the ocean tides. A symbol often
associated with Poseidon is a three
pronged fork called a trident.
ARES , son of Zeus and Hera, was the
god of war and an instigator of fights. He
personified the bloody and brutal battle.
He was very unpopular among the
Greeks.
APHRODITE,the beautiful goddess of
love, was born from the sea.
ATHENA , the goddess of wisdom, was
believed to have been born from Zeus's
forehead. She was also the defender of
the just cause.
ARTEMIS was one of the principle
goddesses of Greek mythology. She was
the twin sister of the god, Apollo, and she
was the goddess of the moon. She was the
chief hunter to the gods . Atremis was
also the protector of young women.
THE
SIRENS
HERMES
CUPID
ATLAS
KING
MIDAS
THE
ODYSSEY
SIRENS, in Greek mythology, were sea
nymphs with the bodies of birds and the
heads of women. They had voices of such
sweetness that mariners who heard their
songs were lured to their deaths when
they jumped from cliffs onto the rocks
where the nymphs sang.
HERMES, messenger of the gods, was
the son of Zeus. As the special servant
and courier of Zeus, Hermes had winged
sandals and a winged hat and bore a
golden Caduceus, or magic wand. He was
also the god of commerce, and the
protector of traders and herds.
CUPID, son of Aphrodite, was depicted
as a winged youth. Sometimes he carried
a flower, but more commonly the bow
and arrows, with which he shot darts of
desire into the bosoms of gods and men.
ATLAS fought in the war against the
Olympic gods. As punishment, he was
condemned to bear forever on his back
the earth and the heavens, and on his
shoulders, the great pillar that separates
them.
KING MIDAS was a king in Greek
mythology that was granted one wish. He
wished that everything he touched turned
to gold. At first, he was overjoyed at the
thought of being the richest man in the
universe. However, he soon realized that
his wish had negative consequences, for
his food and water turned to gold. In
some versions of this story his daughter
dies when he touches her, and she is
transformed into a gold statute
The famous Greek hero, Odysseus, spent
ten years after the Trojan War attempting
to make his way back home. His journey
was an exciting adventure filled with
trials and tests. The name of the book that
tells his story is called The Odyssey.
Table Two
APOLLO
HEPHAESTUS
IRIS
AEOLUS
HESTIA
APOLLO, son of Zeus, was the god
of the sun. He was also the god of
poetry, music and song. Apollo was
a gifted musician, who delighted the
gods with his performance on the
lyre. Apollo was the special protector
of young men.
HEPHAESTUS, in Greek
mythology, was the god of fire and
metalwork. As the artisan of the
gods, Hephaestus made their armor,
weapons, and jewelry.
IRIS, in Greek mythology, is the
goddess of the rainbow. Iris left
Olympus only to convey the divine
commands to humankind, by whom
she was regarded as an adviser and
guide. Traveling with the speed of
the wind, she could go from one end
of the earth to the other, and to the
bottom of the sea or to the depths of
the underworld. She was represented
as a beautiful maiden, with wings
and robes of bright colors and a halo
of light on her head, trailing across
the sky with a rainbow in her wake.
AEOLUS, in Greek mythology, was
the keeper of the winds. The god
Zeus had given him the power to still
and arouse the winds. When the
Greek hero, Odysseus, visited
Aeolus, he was welcomed as an
honored guest. As a parting gift,
Aeolus gave him a favoring wind
and a leather bag filled with all the
winds.
HESTIA, goddess of the hearth,was
the eldest daughter of the Titans.
Hestia was the peacemaker in the
sometimes tumultous world of the
gods. She was believed to preside at
all sacrificial altar fires. Prayers were
offered to her before and after meals,
and most cities had a common hearth
where her sacred fire burned.
Jason Kwiatkowski
CEP810
Model Lesson Plan
Objectives:



Have students see how Greek mythology and culture is prevalent in modern society.
Have students see how advertisers use Greek mythology, and other cultural stories, to sell their
products.
Have students learn to use Microsoft Publisher.
Technology Standards:
T.PT.08.b1

Students use collaborative tools to design, develop, and enhance materials, publications, or
presentations
T.PT.08.a2

Students use a variety of technology resources, including the internet, to increase learning and
productivity
T.PT.08.a1

Students apply common software features (e.g., thesaurus, formulas, charts, graphics, sounds) to
enhance communication and to support creativity
T.BO.08.b3

Students use a variety of technology tools (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, grammar-checker, calculator)
to maximize the accuracy of technology-produced products
T.PT.08.a4

Students use available utilities for editing pictures, images, or charts
T.PT.08.a3

Students explore basic applications that promote creativity (e.g., graphics, presentation, photoediting, programming, video-editing)
Language Arts Standards:
L.RP.08.07

"Interpret and analyze the various ways in which visual image makers (e.g., graphic artists,
illustrators) communicate information and affect impressions and opinions."
R.CM.08.01

"Connect personal knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to themes and
perspectives in the text."
R.CS.08.01

"Evaluate the appropriateness of shared, individual, and expert standards based on purpose, context,
and audience in order to assess their own work and work of others."
S.CN.08.03

Present their work in standard American English if it is their first language (students whose second
language is English will present their work in their developing version of standard American
English).
W.PR.08.01

"Set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or
informational text."
W.SP.08.01

Use correct spelling conventions in the context of their own writing.
Materials:


One copy of Greek Mythology in Advertising per student
One computer with internet, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Publisher per student.
Procedure:
(By this point in the year, we have already read many Greek myths and discussed them in detail.)
Opening: I will begin by asking students where they have seen references to Greek mythology in their own
lives. I will have some of them share with the class. I will eventually steer the conversation towards
businesses or products that make some reference to Greek mythology. Specifically, I will bring up the
example of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. We will discuss how Nike, the shoe company, uses the
reference to Nike, the Greek goddess, to sell their shoes.
Explain Assignment: I will explain to my students that we are going to be looking at how companies use
Greek mythology to sell their product. I explain how they are going to follow the links to specific websites.
Once they are at the website, they need to type their responses to three questions in Microsoft Word. I will
pick one of the examples and go through it with them using the LCD projector and screen. If students have
trouble making the connections, I have attached Table One to their assignment. Table One gives them clues
to the connections between the ads and Greek mythology.


What is the product being sold, the service being offered, or the idea being represented?
Who or what reference is used? Briefly describe the god, goddess, character or event. (If
you are having difficulty, refer to Table One to determine the mythological reference.)
 What connotation (the emotional associations of words) do they want the consumer to
associate with their product? Explain why the advertiser has chosen to use that particular
reference to mythology to sell their product, services, or idea.
Before I let them start, I will explain the second part of the assignment. The second part requires them to
create their own advertisement for a fictitious product that is based on a Greek god or goddess. These ads
need to have a product name, a related image, and a slogan. In addition, they need to write a paragraph
explaining how their ad relates to the specific Greek god or goddess they chose. I explain that they will be
using Microsoft Publisher to create their ads. I tell them that I will walk them through the basic ins-andouts of the program after they have had time to work on the first part of the assignment.
Work Time: Students have approximately one hour to begin, and hopefully finish, the first part of the
assignment.
Explaining Publisher: At this time I will get all of the students’ attention and ask them to log on to Publisher
and to wait at the opening screen. I then proceed to walk them through opening a new document, adding
image and text boxes, and cropping and resizing images and text. I usually quickly mention a few of the
other possibilities, but leave it up to them to explore if they have the extra time and the curiosity. Again, I
cut them lose to finish part one and begin part two of their assignment.
Presenting: When the class has finished creating their Publisher documents, they will present them to the
class using their explanatory paragraphs to guide their presentations.
Technology Backup Plan:
I can save a screen shot for each web link, so if the internet is down I can pull up the screen shots on
the LCD screen and we could discuss them as a class, or I could give them five or ten minutes to complete
the sentences for each one.
If the whole network is down, I can give handouts of the screenshots I mentioned above and have
students write out their sentences instead of using Word. Also, I could have students draw their
advertisements with colored pencils on construction paper instead of using Publisher.
Jason Kwiatkowski
CEP 810
Model Lesson Plan Reflection
“Greek Mythology in Advertising” is a lesson plan using the internet and other technology that I
created to help seventh and eighth grade students see how Greek mythology is something that is still a part of
their modern world. I also wanted them to think about how advertisers use cultural artifacts and peoples’
connotations with them to sell their products.
I think this lesson has many benefits. Most students love surfing the internet and see it as a new or
modern activity, so I wanted them to see how Greek mythology was still being used by companies and
organizations on something as new and fresh as the internet. I hope that this will help them have a deeper
appreciation for the importance of Greek mythology and culture on the world.
Having students think about how and why companies advertise was another goal. Since most
students go on the internet, I hope they will be more engaged by analyzing and discussing examples from the
internet, instead of some outdated magazines or newspapers. In other words, I wanted to meet them on their
own turf.
This assignment might also pose some challenges. First, it requires a good internet connection. Our
school does have a good connection, but if it is receiving heavy use, the whole internet portion of the lesson
could take a long time and become ineffective. Second, I will need to be very observant when students are
completing the internet portion of the lesson, so students don’t get sidetracked while on the internet and head
towards some nonacademic sites. Finally, part of the lesson has me teaching students how to use Microsoft
Publisher. Some students will probably have used this program before, while others will be technologically
challenged. I will need to be sensitive to the slow learners while also helping the students who are advanced
users.
Using the internet and Microsoft Publisher will help me reach my goals for teaching this lesson in a
variety of ways. I have many technology related goals that I am helping the students reach throughout this
lesson. Using the internet and Publisher are directly related to these. For instance, using the internet helps
students “use a variety of technology resources, including the internet, to increase learning and productivity.”
Also the advertisements that students create in Publisher help them to “explore basic applications that
promote creativity.” Using this technology also helps my students reach some of their standards for
language arts. The following is one language arts standard that is reached using the mentioned technology:
“Interpret and analyze the various ways in which visual image makers (e.g., graphic artists, illustrators)
communicate information and affect impressions and opinions.”
If, or when, I have more time to adapt this lesson further, I would go into more detail on the different
techniques that advertisers use and ask students to go more in depth when analyzing the advertisements on
the internet. I might also ask them to think about ways that the internet has changed advertising. I believe
this would help students be more thoughtful about the ways that advertisers market their products today and
how they might continue to do so in the future.
Overall, I think this lesson will do a good job using the internet and technology to help students reach
the standards while increasing their intrinsic motivation.