EDSITEment - Lesson Plan

Monsters, gods, and heroes ... all surefire favorites in the classroom and the stuff of Greek mythology. But Greek mythology offers so much more: inspiration for many works of art (both written and visual), insight into human nature, a glimpse at an ancient people trying to make sense of phenomena they could not explain, and the source for many names and terms we use today. Your students might be surprised to find they're wearing shoes with the name of a Greek goddess (Nike), rooting for (or against) a team named after Greek gods (Tennessee Titans), and even listening to rock groups with mythological names (Styx).

The lessons in this unit provide you with an opportunity to use online resources to further enliven your students' encounter with Greek mythology, to deepen their understanding of what myths meant to the ancient Greeks, and to help them appreciate the meanings that Greek myths have for us today. In the lessons below, students will learn about Greek conceptions of the hero, the function of myths as explanatory accounts, the presence of mythological terms in contemporary culture, and the ways in which mythology has inspired later artists and poets.

Although myths convey exciting stories about gods and heroes, they are not equivalent to "stories" either in the modern sense of a deliberate fiction or the traditional sense of a folk tale or tall story. Rather, myths are traditional narratives that are passed down through various textual and visual sources and convey commonly held beliefs in a particular society about natural phenomena, historical events, and proper behavior. The lessons below will help students to understand this important distinction.

The Greek myths were not composed as stories for children. The Greeks were not shy about treating sexually explicit subjects. Although the links provided below are generally "cleaned up" versions of the myths, you should review all materials for appropriateness before presenting them to your students.

Learning Objectives

After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:

Describe the basic plots of three Greek myths.
Discuss three types of themes in Greek myths: stories about heroes, stories about "how it came to be," and stories about the consequences of unwise behavior.
Cite examples of contemporary use of terms from Greek mythology.
Analyze artistic and literary works based on or inspired by Greek myths.

Guiding Question:

What meanings did myths about gods, goddesses, and heroes have for the ancient Greeks? What meanings do the Greek myths have for us today?

Preparing to Teach this Lesson

Note to the teacher: Be sure to review any material before distributing it to the class. While the Bullfinch versions of the Greek myths are generally "cleaned up," some versions you find may not be appropriate for your students.

Review each lesson in this unit, locate the tales you want to share with your class and select archival materials to use for Lesson 4. If possible, bookmark these materials, along with other useful websites; download and print out selected documents and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.

If practical, use your usual read-aloud time to share myths with the class. The tales chosen for this lesson are representative and widely available; however, other tales could serve the same purposes.

The tales used in this lesson are available in many versions written expressly for younger readers. In the Other Resources section of this unit, you will find a list of recommended sources for Greek myths from EDSITEment-reviewed websites and links. Almost all of the tales mentioned in this lesson can be found in The Macmillan Book of Greek Gods and Heroes, by Alice Low, illustrated by Arvis Stewart (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1985). This volume contains a varied selection of short versions of tales that work as read-alouds and as a source for a study of comparative myth (this collection contains the Greek creation story and a tale about a great flood, for example). It is illustrated and often available in school libraries.

Obtain background information on the various myths you will use. Information is available online through the links below from Bullfinch's Mythology, a link from the EDSITEment resources Internet Public Library, Odyssey Online, and The Perseus Digital Library. Be sure to review any material before distributing it to the class. Even the generally expurgated Bullfinch versions should be checked for appropriateness. (Note: The Greek names of deities are used below, with Roman names in parentheses.)
- Atalanta (Another version of this story is available on Odyssey Online.)
- Athena (Minerva), includes the story of Arachne
- Cassiopeia
- Echo and Narcissus
- Herakles (Hercules) (More on Herakles is available on Odyssey Online and The Perseus Digital Library.)
- Odysseus (Ulysses): Ulysses's Adventures
- Phaeton
- The Return of Odysseus (Ulysses)
- Persephone

The Digital Classroom, available through EDSITEment, offers a series of worksheets for analyzing primary source documents, including written documents, that you may wish to use or adapt to help students in reviewing the materials presented in this unit.

Suggested Activities

Lesson 1: Heroes Then and Now
Lesson 2: Behave Yourself
Lesson 3: How It Came to Be
Lesson 4: It Came from a Myth (Part 1)
Lesson 5: It Came from a Myth (Part 2)
Lesson 6: Myth as an Inspiration for Art and Poetry
Extending the Lesson

Lesson 1 Heroes Then and Now

Background for the Teacher: Heroes were an important part of Greek mythology, but the characteristics Greeks admired in a hero are not necessarily identical to those we admire today. Greek heroes are not always what modern readers might think of as "good role models." Their actions may strike us as morally dubious. For example, in his encounter with the Cyclops, Odysseus helps himself to the giant's food without permission, attacks while the Cyclops is in a wine-induced stupor, and brags about blinding the one-eyed creature. This does not mean the Greeks admired thievery and bragging, however. What they admired about Odysseus, in this instance, was his capacity for quick thinking. Odysseus defied that which others would not (as is also shown by his desire to hear the Sirens' song) and pulled off great feats with panache and self-confidence.

Not all Greek heroes were admired for the same reasons. Some, such as Odysseus, were admired for their resourcefulness and intelligence, whereas others, such as Herakles, were known for their strength and courage. Some were not particularly resourceful but depended on help to accomplish their tasks.

Whether or not a given action or quality was admired depended upon its ultimate results. Being headstrong might succeed in one instance but lead to failure in another. The Greeks held their characters accountable for their actions, and a hero might be punished as well as rewarded.

Note to the teacher: If desired, you can refer to the complementary EDSITEment lesson plans about heroes: What Makes a Hero (3-5) and Portrait of a Hero.

Activities: Shortly before introducing Greek hero tales, give students a day or two to each identify a contemporary hero. Students can use print or other media as their source, but they should be prepared to explain what makes that person a hero.

Encourage students to share their stories of contemporary heroism. Compile a list of characteristics of our contemporary heroes. Enter these characteristics in the first row of the chart below either on one large sheet for the class or individual charts (the chart is available for download as a PDF for your use). Beside the characteristic, cite the individual who fits the characteristic and what s/he did to exemplify that characteristic.

Characteristic Contemporary Hero Contemporary Behavior Greek Hero Greek Behavior

Explain to the students that they will study hero tales from Greek mythology to see which qualities of heroism do and do not match our contemporary ideas.

Share some Greek hero tales with the class; if practical, use your usual read-aloud time for this. The following stories could be introduced on consecutive days.

Offer this hypothetical situation to the students: You're trapped in a room with your greatest enemy, who has the only key and superior strength. How would you get out? Now share the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops. What personal traits allowed Odysseus to escape? What personal traits got him into (or might get him into) trouble?

For another take on the Greek hero, share the tale of Odysseus and the Sirens. Odysseus simply must hear the Sirens' song, because no other mortal has heard the song and survived. Though Odysseus's strength of character (and physical strength) fails him when confronted with the Sirens' song, his wits save him thanks to his pre-arrangements to prevent escape. In the process, Odysseus learns about himself.

Ask the students to brainstorm a list of chores they would really hate to do (even worse than the chores they already do). Then read the story of Hercules and the Twelve Labors. The EDSITEment resource The Perseus Digital Library has an illustrated online exhibit about Hercules that includes a retelling of the Twelve Labors. How would the students like to do Hercules's chores? What personal traits allowed Hercules to succeed? What personal traits got him into trouble?

For a tale with a female heroine, read the story of Atalanta from the EDSITEment resources Bullfinch's Mythology or Odyssey Online. In what ways is she like and unlike a male Greek hero?

Working as a class, compile a list of the characteristics Greeks admired in a hero. Add the information to the chart as with the contemporary heroes. How does a Greek hero compare to a modern hero? Are any of the traits identical? Who on the student list of contemporary heroes most closely resembles a Greek hero? What contemporary person (not necessarily an actor) would students choose to play the various parts in a movie of the tales you've shared?

For additional hero tales, share stories about Perseus, Jason, or Theseus.

In their mythology, poetry, and plays, the Greeks held characters accountable for their own choices, actions, and behavior. As you read any or all of the following stories to the class, help students understand that these stories teach lessons about behaviors that were considered disagreeable or foolish by the Greeks.

Echo

Greek myths often attempted to explain mysterious elements of the natural world. How did the Echo story explain what causes an echo? How did the Phaeton story explain how the sun moves across the sky and why the land of Libya is a desert? Spiders have adapted to catch prey through the creation of webs. How does the story of Arachne explain the origin of spiders?

Many of the constellations, such as those associated with the astrological signs, are named after characters from Greek myths. What signs of the zodiac can the students name? Does anyone in the class recognize any of the zodiac constellations? How does the story of Cassiopeia, available through the EDSITEment resource Bullfinch’s Mythology, explain a constellation?

The Constellation Table at the site The Constellations, a link from EDSITEment’s Exploring Ancient World Cultures, allows students to read about many constellations, generally with information from the Greek stories about how the constellation came to be.

Display an appropriate selection of the following images from EDSITEment-reviewed resources in the classroom (or in the computer lab, if practical). Conduct a scavenger hunt by numbering the images and giving the students a list of the characters portrayed in the artwork. How many characters can the students identify?

Mythological terms are common in contemporary society. For example, an odyssey is a voyage, as well as a minivan! As students learn more about the characters of Greek mythology, they may be surprised to discover many familiar words derived from myths.

Working in small groups, students can use print or online sources to fill in as many blanks as possible on a chart like the one below. (NOTE: Depending on the class, it might be advisable for the teacher to attempt this search first to gauge how difficult it will be and to be prepared to direct students.) Most of the terms can be found in a standard collegiate dictionary; while some contemporary uses will not be included in the dictionary, such as Amazon.com or the Tennessee Titans, many of these will be known to the students. Where the technology is available, students can search online at Encyclopedia.com or Factmonster, both links from the EDSITEment resource The Internet Public Library, or the searchable Perseus Encyclopedia, found on the EDSITEment resource The Perseus Digital Library.

Groups can be assigned specific terms or everyone can attempt everything. Set a time limit for research before students begin the assignment.

Note: The chart below is available as a PDF that you may wish to download and reproduce for student use.

Term From Mythology	Use Today	About the Mythological Character	Why does the term fit?
1. Amazon
2. Arcadia
3. Atlas
4. Calliope
5. Chaos
6. Gemini
7. Harpy
8. Iris
9. Nike
10. Oracle
11. Phoenix
12. Psyche
13. Python
14. Sirens
15. Styx
16. Titans

Students have now seen examples of the influence of Greek mythology in art, language, science, and commerce. Share with students some of the ways that mythology has also been the inspiration for later works of fiction and poetry.

First, share with your class the painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus available through a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library. (Note: You will need to scroll down the list of paintings by Brueghel, then choose the painting of Icarus. The image is rather large and may take a little while to load, but it is quite beautiful and worth the wait!)

Give students time to study the painting in detail. Can they figure out why this painting is called “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”? (Note the single leg of Icarus falling into the water in the lower right hand corner of the painting.) Does anyone in the painting seem to be paying attention to Icarus’s plunge into the water? How prominent has the painter made the event of Icarus’s fall? What meanings do such details suggest?

Now read to the class a poem by William Carlos Williams, “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus,” available on the EDSITEment-reviewed Academy of American Poets.

Does Williams capture the feeling of the painting? How do Brueghel and Williams reinterpret the myth of Icarus for their own times? How have these artists "made the myth their own": understood it, interpreted it, and somehow extended its meaning?

Extending the Lesson

Ask students to create original writing inspired by myth. Each student should choose a character from Greek mythology and tell the character’s story looking for a different take, as Breughal did, or put the mythical character in a new situation. Before writing, students could discuss how Brueghel and Williams made mythology relevant to their own times, and what mythological themes and meanings are still relevant for the world students live in now.

Students can explore more deeply the influence of Greek words on our contemporary vocabulary. Most dictionaries give the origins of words, as does the WWWebster Dictionary, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library. Students can look for words of Greek origin and read the derivation. Some contemporary words that stem from Greek terms encountered in this lesson include:

arachnid echo Herculean narcissist siren song

Students interested in the use of mythological terms in astronomy should check out Mythical and Geographical Names, a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Exploring Ancient World Cultures, for an extensive list.

Interactive Activity: The EDSITEment resource Odyssey Online offers a variety of activities for elementary and middle school students to explore, including games. Through the site, you can also find information on many mythologies for students interested in comparative myths.