Greek Mythology 201

Candice Walton

FRIT 7737

Understanding by Design

Reading Enrichment Unit

Spring Semester
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Title of Unit Greek Mythology Grade Gifted 5th grade students

Level
Curriculum Reading and Writing Time
3 lessons
Area Frame
Stage 1 – Identify Desired Results
Content Standard (s):
ELA5R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and
responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
For literary texts, the student identifies the characteristics of various genres
and produces evidence of reading that:
a. Identifies and analyzes the elements of setting, characterization, and conflict in plot.
d. Relates a literary work to information about its setting (historically or culturally).
g. Applies knowledge of the concept that theme refers to the message about life and the world that the
author wants us to understand whether implied or stated.
i. Makes judgments and inferences about setting, characters, and events and supports them with
elaborating and convincing evidence from the text.
ELA5W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The
student
a. Acknowledges information from sources.
e. Demonstrates basic keyboarding skills and familiarity with computer terminology (e.g., software,
memory, disk drive, hard drive).
f. Creates simple documents by using electronic media and employing organizational features (e.g.,
passwords, entry and pull-down menus, word searches, thesaurus, spell check).
Understandings: Essential Questions:
Students will understand that:  What is a Greek Mythology?
 Greek Mythology is a form of literature.  What is symbolism?
 Greek Mythology contains symbolism.  What is the purpose of Greek Mythology?
 Greek Mythology was written to explain  What are the characteristics of Greek
the natural events in the world around myths?
them and strove to solve ethical issues.  What are Gods and Goddesses?
 Myths teach themes and relate to a
cultural setting.
 Greek myths are often about the various
Gods and Goddesses.
Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge
Students will know:
 The importance of symbolism in Greek
Mythology.
 The significance of how Greek myths
were written to explain natural events.
 The purpose of the Greek Gods and
Skills
Students will be able to:
 Understand the use of symbolism in
Greek myths.
 Analyze the literary structure of myths
and their characters.
 Make inferences after listening to myths.
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Goddesses.  Utilize a variety of resources to access
 The textual structure of Greek myths. information.
 Construct a pamphlet of a Greek God or
Goddess.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s)

Design in GRASPS form:

Goal:
 Your goal is to introduce a group of students to a Greek God or Goddess.
Role:
 You are a historian for the Dougherty County Greek Society (DCGS).

Audience:
 The audience is a group of students, ranging from 4th-8th grade, that are interested in learning
about Greek Gods and Goddesses.
Situation:
 You have been invited to attend a conference to display an engaging and informative pamphlet
about a God. Design your pamphlet so that the students are able to understand the significance
of the Greek God or Goddesses.

Product Performance and Purpose:

 You pamphlet will outline the key components of the God or Goddess’s life. Make sure to
include detailed information.

Standards and Criteria for Success:

Your pamphlet needs to include:
 Page 1: Name of God and Purpose; Picture of God; Symbol that represents God
 Page 2: God’s relatives (family tree); Physical description; Major accomplishments
 Page 3: Stories or myths about God; God’s weapons; Any additional information;
Sources of information
Performance Task(s) Rubric(s)

Organization of the pamphlet

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Page 1: (20 points)
 Name of God (Greek and Roman)
 Purpose of God
 Picture of God
 Symbol that represents the God

Page 2: (30 points)

 God’s relatives (wife, children, aunts, uncles, etc.)
 Physical description of God
 Major accomplishments of God

Page 3: (40 points)

 Stories or myths about God
 Weapons or symbols of the God
 Any additional interesting facts about the God
 Type group members’ name
 Created your source: copy and paste the website’s address

Overall neatness and creativity of pamphlet: (10 points)

Total score: ___________
Other Evidence
(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)

Constructed Responses:
 Research information on a Greek God or Goddess
 Create a pamphlet to describe a Greek God or Goddess
Dialogue and Discussion:
 Listen and respond to myths
Informal Observations:
 Monitor students as they read and analyze myths
 Peer remediation on assignments
 Monitor students as they work on their performance task
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

Self-Assessment:
 Self-assess the performance task by using the rubric
 Review and revise all assignments

Reflection:
 Complete learning frameworks such as writing a paragraph of what they have learned
Stage 3: Learning Plan
(WHERETO will be utilized.)

Day 1:
 The teacher will begin with entry questions. What is a myth? What is a Greek myth?
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 Students will share their responses.
 The teacher will explain the history of Greek myths and aid students in identifying the Ancient
Greek World. Using the promethean board, the teacher will show a map of Europe and Greece
from the website http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/gr.htm.
 The teacher will read aloud and explain the Creation myth to the students. Make sure to inform
them that the myth was written to explain how the world was created. After reading the myth,
the students will use the Socratic Method to compare and contrast it to how they were taught
the world was created. Next, discuss the idea of symbolism.
 Using a PowerPoint presentation, briefly explore the Olympian Gods and Goddesses with
students.
 Give each student a fact gathering sheet and explain to them that they will research a Greek
God or Goddesses. (Appendix 1)
 Allow them to go to the computer lab to complete their fact gathering sheets.

Day 2:
 Begin with an entry question. Can anyone explain symbolism?
 In cooperative groups of two, students will take turns reading the myth “Persephone and the
Seasons”.
 Give each group one of the questions below as well as question six:
 1. Who were Demeter and Persephone? Describe each character.
 2. What caused Demeter to wander the earth and ignore her duties as a goddess?
 3. How do you think Persephone felt about Hades and the Underworld? Explain your answer.
 4. Why did Zeus send Iris to speak to Demeter? How did Demeter respond?
 5. What happened to Persephone as a result of eating the pomegranate seeds?
 6. What aspect of nature did this myth symbolize? (All groups will receive this question.)
 Give the groups 10 minutes to discuss their questions and have them to address the whole
class to explain their conclusions.
 The teacher will summarize the lesson and allow students to blog about the myth as well as
their Greek God or Goddess. The blog website can be found at
http://walton-greekmyths.blogspot.com/.
Day 3:
 The teacher and students will review and discuss the blog responses.
 The teacher will introduce the culminating task. Students will take out their fact gathering
sheets on their chose Greek God or Goddess.
 Students have explored Greek myths as well as Gods, and it is time for them to create a
pamphlet on their chosen God.
 Using the promethean board, the teacher will model how to use Print Shop 5. This is the
program students will use to make their pamphlet. The students will also receive a handout
that outlines the steps to create a pamphlet. (Appendix 2)
 The students will go to the computer lab to create their pamphlets.
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 The teacher will monitor students as they work.
 Students will share their completed pamphlets with the class.
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Appendix I

Greek Mythology Research Sheet

While researching your Greek mythology character, answer the questions below. Make sure that
your answers are detailed and clear. Use complete sentences since this information will be used in
your pamphlets.

Website: http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/

1. Name of character researching ______________________________________________.

2. The purpose of the character (God of) ________________________________________.
3. Character relatives and background.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Physical description of character.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Major accomplishments of character.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. Other stories/myths about the character.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Any additional information about your character (Weapon, Roman name, and etc.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Appendix 2

Steps to Make a Pamphlet

1. Double click to open Print Shop 5.
2. Select Pamphlets.
3. Select Start from Scratch and click on Next.
4. Select Tall and click OK.
5. A blank paper should appear. Above the paper, there will be
three squares with paper on them. The squares will allow you to
navigate to the different pages of your pamphlet.
6. Locate the icons on the left of the page. They will be used to create
the pamphlet.
7. Click on the Headline icon and type in the name of your God or
Goddess.
8. Click customize.
9. You may customize by clicking on the tabs, color of font, shadow,
etc. and then click ok.
10. Use the arrows to adjust the size of your headline (name of God
or Goddess).
11.You may add a border, pictures, a background or panel to each
page. Make sure to add the same border to each page of the
pamphlet.
12. Let Mrs. Walton view your pamphlet before printing.

To save your work to My Documents

1. Click on File.
2. Click on Save As.
3. In the save in box, make sure My Documents appear. If it does
not, scroll down and click on it.
4. Type in the File Name box the name of your God plus your name.
Ex. HermesWalton
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5. Click Save.