Ancient Greece Grade 7

1. Ancient GreeceGrade 7 By Sabrina Kilbourne and Amy Warner

2. Introduction • This unit will introduce students to the mythological characters and culture of Ancient Greece. This lesson will take approximately ten class periods and will be used in a 7th grade world history classroom.

3. Objectives • Students will: • Study mythological characters of Ancient Greece and compare and contrast. • Discuss group readings and individual research of Greek mythology • Use the internet, library, and in-class resources to discover basic elements of Greek mythology. Share verbally what they have learned about Greek mythology in a guided-question group discussion

4. Objectives Continued… • Students will: • Create, illustrate, and write about their own mythological character • Create watercolor illustrations, write short stories about their created character, and relate it to a specific element of mythology • Be able to present their mythological character during a group discussion • Write a 1-2 page paper identifying their character’s special abilities

5. Day 1 • Introduce Greek mythology using PPT • Discuss research project with overhead of the rubric • Break students into research groups

6. Content • Vocabulary • Myth: comes from the Greek word “mythos,” which originally meant “speech” or “discourse” but which later came to mean “fable” or “legend” • Mythology: refers to a collection of myths that together form a mythological system • Demigod: a half god or an inferior deity; a fabulous hero, the offspring of a deity and a mortal (example: Herakles) • Attributes: that which is attributed: a quality that is considered as belonging to, or inherent in a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic • Symbol: something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention

7. Content • Creation of the Olympian Gods • In the beginning there was an empty darkness. The only thing in this void was Nyx, a bird with black wings. • With the wind she laid a golden egg and for ages she sat upon this egg. Finally life began to stir in the egg and out of it rose Eros, the god of love. One half of the shell rose into the air and became the sky and the other became the Earth. • Eros named the sky Uranus and the Earth he named Gaea. Then Eros made them fall in love.

8. Content • Uranus and Gaea had many children together called Titans. • Some of their children become afraid of the power of their children. Kronus, in an effort to protect himself, swallowed his children when they were still infants. • His wife Rhea hid their youngest child. She gave him a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed, thinking it was his son, Zeus.

9. Content • Once the child, Zeus, had reached manhood his mother instructed him on how to trick his father to give up his brothers and sisters. • Once this was accomplished the children fought a mighty war against their father and the other Titans. • After much fighting the younger generation won. With Zeus as their leader, they began to furnish Gaea with life and Uranus with stars.

10. Content • Soon the Earth lacked only two things: man and animals. Zeus summoned his sons Prometheus (fore-thought) and Epimetheus (after-thought). He told them to go to Earth and create men and animals and give them each a gift. • Prometheus set to work forming men in the image of the gods and Epimetheus worked on the animals. As Epimetheus worked he gave each animal he created one of the gifts. • After Epimetheus had completed his work Prometheus finally finished making men. However when he went to see what gift to give man Epimetheus shamefacedly informed him that he had foolishly used all the gifts.

11. Content • Distressed, Prometheus decided he had to give man fire, even though gods were the only ones meant to have access to it. As the sun god rode out into the world the next morning Prometheus took some of the fire and brought it back to man. • When Zeus discovered Prometheus' deed he became furious. He ordered his son to be chained to a mountain and for a vulture to peck out his liver every day till eternity. • Then he began to devise a punishment for mankind. Another of his sons created a woman of great beauty, Pandora. Each of the gods gave her a gift. Zeus' present was curiosity and a box which he ordered her never to open. Then he presented her to Epimetheus as a wife.

12. Content • Pandora's life with Epimetheus was happy except for her intense longing to open the box. She was convinced that because the gods and goddesses had showered so many glorious gifts upon her that this one would also be wonderful. One day when Epimetheus was gone she opened the box. • Out of the box flew all of the horrors which plague the world today - pain, sickness, envy, greed. Upon hearing Pandora's screams Epimetheus rushed home and fastened the lid shut, but all of the evils had already escaped. • Later that night they heard a voice coming from the box saying, "Let me out. I am hope." • Pandora and Epimetheus released her and she flew out into the world to give hope to humankind.

13. Content

14. Day 2 • Discuss Greek mythology using PPT • The class will read together Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire • Students will be led in a guided discussion regarding readings

15. Days 3 & 4 • Students will be in the library/computer lab to do research and fill in their Mythological Characters Chart • For homework, students will be required to write one paragraph about a mythological god/goddess of their choice explaining what they learned from their research about that character.

16. Day 5 • Turn in “Mythological Characters Chart” • Begin written activity • Students will break into their groups and create their own mythological character. • The character must have one symbol and one attribute and they must be accompanied by an explanation of the significance of their character • Students will use their handout as a reference for examples. • Each student will write one page explaining their mythological character.

17. Day 6 • Go to http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/department.asp?dep=13 • Look at several art pieces depicting mythological characters and students must answer the following questions (no right or wrong answer) • How do you interpret this artwork? (What do you think when you see it?) • Thinking back to your research, what mythological characters do you think each piece of artwork represents and why?

18. Days 7 & 8 • After viewing the artwork students will be required to create their own depiction of the mythological characters they created in their groups using watercolor. They must illustrate they key points. • Review key points: one character, one symbol, one attribute, and the significance of their character.

19. Day 9 • Students will share their mythological character painting with the class, explaining the attribute and symbol and what the character means to them.

20. Day 10 • Students will complete a short vocabulary quiz (vocabulary was brought in during the introduction) • As a group, the class will discuss: • What is a myth? • Which of the characters that we studied did you find most interesting? Why? • How are these myths reflected in our culture?

21. Evaluation • Five example multiple choice questions • Myth means: • Fable or legend • God-like • Forgotten • Zeus is the God of: • The mountains • The sky • War • Mars is the Roman counterpart to the Greek god: • Apollo • Dionysus • Ares

22. Evaluation • Continued 4. A demi-god is: a. A god with the name demi. b. Half-human, half-god c. A god that has somehow been killed. 5. Hades is the god of: a. The underworld b. Water c. Heaven

23. Evaluation • Objective • 1. Choose 1 God or Goddess and explain how their myth is portrayed in today's society. • 2. Identify the Titans.

24. Evaluation • Matching • 1. Aphrodite a. Goddess of the Corn, Earth, and Harvest • 2. Apollo b. God of the Sky, King of the Gods • 3. Ares c. God fo the Forge and Fire • 4. Artemis d. Goddess of Marriage, Queen of the Gods • 5. Athena e. God of the Sea • 6. Demeter f. God of the Underworld • 7. Dionysus g. Goddess of Wisdom and War • 8. Hades h. Goddess of Wild Things and the Moon • 9. Hephaestus i. God of the Sun and Music • 10. Hera j. God of Commerce and Messenger of the Gods • 11. Hermes k. Goddess of the Hearth and Home • 12. Hestia l. Goddess of Love and Beauty • 13. Poseidon m. God of War • 14. Zeus n. God of the Vine, Wine, and Merriment

25. Student ResourcesBooks • The Ancient Greeks (People of the Ancient World) by Allison Lassieur. Franklin Watts March 2005 • Explores the culture of Ancient Greece. • Greek Gods and Heroes. Robert Graves. Laurel Leaf; Reissue edition (October 15, 1965) • Book of Greek myths. • Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology. Michelle M. Houle, William Sauts Bock. Enslow Publishers (March 2001) • Explores Greek culture and mythology. • History Pockets, Ancient Greece – Activity Book • Book of reproducible materials for students about Ancient Greek • Book of Greek Myths. Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire • Explores Greek mythology. • Ancient Greece (Cultural Atlas for Young People) (Hardcover). Anton Powell, Sean Sheehan. Facts on File; Revised edition (June 2003) • Maps, charts, illustrations, and text trace the history and culture of ancient Greece. • Religion & the Gods (World of Ancient Greece) (Paperback)Robert Hull. Franklin Watts (March 2000). • Pictures of artifacts from Ancient Greece. • Ancient Greece (History in Art) (Paperback).Andrew Langley. Raintree (August 30, 2005) • Illustrated history of Greek art. • Tales of the Greek Heroes: Retold From the Ancient Authors (Puffin Classics) (Paperback). Roger Lancelvn and Alan Langord. Puffin; Reprint edition (March 1, 1995). • Retelling of Greek Myths for young readers. • Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths (Mass Market Paperback). Bernard Evslin. Laurel Leaf; Reissue edition (September 1, 1984). • Book of Greek myths

26. Teacher Resources • Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece: Mythology's Great Tales of Valor and Romance. W.H.D. Rouse. • Overview of Greek myths. • Ancient Greece: Ancient History Series, Volume II (Ancient History). William E. Dunstan. Wadsworth Publishing; 1 edition (February 28, 2000). • Overview of Greek history. • The Oxford History of Classical Art (Oxford Illustrated Histories). John Boardman. Oxford University Press, USA (June 1, 2001) • Review of classical art (Greek and Roman) – good for comparison. • Hellenistic Art: The Art of the Classical World from the Death of Alexander the Great to the Battle of Actium. Christine Mitchell Havelock. W. W. Norton & Company; Rev Ed edition (June 1981) • Overview of Greek art. • Social Studies: The World. Scott Foresman. (2003) • 7th Grade World History Textbook with basic information regarding Greek gods and goddesses

27. Media ResourcesPosters • Title: Ancient Greece - The British Museum Type: PosterSize: 24 x 36 inItem #: 389757 • Title: Delphi, Greece Artist: David Ball • Title: Relief of the Mourning Athena, circa 460Type: Giclee PrintSize: 18 x 24 inItem #: 1344505

28. Media ResourcesCD-Rom • Wrath of Gods CD-Rom • Games and other activities about the Olympian Gods. • EXPLORING HISTORY THROUGH PRIMARY SOURCES: World History Book & CD Rom • Art, maps, etc.

29. ResourcesTransparencies • Greece, the Hellenistic Age Book of Transparencies • Maps, art, charts of gods and goddesses, etc. • Rubric for Mythological Characters research • Help explain to students what is expected of their research • Mythological Characters Chart Transparency • Discuss mythological characters with students

30. Media ResourcesDVD/Video • Ancient Greek Art and Architecture. DVD. Educational Video Network, Inc. 21 mins. ASIN: B0007KY824 • Overview of Greek art. • ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS: GREECE—VIDEO QUIZ • Video Quiz over Ancient Greece. • MYTHOLOGY IN LITERARY CULTURE . VHS. Clearview/Eav, 2000. 20 minutes. • Discusses how mythology is used in popular literature

31. Media Resources Audio • Music of the Ancient Greeks Audio CD • IOANNIDIS NIKOLAOS • Classical Greek music. • Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire. Book of Greek Myths. Airplay Audio Publishing. (September, 1996) Audio Cassette. • Audio Book which tells the stories of Greek myths

32. Media ResourcesWebsites • Perseus • http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/vor • Collection of classical resources. • Mythweb • http://www.mythweb.com/ • Collection of myths. • Metropolitan Museum • http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/department.asp?dep=13 • Art exhibit of classical art. • Encyclopedia Mythica • http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/greek/ • Collection of myths. • Museum of Cycladic Art • http://www.cycladic-m.gr/ • Art exhibit of classical art. • Smithsonian Institute • http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/numismatics/corinth/ • Art and history exhibit of Ancient Greece. • Winged Sandals • http://www.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/ • Interactive website for students about Ancient Greece.