Ancient Greece Lesson Plans

Lesson Three: Mythology

I. General Information:
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Discipline: Social Studies/History
Unit Topic: Ancient Greece
Time Frame: Three 60 minute class periods
Text: The Ancient Greeks by Allison Lassieur
Other Materials:
The Ancient Greeks by Allison Lassieur
Sentence strips
Post-its
Computers/laptops/iPads
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greek_mythol
ogy.php
http://www.ngkids.co.uk/history/Greek-Myths
http://ask.mrdonn.org/greece/greekgodsQ&A.html
http://www.storynory.com/category/myths/greek-myths/
http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/the_
myths.html
http://greece.mrdonn.org/myths.html
Greek Myths by Olivia Coolidge
A Book of Myths by Thomas Bulfinch
Greek Myths by Geraldine McCaughrean
Chart paper
II. Standards/Indicators:
SS.5.0.2: Analyze the emergence and enduring influence of
Aegean Civilizations.
RL2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it
is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of
the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

RL5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or

stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes
to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
RL10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding
as needed at the high end of the range.
SL2: Interpret information presented in diverse media and
formats and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or
issue under study.
SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
III. Lesson Objectives:
The students will be able to identify a common theme in at
least two myths.
The students will be able to analyze at least one reason why
mythology was important to the Ancient Greeks.
IV. Procedures:
Introduction:
The students will watch the three minute snapshot of
the Greek Gods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6i6JBIbuyc
Teaching/Activities:
1)

The teacher will refer to the poster chart that

the students filled in with their artifacts in the
first lesson. She will explain that today they will

2)
3)
a.

b.
c.
d.
e.
4)
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6)

7)
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be studying one of the artifacts and that todays

focus will be on mythology.
The teacher will read pages 48 and 49 as a read
aloud to the students.
Discussion points for the read aloud:
The teacher will explain that the Ancient Greeks
were polytheistic which means that they
believed in many gods. (Write polytheistic on a
sentence strip and add it to the Ancient Greek
bulletin board.)
Ancient Greeks didnt believe in organized
religion or have a word for religion.
Ancient Greeks believed their lives were
influced by the gods.
Ancient Greeks believed in sacrificing to Gods.
Myths explain why things happen in nature.
In partners, the students will read page 50 in
the anchor text. This page is the description of
the main Gods and Goddesses and their jobs.
Possible vocabulary words to focus on: wisdom,
craftsman, hunt, agriculture, and hearth.
Disscus them with the students, write them on
sentence strips and add them to the Ancient
Greek bulletin board.
The teacher then assigns each partner a God or
Goddess. The students will discuss what they
think their Gods jobs and responsibilities were.
For example: What would Poseidons job entail
as God of the Seas?
Students will record each idea on post-its.
Each pair wil then use classroom resources
(computers, laptops, audio, and books) to read
myths about their God. Partners may read
together.
Each pair will try to match up their post-its with
the myths that they read.
The class then reconvenes as a group and
explains whether or not their post-it ideas
matched the myths they found. It is ok if the

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14)

post-it ideas do not match. Discuss why/why

not/how.
Then after their exploration of myths on their
God and the discussion, each student will
choose the myth they liked best and will want to
share with a friend.
Students then spend time practicing reading
their myths. They are then assigned a new
partner and read their myths to each other.
Students then reconvene as a group again and
discuss the myths they read, shared, and
listened to. Students discuss common themes
found among the myths as the teacher charts
them on the board.
The teacher should make sure to point of that
myths explain things in nature. (If the students
have not picked up on that).

Closure: Students return to their myths and explain

how their selected myth fits in with the them.
VI. Evaluation/Assessment:
Assessment of Objectives
The formative assessment will be based on the teacher
observation checklist that was kept during partner
discussions. The teacher will also assess the students on the
closing activity.