TitleIII Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedule/Time Plan | Technology Use

OVERVIEW

 This unit is about Greek mythology. The students will be reading various myths to get information about characters in mythology. They will also investigate the role of mythology in Greek life. This unit will take approximately three weeks.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

 What was the impact of mythology on the life of the Greeks?

Why has Greek Mythology remained popular?

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)

 Level: 6^th (intermediate)

Social Studies Standard 2

Key Idea 1

Performance Indicator: Know the social characteristics, such as customs, traditions, education and socialization practices and religions and spiritual beliefs that distinguish different cultures and civilizations.

Fine Arts Standard 1

Key Idea 1: Visual Arts

Performance Indicator: Know and use a variety of sources for developing and conveying ideas, images, themes, symbols, and events in their creation of art.

ELA Standard 1

Key Idea 1

Performance Indicator: Interpret and analyze information from textbooks and nonfiction books for young adults, as well as reference materials.

ELA Standard 2

Key Idea 2

Performance Indicator: Present interpretations of literature.

ELA Standard 4

Key Idea 1

Performance Indicator: Express ideas and concerns clearly.

MST Standard 2

Key Idea 1

Performance Indicator: Use equipment and software to integrate several forms of information in order to create good quality presentations.

INITIATING ACTIVITY

 Time: 50 minutes

• Create a KWL chart for Greek Mythology.
• View a portion of a video related to Greek Mythology (Clash of the Titans).
• Have students read about two of the characters they saw in the movie. (For example: Medusa, Perseus.) A good source for this is Gods, Demigods &Demons, An Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology.
• Discuss several characters.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

 Learning Experience 1; List/Identify Eight Characters

Time: 50 minutes

The students will know or understand: Names of eight characters. Roles and relationships of the characters in Greek myths.

Experiences and Activities: After prior knowledge is activated, students will be read a short myth from

Favorite Greek Myths. Teacher will provide guided practice for identifying role of characters. Students will be sent to browse resources.

Strategies: Students will use a graphic organizer to organize their information. (See attachment #1)

What will be done:

• Have students generate a list of characters they remember from watching the video. List any other characters students may be familiar with. Discuss roles and relationships, if known.

• Explain that students will be expected to identify the roles and relationships of eight characters from Greek myths. Roles and relationships will include family relationships, jobs (god of war, for example), special events associated with the characters, and special powers.

• Read a short myth to the class. Afterwards, list together the main characters and give a sentence or two identification that tells their role or relationship in the myth.

• Give students time to begin to browse through resources for myths that interest them. Direct students to make notes about the characters from their stories following the guidelines given in the class example. (A t-chart could be used to help students organize their information.) Students may start out with more than the eight required characters. They will need to choose the characters they feel are most interesting, and that they have the most information about. There are many good sources for mythology on the Internet. Students way also use these to add to their character graphic organizers. (See resources for addresses of some sites)

• For homework, the students will need to choose eight of the characters and write two to three sentences describing the characters role and relationships in the myth. This will be collected for assessment of understanding. (Not to be graded)

Modifications: Learning Disabled students will be responsible for a minimum of four characters. The teacher and aide will be available to assist in reading the myths.

Learning Experience 2: Recite a Short Myth.

Time: three 50-minute periods

The students will: retell a short myth to the class. Students will get background information about the role of mythology in Greek Life.

Experiences and Activities: After an introduction by the teacher, students will browse through resources to find a myth to share with the class.

Strategies: Students will create a short outline of their myth to help them remember it.

Cooperative reading groups

What will be done:

• Have students share an explanation for thunder that they may have heard when they were younger. (typical response: Angels bowling)
• Ask, "Why would your parents tell you that thunder was the angels bowling?" (To make you less afraid.)
• Tell students that Greeks often told myths for the same reason, to dispel fear and explain the unknown.
• Read introduction from Favorite Greek Myths. This introduction gives a brief overview of the origin of Greek myths and their impact on Greek life.

• Myths help explain natural occurrences
• dispel fears of the unknown
• entertain
• to teach a lesson
• Greeks believed Gods controlled their lives, so they prayed to them for certain things

• Introduce assignment of retelling a short myth.
• Discuss strategies for memorizing a story;

• Read through the myth once to get the main idea and flow of the story.
• Write a short outline of the story after rereading myth.
• Story does not have to be memorized word for word.
• Get together with a partner and practice retelling the myth while the partner reads along to help you, if you get stuck.

• Discuss storytelling techniques;

• expression of voice
• facial and hand gestures
• don't stop if you make an error, recover and keep going

• Have students browse through various myth resources to choose a short myth to retell. Students should register their choice with the teacher to cut down on repeats.
• Allow students class time to begin to read through and practice myths. Students should also be directed to practice retelling myth for homework.
• Students will share myths with class after they have had sufficient practice. (Not to be graded.)

Modifications: Learning Disabled students may split story in half and work with a partner to retell a myth. Teacher and Resource Room teacher will be available to help with reading.

Learning Experience 3: Make a flipbook of characters.

Time: two 50-minute periods

Homework time will be needed to complete this assignment.

The students will: Make a flipbook of Greek characters gathered in experience one.

Experiences and Activities: After gathering the information during Learning Experience 1, the students will make a flipbook to show understanding of their characters and to share their findings.

Strategies: Students will use the graphic organizer created for Learning Experience 1 to organize their information.

What will be done:

• Using a purchased children’s flipbook of interchangeable facial features (i.e. putting different eyes, noses and mouths together in many different combinations by flipping the sections) explain to the students that they will be making a flipbook of their own 8 Greek characters.
• Each flipbook will be divided vertically into 5 sections: person and symbol, major role, family relationship (ex. Son of ____, born from _____), special power, and special event. They will be bound in random order, not layered correctly – this will make it a practice book for the student and a way to quiz others.
• Students will make a rough sketch of each sequence to ensure they have included the correct information. The teacher will check and acknowledge that they are prepared to begin the final copy.
• Using construction paper or some type of heavier weight paper (not too heavy or the binding machine won’t work – try it first to avoid problems, if unsure), students need to divide each sheet vertically into five equal sections with a pencil. These are the lines they will cut when completed and give them margins for drawing and writing.
• Have students use resource books provided to gather text and pictures.
• Assign drawing and text for homework for all 8 pages (for the 8 characters).
• To bind books, first cut the pages along the lines drawn. Shuffle each section separately and bind separately. Each student should end up with 5 bound mini books all containing only one section each.
• Students can make these self-checking by putting a specific symbol on the back of each corresponding page.

Modifications: Depending upon individual capabilities, the number of pages required can be adjusted.

Grading Rubric: See attachment #2

Learning Experience 4: Write a clerihew.

Time: 50 minutes

Homework time will be needed to complete this assignment.

The students will know or understand: How to write a clerihew poem to express facts about a character from Greek mythology. (See attachment #3 for handout about writing a clerihew poem.)

Experiences and Activities: After being instructed in the format of a clerihew poem, students will begin to write a poem about one of the eight characters that they have chosen to investigate.

Strategies: Students will use the graphic organizer from Learning Experience 1 to write about their character. Students will use the peer review process to edit their poems before final publication.

What will be done:

• Go over the handout about how to write a clerihew poem with the students. This includes a sample clerihew.
• Discuss the process for writing with the students:

• Students will first organize the information.
• They will write a rough draft.
• Students will review their clerihew with at least two students. (They will be looking for errors in format as well as grammar or spelling errors.)
• Students will show peer reviewed clerihew to teacher for final check.
• Students will be directed to publish final poem on the computer using a word processing program. Students will include an illustration of the character under the poem.

• Students will have class time to begin this process; however, they will be finishing this assignment for homework.

Grading Rubric: See attachment #4

Learning Experience 5: Identify role of mythology in Greek life.

Time: 50 minutes

Homework time will be needed to complete this assignment.

The students will know or understand: the impact of mythology on Greek life. They will be able to identify what role a particular myth plays in Greek life. (Example: explaining what natural occurrence the myth is explaining, what fears are dispelled by a myth)

Experiences and Activities: After prior knowledge is activated concerning information discussed in Learning Experience 2, students will be reading several myths and writing about the part each played in Greek life.

Strategies: Modeling, Guided Practice, cooperative reading groups.

What will be done:

• Students will be asked to review what they learned in Learning Experience 2 about the role of mythology in Greek Life.
• The teacher will read aloud the myth of Demeter and Persephone called "The Kidnapping" from Favorite Greek Myths.
• The teacher will ask the students what role this myth could play in Greek life. This myth explains why there are seasons, and also shows their belief in the Gods control over life.
• Next, students will read "Pandora and the Whispering Box", from Favorite Greek Myths, in cooperative groups. They will discuss as a group the role of this particular myth. The class will then regroup to share their thoughts about the myth. This myth explains how sorrow, pain, and evil entered the world. It is also a cautionary tale about curiosity.
• Students will now be directed to read on their own the following myths:

• "Phaeton and the Sun Horses", Tales of Ancient Greece
• "The Story of Baucis and Philemon", Tales of Ancient Greece
• "The Story of Prometheus", D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths

They will also be directed to write down the role of each myth, using the class discussion as a guideline for the information to collect. This will be discussed in the next class (not to be graded).

Learning Experience 6: Plan and perform a commercial about a modern product with ties to Greek mythology. (Medusa Shampoo)

Time: 5-10 hours (Teacher will determine how much is done in class versus homework.)

The students will: work in cooperative groups to create television commercials promoting products of their choice that tie into Greek mythology.

Experiences and Activities: After viewing some commercials as a class, students will work in cooperative groups to create an original product, logo, and slogan to develop a commercial.

Strategies: Cooperative learning groups

What will be done:

• Show a tape of commercials to the class. Pause the tape after each commercial to discuss aspects such as target audience and method (the good life, keeping up with the Joneses, image, etc.).

• Have students comment on which commercials they prefer and why. Mention that in a 30-second commercial, advertisers have only seconds in which to grab and hold their audience’s attention.

• Explain logos and slogans. Discuss what makes slogans memorable (or not).

• Cooperative groups of 4-6 students then create a new product, a logo, a slogan and an interesting packaging that ties into Greek mythology (ex. Medusa shampoo).

• Once products are complete, have students write scripts and/or storyboards for one-minute television commercials to be preformed for the class. Remind them to keep their target audience in mind. Music can be used, if desired.

Modifications: Students will be homogeneously grouped.

Grading Rubric: See attachment # 5

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE

 Learning Experience 7: Create a Power Point Presentation about 8 mythological characters.

Time: 3-4 class periods (50 minutes) Homework time will need to be devoted to complete this assignment.

The students will: know and understand the roles of 8 characters in Greek mythology.

Experiences and Activities: Gather visual images of Greek characters and create text to accompany visuals. Optional: add music to presentation.

Strategies: graphic organizer from Learning Experience 1 to organize information

Prerequisite Skills: Students will have prior knowledge of how to create a PowerPoint presentation prior to this assignment.

What will be done:

• The students will be directed to use characters and information from learning experiences 1, 4, and 5 to create their presentation. Their presentation should include a minimum of 10 slides.
• They will choose two characters to put into their presentation. Presentations will include information about the two characters as well as the role a certain myth, related to each character, played in the lives of Ancient Greeks.
• Students will first use a graphic organizer and storyboard to organize and plan the information they will incorporate into their presentation.
• Each student in a homeroom should present at least one character that no one else in the class is presenting.

Modifications: Classified students will be responsible for fewer characters, based upon their individual capabilities. The resource room teacher and classroom teacher will determine these.

Grading Rubric: See attachment # 6

PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS

 The students must know how to create a power point presentation prior to completing the culminating activity for this learning unit.

MODIFICATIONS

 Modifications are noted in each learning experience. They generally include providing reading support, modifying expectations and quantity of work, and providing resource room support.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

 This unit is intended to take place over a three-week period. Specific time plans are provided with each learning experience. They are based on 50 minutes class periods.

TECHNOLOGY USE

 This unit utilizes Internet technology for research. It also integrates technology through the creation of a power point presentation. Students also will be working with audio/visual technology when they create a commercial.

 Resources

Books:

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaires

Favorite Greek Myths, Mary Pope Osborne

Gods, Demigods & Demons; an Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology, Bernard Evslin

Tales of Ancient Greece, Enid Blyton

The Greek Gods, Evslin, Evslin & Hoopes

Top Ten Greek Legends, Terry Deary

*An example of a children's flipbook of faces.

Internet:

Encyclopedia Mythica, http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/

Greek Mythology, http://www.messagenet.com/myths/

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology, http://www.cultures.com/greek_resources/greek_encyclopedia/greek_encyclopedia_home.html

Audio/Visual

Clash of the Titans ( or any movie that shows a Greek myth).

Tape of different commercials for examples.

Attachments

Attachment #1: T-chart for 8 mythological characters

Attachment #2

Flipbook Grading Rubric

Attachment #3

Instruction sheet for writing a clerihew

Name____________________________________ Date____________________________

Clerihews

The Clerihew is a form of rhymed poetry named after its creator Edmund Clerihew Bently. It is light verse based upon a person's name. It should tell something about the individual and is often humorous. It is a quatrain, which uses the rhyming pattern AA, BB.

 Example:

Thor

Thor was the God of Thunder and Lightning

He was strong and his hammer was threatening.

His chariot cruised the heavens on high,

Led by two goats, he commanded the sky.

(The student drawn picture will go underneath the poem.)

You will be creating a Clerihew about a character from Greek mythology following the format given to you. Your Clerihew will include a picture of the character. To prepare for the Clerihew, you will use your t-chart about 8 mythological characters. You will be assigned a character, and will write a rough draft of a Clerihew. The rough draft must be reviewed with the teacher. Then you will word process your Clerihew poem and add the illustration, using colored pencils.

First choice: ____________________________ Second choice: __________________________

Attachment # 4

Clerihew Grading Rubric

Attachment # 5

Grading Rubric for commercial

Attachment # 6

Grading Rubric for PowerPoint Presentation