The Power of Story: Greek Myths and You

Social Studies 7 and 8

By Andrew Bailey and Sam Dowdell

This is a ten lesson unit from the Grade 7 curriculum (but written with a blended 7/8 class in mind), exploring
the importance of myth to Ancient Greece in their “preliterate” Dark Ages (c. 1100-800 BCE), how these oral
stories were eventually recorded, and how myth still affects us today. (Note: we will connect myth to an
English Language Arts lesson on storytelling.) Our classically designed lesson will be about the connections
students can make with Greek gods and heroes. Our I.E. lesson will be an exploration of how the Greek
worldview (cosmology), their gods and heroes, and their values all worked together in individual myths. We
will include a student directed self-assessment related to research on Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and
heroines. Our end of unit assessment will have students, in groups of 3, creating a new myth in the oral
tradition, using specific storytelling criteria.
Classically Designed Lesson Plan: Greek Gods and Heroes
The goal of this lesson is for students to connect the Greek gods and heroes both to the time and place in
which they emerged (specifically, to Dark Ages Ancient Greece), and to the students’ own lives.
Essential questions (of the unit):
 Why did the Ancient Greeks tell myths?
 Why do we still tell myths today using a similar myth/story structure?
 Is it possible to break the classic mythological structure and still tell a good story? Why might one try do
this?
Overriding concepts (of the unit)
 Myth is a preliterate cultural tool.
 Myth can reinforce or challenge a culture’s values, but it always expresses them.
 Oral storytelling has the power to help you make sense of the world and your place in it.
 Modern “myths” (stories) follow similar structure despite our hyper-literate world.

Big Idea (Understand)

 Religious and cultural practices that emerged during the Ancient Greek Dark Ages have endured and
continue to influence people.
 Specifically:
- Myth is a pre-literate invention that still resonates as the basis for storytelling.
- Myths/stories were utilized by Ancient Greeks to express their cultural values, and to question them.
- After this lesson students should be able to have a better understanding of some of the Greek gods
and heroes.
Core Competencies
 Critical thinking skills.
-Specifically, to be able to judge what is useful/not useful from sources while researching a particular
subject.
 Creative thinking.
-Specifically, students should be able to connect traits of gods and heroes with themselves, people
they know or people they know of.
Curricular Competencies (Do)
 Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the values,
worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places (perspectives).
-Specifically: compare their world to that of the Greek gods and heroes.
Content (Know)
 Origins, core beliefs, narratives, practices, and influences of religions.
-Specifically: some of the basic attributes of certain Greek gods and heroes.
First Peoples Principles of Learning
 Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.

Activities and Tasks Materials and Resources Considerations

1. Introduction: Free write [10 o Students’ own writing Engage students in thinking about
mins] journals the excellence (arete) Greek gods
and heroes embody. Engage them
Set the stage for the students’
in the idea that greatness has its
thinking by connecting something
downsides.
relevant to them with Gods and
heroes:
“Imagine you have a friend who is
ridiculously talented, strong, and
intelligent but who also knows it.
What are they like? What
personality traits do they have?
Are they trustworthy? Would you
want to be them? Would you like
them?”

2. The Myth of Bellerophon and  Organizer 2-1 – Story Circle. Discuss character traits with
Pegasus plus follow up [15-20 Get students to place an students, specifically about
mins] eraser or pencil on their Bellerophon. Did his traits match
graphic organizer where they any they had in the free write?
Model oral storytelling with the
think we are in the story as Possible questions: “Can that
tale of Bellerophon and Pegasus.
teacher tells it. (Note: which makes you great also
Emphasize the hero’s excellence
Bellerophon only makes it to destroy you? Should it? Can’t you
and how it related to his downfall.
stage 6. We may want to just be great with no limits? Why
Essential question: Can that discuss why this is.) or why not?”
which makes you great also
destroy you?
3. Case Study: Jigsaw Research  Books: Keenan, S. (2003). Ask students which heroes/deities
[30–50 mins] Gods, goddesses and they most want to be. Which they
monsters. New York: are most actually like.
In groups of 3-4, students should
use websites (or books/handouts) Scholastic. Note: Be explicit about
to research 3-4 Gods and 2-3  Barchers, S.L. (2001). From importance of character traits to
heroes each. They should collect Atlanta to Zeus: Readers heroes. Tell students why the
facts on them, but also decide for theatre from greek mythology. jigsaw is important for later (end
themselves what character traits Englewood, Colorado: Teacher of unit) project: i.e. that they will
these figures embody. For last Ideas Press. be doing a myth of their own that
fifteen minutes of class, students  Nardo, D. (2012). The gods involves gods/heroes etc. You
should share what they learned and goddesses of Greek only get to use 1-2 Gods/heroes
with other members of their Mythology. Mankato, MN: per story. Let them know that
group. Compass Point Books. they will find some gods/heroes
 Websites (note – teacher as being more interesting than
may need to make handouts, others. Better for the students’
depending on the story later.
technological constraints of Assessing learning: self-
the school. If this is the case, assessment, but teacher can
get students to go more in verify:
depth with their
interpretation of the heroes):  Are students finding vital
https://greece.mrdonn.org/m information on the gods and
yths.html; heroes?
www.mythweb.com;  Are the traits the students
www.mythman.com; write ones that are connected
https://pantheon.org/mytholo to the god or hero?
gy/greek/  Do the students recognize
what major myth(s) the
heroes are part of?
 How do students navigate the
websites? Do they simply look
up names alphabetically or do
they use search engines or
books when necessary?
IE Lesson Plan: Connecting it All Together

1. Identifying Heroic Qualities.

Ancient Greek myths as we know them were born during their Dark Ages, a time of fear, when one
weather event could destroy your home or make your entire community starve. When a stroll by the
beach could get you kidnapped and sold into slavery. Capricious deities ruled the heavens, the oceans,
and the underworld. Death and oblivion could come at any moment. Though the Greeks of this period
couldn’t read or write, a sense of order was brought to their world through the power of oral
storytelling. The power of myth.

2. Shaping the Lesson:

2.1) Finding the story.

By the time we reach this lesson we will have taught about the way the Ancient Greeks saw their
capricious world and their capricious gods. How fragile life was. How death was near oblivion and only
through heroic exploits could Greeks show their excellence (arete), which would yield them a sort of
immortality through fame, but which might also lead to hubris, angering the gods.

Now we bring this all together and have the students come up with a myth of their own. This will take
place over a few lessons, with a great deal of help from the teacher and by referring to previous
lessons. Students will first identify the hero(es) and heroine(s) they most identify with. From this we
can examine what characteristics make great heros/heroines and what flaws can lead to their downfall.

2.2) Finding extremes and limits.

Students are to find their favourite heros/heroines. What characteristics make them their favourite?
Do they prefer the strongest (e.g. Herakles)? The fastest (e.g. Atalanta)? The greatest musician
(Orpheus)? The greatest weaver (Arachne)? Is it that the hero knows his own fate and chooses to face
it all the same (e.g. Achilles/Hektor)? By examining what characteristics they admire or identify with,
students will also be exploring something about their own values and identity.

2.3) Connection to human hopes, fears, and passions.

In a certain way heroes are aspirational: stronger, faster, and smarter than any human alive. But
heroes are also full of flaws such as excessive anger and pride. They all fear death and oblivion. They all
face great hardship, yet choose to fight. Some are punished for their flaws (e.g. Bellerophon). Some are
rewarded despite them (e.g. Herakles). Some overcome them, but must face their fate all the same
(e.g. Achilles). In exploring heroes, students explore something about their own passions, but in a way
that is relatively “safe” in that it is far removed from the here and now.
 2.4) Additional cognitive tools:

Collections and hobbies: Students are to have learned as much as possible about a small number of
heroes, gods, and primordial beings. Apart from the strongest/fastest etc. traits already mentioned,
students can look for weird and wonderful traits or traits that make certain mythological beings stand
out. Hermes, for example, was the one god who could laugh at himself and never seemed too prideful,
or too concerned with doling out punishment. Zeus is powerful, Athena is wise, but Hermes is the god
with the best sense of humour.

Change of context: After examining what makes the heroes great, we will put the students in the role
of ancient storyteller, inspired by a goddess. The student can choose to be a rhapsodist (that is, they
can tell an oral story) or a chronicler (i.e. the first person to write the oral story down) or a vase
painter, telling the story with images appropriate to ancient Greece.

Sense of Wonder: We will preface the task mentioned in the last paragraph with a little story: the
student is a shepherd(ess) tending the flock when a mysterious woman of incredible size and radiance
approaches. This woman reveals herself to be a Muse: a goddess. She inspires the student to create a
new myth, honouring her. The student, as storyteller, is living a story. Students will go from their
imagined ordinary life as a shepherd(ess), to becoming a poet/artist enacting the will of the Muse.

2.5) Previous tools.

Greek heroes exemplify binary opposites. That which makes them great (their arete or “excellence”)
often leads to that which destroys them (their hubris). Too much excellence and they will have done
something in excess, breaking a primary maxim (medan agan: “nothing in excess”). No excellence and
they will be forgotten. No option is “good”. Every option has grave risk. Yet a choice must be made. It is
how the hero/heroine deals with this choice that their heroism is truly revealed.

Sense of mystery: These were no mere stories to the Ancient Greeks. Some people claim to have seen
gods walking among them. Hesiod, a real historical figure, claims that a Muse really met him and
inspired his poetry. Gods got involved in human lives, inspiring people. Gods revealed sacred truths
through myths. What is sacred/important to the student? How can it be told through story? Students
must meet the Muse’s criteria, or face the goddess’ wrath.

3.) Resources:
Previous materials (including a sheet that students have filled out about heroes and gods). Story circle
(see figures 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3) reminding students of the elements/rhythmic progression inherent to
story/myth. Also: Ashmolean Collections: SHOEMAKER VASE. (n.d.) Retrieved from:
https://www.ashmolean.org/shoemaker-vase

4.) Conclusion
We expect this final push to take place over several classes, but we will have built up to
it in previous lessons. The final lesson (or two) will have the students telling (or
explaining, if they have pictures) their own Greek myths. Myths that follow specific steps (the story
circle). Steps so ingrained in the human psyche that we still use them to this day.
5.) Evaluation.
The students’ myths will be evaluated based on specific criteria. Their stories must take place in the
Ancient Greek world with at least one Ancient Greek hero, and at least one deity. The hero(ine) must
overcome great obstacles to achieve something important to him (or her). Stories must follow the
story circle, either stopping at step 6, with the hero(ine) punished for challenging the gods or it may
end at 8, with the hero(ine) fighting out of their struggles in search of a new goal.
Self-Assessment

How well did you figure out

1 5 10
what you needed to know?

How well did you find what 1 5 10

you wanted to know?

How well did you present 1 5 10

what you found out?

Explain in words, pictures, or both:

What helped you find the information you needed?

What was a challenge for you when researching your topic?

What could, or DID help you overcome these challenges?

Name: ________________________
Grade: ________________________
Division:_______________________

Ancient Greek Myth

(Social Studies and English Language Arts)

We have great and epic stories that come to us from Ancient Greece. Yet during this time most people
could not read or write. So how do these stories come to us? Through oral and visual storytelling. These were
no mere stories, however: they were inspired by gods and goddesses. Gods and goddesses who could reward
or punish, depending on how well you honoured them. With that in mind, here is your task:

You are a shepherd(ess) in the hills of an Ancient Greek mountain village. You are tending your flock
when an otherworldly woman appears before you. She reveals herself to be a Muse, a goddess, both great
and terrifying. She presents you with a laurel staff, giving you inspiration for a Greek myth that none has heard
before. If you don’t obey her, she will send you to the depths of Tartarus where you will be tortured for all
eternity.

She demands you use oral storytelling techniques but you have three options as how to present it: you
may chronicle your myth (as early writers did for Homer); you may draw your myth; or you may perform it as
an Ancient Greek rhapsodist (oral storyteller). Regardless, you must use the story circle (though you may end
at step 6) and be able to explain how your story fits. You must include at least one Ancient Greek hero and
one Ancient Greek god.

Choose to be a:

chronicler (writer your story) rhapsodist (tell your story) painter (draw your story)

Greek hero(ine):_________________________

Greek god(dess):_________________________

This assignment is due _________________

Evaluation
Name: __________________
Division: ________________

Grade: __________________

Greek Your story takes place in

Connection Ancient Greek world, with
at least one Ancient Greek
god(dess) and at least one
/10 Ancient Greek hero(ine).
The deities and hero(ine)s
have characteristics and
values the Ancient Greeks
would recognize and
identify with. Effort is
made to be authentic and
engaging.
Structure The story is clearly told
using the mythic structure
(i.e. the story circle).
Connections to the story
circle are clear. If the story
/10 circle is not followed, clear
and detailed explanations
as to why are provided.

Presentation The story is told in a

manner appealing to an
audience, whether it be
written, oral (told out
/10 loud), or drawn.
Organizer 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3: The Story Circle
Note: this will be used in a related English Language Arts cross curricular lesson. It is based on Dan Harmon’s
story circle (itself based on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. More information can be found here (content
warning: coarse language): http://channel101.wikia.com/wiki/Story_Structure_104:_The_Juicy_Details