The Mighty Myth

Subject Area: Language Arts

Grade Level(s): 7th Grade

Duration of Activity: 5 days (55-minute class periods)

Description of Activity: After an introduction to Greek and Roman mythology, the students will be grouped to research an assigned god/goddess and create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on each character. Presentations of finished projects will be made before the class audience. The students will also read and respond in journals to selected myths.

Objectives:

• Students will become familiar with the history and culture of ancient Greeks and Romans.
• Students will become knowledgeable of various mythological gods and goddesses and the role each plays in literature.
• Students will use the World Wide Web to research a given related topic.
• Students will create and present a multimedia presentation to an audience.
• Students will read and respond to literature.

Materials/Equipment:

• Personal computers with Internet access (1 per group)
• Large-screen monitor or television and scan converter for classroom viewing
• Microsoft PowerPoint software or other presentation software
• Printer (if hard copy of presentation is desired)
• Handout 1: Mythology Presentation—Steps for Creating the Mythology Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
• Handout 2: Example of Student Multimedia Presentation
  Download the PowerPoint file and print out handouts 3 or 6 slides per page.
• Handout 3: King Midas and the Golden Touch (complete myth)
• Handout 4: The Boy Who Wanted Too Much (complete myth)
• Handout 5: Responding to Literature Mythology (related writing prompts)
• Handout 6: Chart of Gods and Goddesses
• Handout 7: Scoring Rubric for Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

Prerequisites (skills or background needed):

• Basic keyboarding skills (Students who are weak in these skills can successfully complete the project.)
• Basic knowledge of creating a multimedia presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint or some other presentation software
• Basic knowledge of how to conduct research on the World Wide Web
• Basic writing skills

Procedure

Teacher Component:

1. The teacher will present a brief history of Greece and Rome including influences of ancient architecture, mathematics, and religion.
2. The teacher will discuss with students the history of mythology and the general characteristics of gods and goddesses.
3. The teacher will divide the class into groups of 2-3 students.
4. The teacher will assign to each group a god or goddess to research using the World Wide Web.
5. The teacher will assist students during the research activity.
6. The teacher will review basic Microsoft PowerPoint operations with students.
7. The teacher will assist students during presentation design.
8. The teacher will evaluate student presentations according to a scoring rubric.

Student Activities:

1. The students will research in groups a given god or goddess using theWorld Wide Web.
2. Using Handout 1: Mythology Presentation-Steps for Creating the Mythology Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation and Handout 2: Example of Student Presentation, the students will work in groups to create and present multimedia presentations on an assigned god or goddess using Microsoft PowerPoint or some other presentation software.
3. The students will read selected myths and respond in journals to given writing prompts using Handout 3: King Midas and the Golden Touch, Handout 4: The Boy Who Wanted Too Much, and Handout 5: Responding to Literature Mythology (related writing prompts).
4. The students will use Handout 6: Chart of Gods and Goddesses to complete a review chart describing the characteristics of major gods and goddesses.

Accommodations:

• Students may be grouped according to technology experience.
• The teacher may limit the number of Web sites available to students for research by book marking selected sites ahead of time for convenience and time management.
• If some groups cannot finish the multimedia project in the allotted time, groups may be allowed time before or after school for completion. Volunteer peer tutors may be used to help students with limited technology skills.

Extension Activities:

• Using the acquired knowledge of the roles of mythological gods and goddesses, the students may create their own myths explaining an act of nature. Students may work independently or in groups. Myths may be typed using a word-processing program, and clip art illustrating the myths may be imported. Myths may be shared orally in class or compiled to create a classroom anthology.
• Using the acquired knowledge of the roles of gods and goddesses, students may create mythology puzzles using Puzzlemaker / http://puzzlemaker.com puzzle-making software. Puzzles may be exchanged with classmates.
• Students may pretend that their favorite god or goddess has just retired and type a letter of application to Zeus giving their qualifications to fill the vacated position.

Integration:

• Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Technology

Assessments:

1. Teacher observation and questioning will be used throughout the lesson.
2. Responses to writing prompts using Handout 5: Responding to Literature Mythology and the review gods and goddesses using Handout 6: Chart of Gods and Goddesses may be graded by the teacher.
3. The formal assessment of the multimedia presentation may be by a rubric designed to measure the use of technology, presentation skills, and language skills. Handout 7: Scoring Rubric for Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation is offered as an example.

URLs:

• Greek Mythology
  http://greekmythology.com
• Mythography | Greek Mythology and Art
  http://www.loggia.com/myth/content.html
  This Web site is a good source of mythological clip art.
• Mythweb
  http://www.mythweb.com
• Bulfinch's Mythology
  http://www.bulfinch.org
• Puzzlemaker
  http://puzzlemaker.com

Curriculum Frameworks

Mississippi:

1. Communicate for a variety of purposes through different forms of writing using processes of reading, writing, listening, and viewing for an expanding audience. (R, W, L, V)
3. Write a reaction to, interpretation of, or summary of what has been read or heard.
2. Speak coherently and listen effectively to exchange ideas and opinions for a variety of purposes and audiences. (S, L)
3. Use standard English in oral presentations with increasing proficiency and complexity.
3. Complete projects and tasks in an organized and coherent manner. (R, W, S, L, V)
2. Use reading as a source of ideas and information for a project or task.
3. Follow logical sequence/multi-step directions to complete a project.
4. Read, listen to, and view multimedia sources to select and use information. (R, W, S, L, V)
2. Compose a variety of oral, visual, and written presentations from information gathered.
5. Participate cooperatively while engaging in small group activities to analyze and interpret information, to make decisions, to solve problems, and to produce a given product. (R, W, S, L, V)
3. Analyze, evaluate, and compromise to arrive at a consensus.
5. Work collaboratively to develop a complete product with increasing independence.

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS):

4. Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations (e.g., environmental probes, graphing calculators, exploratory environments, Web tools) to support learning and research. (3, 5)
5. Apply productivity/multimedia tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, group collaboration, and learning throughout the curriculum. (3, 6)
6. Design, develop, publish and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5, 6)

TerraNova:

05 Identify Reading Strategies (Level 11-21/22)
Demonstrate awareness of techniques that enhance comprehension, such as using existing knowledge, summarizing content, comparing information across texts, using graphics and text structure, and formulating questions that deepen understanding.

Write responses that interpret and extend the use of information from documents and forms, and that demonstrate knowledge and use of strategies.

07 Sentence Structure (Level 11-21/22)
Demonstrate an understanding of conventions for writing complete and effective sentences, including treatment of subject and verb, punctuation, and capitalization.

Demonstrate an understanding of conciseness and clarity of meaning in combining two sentences.

Link and Feedback to Author(s):

Wanda Epting, Coleman Middle School, Greenville, MS
wepting1417@yahoo.com