Greek Mythology
Unit Plan
Grade 8
J. Michelle Moss
Unit Plan Steps
1. Theme Greek Mythology
2. Overview This unit will focus on Greek Mythology and more specifically the
twelve Olympian gods and goddesses. Students will read about certain myths
and various characters during class time. During the unit, the class will construct
a mock newspaper consisting of headlines and articles, interviews, stories,
advertisements, and obituaries containing information on the gods and
goddesses. Class time will be used creating this newspaper which will help
students build creative writing skills. For their final project, students will be
divided into groups of two and given a specific god or goddess to research into
much detail. Students will be asked to produce a poster, PowerPoint, etc. to show
as their presentation to the class. This unit focuses on working on skills such as
reading, writing, and public speaking.
3. Objectives Students will be able to identify the twelve Olympian gods and
goddesses. Students will be able to summarize and analyze the myths pertaining
to each character. Students will be able to produce creative writings pertaining to
each character. Students will have the ability to research and present on the
information they have found.
4. Rationale Students will build reading comprehension, creative writing, and
public speaking skills over the course of this unit.
5. Standards 2010 Alabama Course of Study: English Language Arts (Grade 8)
23. Provide clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. [W.8.4]
27. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using
search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and
quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. [W.8.8]
33. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent
manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details;
use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. [SL.8.4]
6. Prior Knowledge The class will conduct a unit on Folklore and Mythology in
order to prepare students for learning about the myths of the twelve Olympian
gods and goddesses.
7. Enduring Understandings Students will take away an understanding of Greek
Mythology and experience with creative writing that will ultimately build their
overall performance in writing in the future.
8. Assessment
a. Formative (during the unit)
i. Students will complete various writing activities that will be
graded as a formative assessment during the unit.
b. Summative (at the completion of the unit)
i. Students will be divided into groups of two. Each group will be
assigned one Olympian god or goddess whom they will research
and ultimately design a project (PowerPoint, poster, etc.) and
present it to the class. The students will be asked to explain their
god or goddess by providing much detail about the history, myths,
and characteristics of assigned Olympian.
9. Materials and Resources
 Information on Greek Mythology and the twelve Olympian gods and
goddesses via PowerPoint presentation:
http://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/olympian.html
http://www.squidoo.com/ancient-greek-activities
 A newspaper to identify the different parts as an example for what the
students will be creating.
10. Differentiated Instruction Special accommodations will be applied for Josh,
David, Jose, and Drew.
 Josh will be given assignments ahead of time and will have extra time to
complete assignments. He will also be provided will several instructions,
worksheets, and methods in order to keep him on task.
 David will also be given extra time on assignments, if needed. He will be
allowed to work individually, if preferred. He will be constantly observed,
checked on, and motivated by verbal praise from the teacher.
 Jose will be given extra time on written assignments because of his
struggles with grammar and writing. He will be allowed to work in small
groups. He will also receive one-on-one help by the teacher when writing
assignments are required in class.
 Drew will be allowed extra time to complete assignments, if necessary. He
will be assisted during assignments which include reading and writing.
He will be allowed to work individually, if preferred.
11. Individual Lessons
 Monday: Intro to Greek Mythology: (Overview of gods and goddess,
myths, etc.), Family Tree Activity, and Assign Groups
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Tuesday: Class Discussion and examples of possible newspaper headlines
concerning gods and goddesses. Determine 5 main headlines and students
choose to write about one during class.
Wednesday: Class Discussion and examples of possible newspaper
interview questions and advertisements concerning certain gods and
goddesses. Students may create their own interview (in groups) or work
individually to produce an advertisement on the gods and goddesses.
Thursday: Class Discussion and examples of possible newspaper
obituaries for the gods and goddesses. Students create an obituary for a
god or goddess of their choice.
Friday: Presentations.
12. Essential Questions
• What are the similarities and differences between the twelve Olympian gods
and goddesses? How do their myths/stories relate to us as readers?
• How does our knowledge of recently studied Greek mythology aid us as
readers in constructing meaning from texts we encounter everyday such as signs,
articles, literature, and advertising?
Lesson Plan #1
Subject Area: English
Grade Level: 8
Time Frame 50 minutes
Introduction
Lesson Overview
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Objective

Rationale
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Prior Knowledge
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ALCOS & Content
Area Standards

Essential Questions
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Students will be introduced and will develop an
understanding of Greek Mythology, the 12
Olympian gods and goddesses, and the myths
associated with each.
To develop an understanding of Greek Mythology
and especially the 12 Olympian gods and
goddesses.
Students will need to obtain knowledge on Greek
Mythology in order complete in-class assignments
on creative writing and the final project on
presenting research.
Students will need prior knowledge of mythology
and folklore which will be addressed before the
introduction of this unit.
2010 Alabama Course of Study: English Language
Arts
Grade 8
3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or
incidents in a story or drama propel the action,
reveal the aspects of a character, or provoke the
decision.
What is Greek Mythology?
What are the background stories behind the 12
Olympian gods and goddesses?
Assessment/Accommodation
Formative
 Students will be given information in class via
Assessment
PowerPoint summarizing Greek Mythology and the
12 Olympian gods and goddesses. They will be
required to take notes, discuss what they have
learned in class, and ultimately complete a Greek
Mythology Family Tree that will exhibit their
knowledge of the learned material.
Summative
 At the end of this unit, students will be required to
Assessment
give a presentation on a specific Olympian god or
goddess in order to ultimately assess their
Accommodations
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Lesson Plan
Materials
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knowledge of Greek mythology.
Josh: He will be given a hard copy of the
PowerPoint presentation that will have blanks to fill
in during the lecture so that he stays on task. For the
Family Tree activity, Josh will be allowed to turn his
paper in the next day in order to give him extra time
to complete his work
David: Because David enjoys handwriting, he will
also be given the PowerPoint presentation
worksheet with blanks. He will be given the same
amount of time as the rest of the class to complete
the Family Tree activity. Because he enjoys drawing,
I have great expectations for him on this activity.
Jose: Because he can easily grasp a concept by
listening and watching, Jose will not be given the
fill-the-blank PowerPoint worksheet because he will
listen, watch, and take notes on his own. Jose will be
allotted extra time on the Family Tree activity, if
necessary.
Drew: He will be given the same instructions as the
rest of the class regarding the lecture and the
activity. However, if Drew has questions, requires
more explanation, or needs extra time, he will be
allowed to do so.
PowerPoint Presentation:
Bell Ringer
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Activities
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When class begins, students will have 2 minutes to
write down all the information they know about
Greek Mythology. This will lead to further
discussion on the subject.
Because this day will be used for the introduction of
the new material, the first 15 minutes of class time
will be used discussing a PowerPoint. The
information the students receive during this lecture
will be the basis of the activities they will produce
during this unit. Students will be asked to take
notes and discuss throughout the lecture.
For the next 20 minutes, students will be given an
assignment which requires them to create a family
tree of the 12 Olympian gods and goddesses
discussed during the presentation. The family tree
requires students to draw a picture that represents
each character below each name on the tree. The
Closure
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References
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family tree must be complete with colors, drawings,
and most importantly, the accurate god and
goddesses. The teacher will be monitoring the class
by walking around, checking with each student,
and answering any questions. The activity will be
due at the end of class.
The class will close with questions, discussion of the
activity, and further explanation if necessary.
The teacher will elaborate on the final project,
assign groups, and hand out the grading rubric.
Greek Mythology Facts:
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0881990.htm
l
Lesson Plan #2
Subject Area: English
Grade Level: 8
Time Frame 50 minutes
Introduction
Lesson Overview


Objective

Rationale


Prior Knowledge

ALCOS & Content Area
Standards

Essential Questions


Assessment/Accommodation
Formative Assessment

For this unit on Greek Mythology, the class will be
creating a newspaper. During this lesson, the
students will be introduced to the aspects of a
newspaper and how information is delivered
effectively.
Students will be divided into five groups with each
group producing their own newspaper headline
concerning a story about one or more of the 12
Olympian gods and/or goddesses.
To develop an understanding of Greek Mythology
and improve creative writing skills by producing a
mock headline story for the class newspaper.
Students will develop further knowledge of Greek
Mythology by exploring possible headline stories
for the newspaper.
Students will develop creative writing skills while
producing the headline story.
This lesson will require prior knowledge from the
previous lesson on Greek Mythology.
2010 Alabama Course of Study: English Language
Arts
Grade 8
23. Provide clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. [W.8.4]
How does mythology correlate with journalism?
How do the front page and headlines sell a
newspaper?
Students will be provided with the materials and
knowledge necessary to become educated on the
workings of a newspaper. During the writing
Summative Assessment
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Accommodations
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Lesson Plan
Materials
Bell Ringer
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Activities
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assignment, the teacher will give informal checks
to make sure each group is staying on task and
producing sufficient material.
At the end of this unit, students will be required to
give a presentation on a specific Olympian god or
goddess in order to ultimately assess their
knowledge of Greek mythology.
Josh: During the group writing assignment, Josh
will be given the opportunity to work alone, if
preferred. If so, he will also be allowed to turn in
the assignment the next day, if necessary.
David: Because David has difficulty getting along
with peers, he will have the option to work alone if
he chooses. However, he will be encouraged to
work with his group in order to contribute to his
social improvement.
Jose: Because Josh works well with small groups,
his accommodations will be the same as the rest of
the class.
Drew: Drew will also work in groups with the rest
of the class. However, he will have the option to
work individually, if preferred. If so, he will be
helped one-on-one during group time.
Newspapers for each student.
Poster boards, crayons, markers, glue, etc.
When the students enter the classroom, each
person will have newspaper on their desk. For the
first 10 minutes, they will be asked to look
through the front page and the headline article.
They will also explore the other parts of the
newspaper.
For the next 10 minutes, we will discuss, as a class,
how the front page sells the newspaper and the
differences in what the headline promises and
what the article actually says.
The students will be divided into groups of five.
Each group will be required to create their own
headline and story for the class newspaper. The
stories should be 2-3 paragraphs. The articles must
be about one or more of the 12 gods and/or
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Closure
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References
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goddesses. However, the stories must correlate
with the personalities, powers, and weapons of
the certain gods and goddesses.
The headline should also include a picture or
drawing that will catch the eye of the reader. Each
group should put the headline, the picture, and
the story on a poster board.
The teacher will be moving around the class to
assist with any questions the groups may have
about the material.
The last 10 minutes of class will be used for each
group to present their headline story by showing
their poster and reading the article to the class.
http://www.mythweb.com/teachers/tips/tips.ht
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http://www.crystalinks.com/olympians.html
Lesson Plan #3
Subject Area: English
Grade Level: 8
Time Frame 50 minutes
Introduction
Lesson Overview


Objective

Rationale


Prior Knowledge

ALCOS & Content Area
Standards

Essential Questions



For this unit on Greek Mythology, the class will be
creating a newspaper. During this lesson, the
students will be introduced to the interview and
advertisement sections of a newspaper.
Students will have the choice to work in groups to
create a mock interview between two
gods/goddesses or work individually to create an
advertisement for a product that god or goddess
would advertise.
To develop an understanding of Greek Mythology
and improve creative writing skills by producing a
mock interview or advertisement for the class
newspaper.
Students will develop further knowledge of Greek
Mythology by exploring possible interviews and
advertisements for the class newspaper.
Students will develop creative writing skills while
producing the interviews or advertisements.
This lesson will require prior knowledge from the
previous lesson on Greek Mythology.
2010 Alabama Course of Study: English Language
Arts
Grade 8
23. Provide clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. [W.8.4]
How does mythology correlate with journalism?
What aspects of an interview provide the reader a
deeper insight into a Greek god or goddess?
What product would a specific mythological
character advertise?
Assessment/Accommodation
Formative Assessment
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Summative Assessment
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Accommodations
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Lesson Plan
Materials
Bell Ringer
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Students will be provided with the materials and
knowledge necessary to become educated on the
workings of a newspaper, interviews, and
advertisements. During the writing assignment,
the teacher will give informal checks to make sure
each group is staying on task and producing
sufficient material.
At the end of this unit, students will be required to
give a presentation on a specific Olympian god or
goddess in order to ultimately assess their
knowledge of Greek mythology.
Josh: During the writing assignment, Josh will be
given the opportunity to work alone or with a
partner. If he chooses to work alone, he will also be
allowed to turn in the assignment one or two days
after the due date, if necessary.
David: Because David has difficulty getting along
with peers and enjoys drawing, he will be
encouraged to work individually on the
advertisement. He will be helped one-on-one with
the writing exercise.
Jose: Because Josh works well with small groups,
he will be encouraged to work with a partner on
the interview.
Drew: Drew, like the whole class, will have the
option to work individually or with a partner.
Because he is especially creative, the advertisement
would be the ideal assignment for him. He will be
helped individually with the writing portion if he
chooses the advertisement.
Newspapers for each student.
Poster boards, crayons, markers, glue, etc.
When the students enter the classroom, each
person will have newspaper on their desk. For the
first 10 minutes, they will be asked to look
specifically for interviews and advertisements
throughout the newspaper.
For the next 10 minutes, we will discuss, as a class,
what made the interviews interesting or not and if
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Activities
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Closure
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References
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they contained sufficient information on the
person being interviewed.
We will also discuss the advertisements found, if
they made the reader want to purchase the object,
and what items that a mythological character
would advertise.
The students will two choices: an interview or an
advertisement.
The interview will consist of working with a
partner to create an interview between a reporter
and a Greek god or goddess of their choice. The
interview should be at least 2-3 minutes long
when read aloud. When sharing with the class,
one person will be the reporter and one person
will be the Greek god or goddess and they must
perform the interview. They must also have a
written copy to go in the newspaper.
The advertisement will be created individually. It
must be an object that a Greek god or goddess
would advertise (a weapon, beauty product, etc.)
The advertisement must be complete with a
picture or drawing of the product and a 1-2
paragraph summary of the object, its purposes,
and why a consumer would want to purchase it.
The teacher will be moving around the class to
assist with any questions the groups may have
about the material.
Because these in-class assignments are rather
lengthy and little class time will be used, students
will be allowed to finish their projects overnight
and turned in the next day.
The last 10 minutes of class will be used for final
questions, further explanation, and an overall
wrap-up of interviews and advertisements.
The students will be asked what they have learned
so far about interviews and advertisements while
creating their assignments.
http://www.mythweb.com/teachers/tips/tips.ht
ml
http://www.crystalinks.com/olympians.html
Lesson Plan #4
Subject Area: English
Grade Level: 8
Time Frame 50 minutes
Introduction
Lesson Overview


Objective

Rationale


Prior Knowledge

ALCOS & Content Area
Standards

Essential Questions



Assessment/Accommodation
Formative Assessment

For this unit on Greek Mythology, the class will be
creating a newspaper. During this lesson, the
students will be introduced the obituary section of
the newspaper.
Students will each create an obituary for an
assigned Greek god or goddess.
To develop an understanding of Greek Mythology
and improve creative writing skills by producing an
obituary that would comply with the lives of the
mythological characters.
Students will develop further knowledge of Greek
Mythology by exploring the obituaries in a
newspapers and applying them to the lives of
mythological characters.
Students will develop creative writing skills while
producing the obituaries.
This lesson will require prior knowledge from the
previous lesson on Greek Mythology.
2010 Alabama Course of Study: English Language
Arts
Grade 8
23. Provide clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. [W.8.4]
How does mythology correlate with journalism?
What details of someone’s life are necessary to
include in an obituary?
What would the obituaries of the Greek god and
goddesses say?
Students will be provided with the materials and
Summative Assessment
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Accommodations
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Lesson Plan
Materials
Bell Ringer
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knowledge necessary to become educated on the
workings of a newspaper and specifically the
obituary section. During the writing assignment,
the teacher will give informal checks to make sure
each student is staying on task and producing
sufficient material.
At the end of this unit, students will be required to
give a presentation on a specific Olympian god or
goddess in order to ultimately assess their
knowledge of Greek mythology.
Josh: During the writing assignment, Josh will be
constantly checked on to make sure he stays on
task. He will be provided with one-on-one help
from the teacher, if necessary. He will have an
extra day to complete the writing.
David: David will be constantly checked on and
encouraged with verbal praise throughout the
writing time.
Jose: Because Josh has issues with writing and
grammar, he will be helped extensively during the
writing assignment. He will be encouraged to ask
questions when it comes to sentence structure,
word formation, etc. He will have an extra day to
complete the assignment, if necessary.
Drew: Drew’s struggles with reading and writing
will not be overlooked during the writing exercise.
He will be encouraged to ask questions. Because he
is very creative, this assignment will be good for
him.
Newspapers for each student.
When the students enter the classroom, each
person will have newspaper on their desk. For the
first 5 minutes, they will be asked to look
specifically for the obituary section of the
newspaper.
For the next 15 minutes, we will discuss, as a class,
what details were necessary in order to create a
touching and informative obituary.
We will also discuss what several of the gods or
goddesses’ obituaries would include and why.
Activities
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Closure
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References
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For the next 20 minutes, students will each be
assigned a specific Greek god or goddess to create
an obituary for. The obituary must be at least 2-3
paragraphs in length. It must include specific
details that correlate with the life of their assigned
Greek god or goddess.
The teacher will be moving around the class to
assist with any questions the students may have
about the material.
The last 15 minutes of class will be used for
students to each share their obituaries with the
class.
The remainder of class time will be used to answer
any final questions about the final project
presentation. The rubric will be handed out in
order for students to double-check that they have
completed all tasks efficiently and so that they will
get an idea of what the teacher will be graded on.
See Rubric attached.
http://www.mythweb.com/teachers/tips/tips.ht
ml
http://www.crystalinks.com/olympians.html
http://www.pc.gc.ca/apprendrelearn/prof/sub/eco/itm4/pl-lp6/rubric2_E.asp
Lesson Plan #5
Subject Area: English
Grade Level: 8
Time Frame 50 minutes
Introduction
Lesson Overview
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Objective
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Rationale
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Throughout this unit, students have used class time
to become familiar with the Greek gods and
goddesses. They have been using their time at home
to work on a final project with their partner that
includes researching the biographies, elaborating on
the stories and details, and ultimately creating a
presentation on an assigned god or goddess.
During this lesson, students will be presenting their
findings to the class. Their project and presentation
will be assessed on creativity, delivery,
organization, and content.
Students were encouraged to think “out of the box”
by perhaps including a skit, costumes, etc. to make
their character come to life.
The majority of their grade will be based on how
creative and how much effort was put into the
presentation.
To develop an understanding of an assigned Greek
god or goddess.
To effectively research information using outside
sources such as the internet, books, etc.
To organize the information into a presentation that
summarizes the findings and provides accurate
details.
To communicate effectively and improve public
speaking skills.
Students will develop further knowledge of Greek
Mythology by exploring an individual god or
goddess and intensively researching his or her
story.
Students will develop researching, organizational,
and public speaking skills over the course of this
project.
Prior Knowledge


ALCOS & Content Area
Standards

Essential Questions

Assessment/Accommodation
Formative Assessment

Summative Assessment
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
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This lesson will require prior knowledge from the
previous lesson on Greek Mythology.
The project will require students to obtain
knowledge from outside sources on their own in
order to present their findings to the class.
2010 Alabama Course of Study: English Language
Arts
Grade 8
27. Gather relevant information from multiple print
and digital sources, using search terms effectively;
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source;
and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions
of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation. [W.8.8]
33. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient
points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant
evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen
details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation. [SL.8.4]
What are the stories, background information, and
specific details of your group’s assigned Greek god
or goddess?
Over the course of this unit, students have been
given formative assessments during in-class
writing activities. These formative assessments
include informal checks and observations during
class time.
Students will be divided into groups of two. Each
group will be assigned one Olympian god or
goddess whom they will research and ultimately
design a project (PowerPoint, poster, etc.) and
present it to the class.
The students will be asked to explain their god or
goddess by providing much detail about the
history, myths, and characteristics of assigned
Olympian.
The presentation should be 5-7 minutes in length
and must provide accurate details, pictures, stories,
etc. of the Greek god or goddess.
Both students must speak during presentation and
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Accommodations
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Lesson Plan
Materials
Bell Ringer
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Activities
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Closure
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References
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are encouraged to not read word for word off of
their PowerPoint, poster, etc.
Their project and presentation will be assessed on
creativity, delivery, organization, and content.
The students will be provided with a rubric on the
day before their presentation so that they will have
one night to finalize and double-check their
projects.
Josh, David, Jose, and Drew will each be given the
option to work individually on their final project.
They will be given extra time to complete their
projecst and will be provided with time afterschool with the teacher to complete the
assignment. Their projects will not require as much
detail as the other students’ work and will be
graded on an easier scale.
Technology for student presentations.
For the first 5 minutes of class, the teacher ask the
students to share some facts about Greek
Mythology that they learned and thought were
interesting over the course of this unit.
The next 45 minutes will be dedicated to student
presentations. Each student will be required to
listen attentively and ask questions when the
presentations have ended.
The teacher will assess the students by listening,
watching, asking questions and by using the
grading rubric.
The class will end with final questions and an
ultimate wrap-up of the Greek Mythology unit
with any further explanations.
http://www.mythweb.com/teachers/tips/tips.ht
ml
http://www.crystalinks.com/olympians.html
http://www.pc.gc.ca/apprendrelearn/prof/sub/eco/itm4/pl-lp6/rubric2_E.asp