Myth Makers

A WebQuest for 5th Grade
Language Arts and Social Studies

robin_pellegrini@westport.k12.ct.us
andersongregorio@aol.com

Introduction

Did you know that when there was an earthquake, the ancient Greeks thought that Poseidon had stamped his foot upon the earth? And when the sun rose each morning, it was because Apollo had begun to drive his chariot up into the sky? The ancient Greeks also believed when Persephone traveled to the underworld, summer changed into fall.

Come and explore the world of Greek mythology. As you read, think about what lies behind these ancient myths. Why do you think the ancient Greeks created them?

Task

The purpose of this activity is to create your own modern myth in the style of one from ancient Greece. To do this, you will first read several myths, analyze them and share your conclusions with your working group. As a full class, we will then discuss all of our findings, as well as why ancient Greeks used myth to make sense of their world. Finally, using all you have learned, you will create an illustrated myth. This myth will explain one of the following: a natural disaster, phenomenon or occurrence, a current or historical event, or some aspect of modern life that would be inexplicable to someone form ancient Greece.

Process

Now that you know your task, it's time to get started! You will be working in groups of 3 or 4. Throughout history, people of all different cultures have created myths for many different reasons. What is a myth, you ask? Follow the link to find out.

Like all cultures, the ancient Greeks had a system of beliefs. Rather than worshipping one god, the ancient Greeks had a polytheistic religion in which they honored many different gods and goddesses. Read the creation myth to learn more about their explanation for how the world began.

The next step is to familiarize yourself with the chief deities, or gods and goddesses, in Greek mythology, otherwise known as the Olympians. Use the following web sites to learn more about these gods and goddesses. As you read, record information about each Olympian on your Olympians Chart.

The Olympians Roman Equivalents Family Tree of the Gods

Once you have acquainted yourself twelve Olympians you are ready to read some of their stories, otherwise known as myths. Keep in mind that you will stumble upon many other ancient Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and mortals as you read. The Olympians are the most well known and "important" deities, and are therefore quite prevalent in many of the myths. Consult your Olympians chart as you go to remind yourself who's who in Greek mythology. Remember that there are several themes and elements common to most myths. As you read, you will record information about each myth onto your graphic organizer. You can start by recording information from the creation myth in the first row. You will find some of the myths on the chart on the links below. You will have to consult several books available in the classroom in order to read others.

Favorite Greek Myths

The Weaving Contest
Demeter and Persephone
Echo and Narcissus
MythWeb

King Midas and the Golden Touch
I Am Arachne

Athena and Arachne

D'Aulaire's Book
of Greek Myths

Once all members of your group have completed the reading and filled out the graphic organizer, it's time for you to discuss what you've learned, noticed, or wondered about Greek mythology. Compare and contrast your graphic organizers. Focus your discussions around the following questions. Select a group member to present your ideas to the whole class.

What are some themes and elements that members of your group found in most or all of the myths read?
Why do you think the ancient Greeks created these myths?
Did you have a favorite myth? Why?
What was the most interesting element of Greek myths to you?
What are some similarities and differences you recognized between Greek mythology and stories in other religions you are familiar with?

Think about the ways that the Greeks used mythology to explain what they did not understand. For example, some myths explained why animals behaved in certain ways, while others tell why natural events like seasons, or weather occurred. In some myths, the gods play tricks on mortals to teach them lessons, usually about morals that were valuable to the culture. Now that you're an "expert" on Greek mythology, it's time to write a myth of your own.

Imagine that you're an ancient Greek man or woman who fell asleep one night at the base of Mt. Olympus in the year 800 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era), only to awake an find yourself in modern day America. Look around. What do you see? What are some things you don't understand? Is there anything so strange and so confusing that the gods must be responsible for it? Think about the different geographical features and animal species you will find. Maybe there is a current event that is puzzling you. Consider technology and modern architecture. How are people traveling from one place to the next? With your group, brainstorm some ideas that might be explained by a myth. Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

And now for the fun part! Select a topic and write a myth to explain it. The first step in this process is to plan your myth using a story map, or in this case, a myth map. Decide which Greek gods and goddesses will be characters in your myth. You may invent the mortals or use real people from history. Be creative with your ideas, but remember to be historically accurate as well. For example, Zeus was the king of the gods in ancient Greek mythology so he must be the king of the gods in your myth as well. However, you may chose to "update" the gods and goddesses and assign new powers to each. It is doubtful, after all, that the ancient Greeks needed a god of the internet. They did, however, have a messenger god named Ares, who was responsible for communicating with the underworld. Maybe in modern times he would have some new responsibilities. Once you have completed your myth map, you are ready to write... almost. Be sure to check in with your teacher at this point.

Ready, set, write! Be sure that your myth follows your story map. When you have finished your first draft, partner share with a member of your group. This is an important time for you and your partner to ask one another questions and offer constructive feedback about your myths.

Now it is back to the drawing board. Revise, revise, revise. Does your story make sense? Think about suggestions or ideas you got from your partner. Is there anything you want to add to your piece? Is there anything you want to change or take out? Have you used interesting vocabulary and varied sentence structure? Now is the time to consult your rubric. Have you included everything necessary? If so, you are ready to publish. Your final copy should be typed and edited for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Finally, add illustrations appropriate to your myth and you are ready to share your final product.

Evaluation

The following is a rubric to help guide you as you complete the task of reading Greek myths and composing a myth of your own. Upon completion of the project you will use the rubric to assess yourself and your teacher will use it to help determine your final grade. You will be monitored throughout the course of the WebQuest to see how well you understand the material.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Analysis of Ancient Greek Myths	Incomplete worksheet. Contains mostly inaccurate information.	Worksheet complete with some inaccuracies.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.	Worksheet is complete with accurate information.
Elements of Myth	Myth contains few elements specific to ancient Greek myths and offers a weak explanation for something.	Myth contains some elements specific to ancient Greek myths and offers a vague explanation of something.	Myth contains several elements specific to ancient Greek myths and offers an explanation of something.	Myth contains most elements specific to ancient Greek myths and offers a logical explanation of something.
Presentation of Myth	Few or irrelevant illustrations, overall sloppy appearance.	Limited illustrations, minimal effort and creativity exhibited.	Good presentation, overall neat presentation.	Creative and relevant illustrations, excellent overall presentation.
Character Development	Characters are poorly developed through vague description with no dialogue. Gods and goddesses are included.	Characters are developed through vague description and minimal dialogue. Their actions and the actions/reactions of others are somewhat explained. Gods and goddesses are central characters.	Most characters are fully developed through description and dialogue. Their actions and the actions/reactions of others are explained. Gods and goddesses are central characters.	All characters are fully developed through vivid description and dialogue. Their actions and the actions/reactions of others are clearly explained. Gods and goddesses are central characters.
Plot	Contains no background information about characters or setting. The central conflict is not fully explained or resolved.	Contains minimal background information about characters and setting. The central conflict is somewhat explained and resolved.	Contains background information about characters and setting. There is a central conflict which is adequately explained and resolved.	Contains detailed background information about characters and setting. There is a central conflict which is fully explained and resolved.
Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation	Writing contains many spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.	Writing contains some spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.	Writing contains few, minor spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.	Writing is free of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

Conclusion

We hope you had a great time learning about Greek mythology and creating your own myths. After completing this assignment, why do you think Greek mythology is no longer practiced as a religion, but enjoyed only as literature? Your myths will be published and placed in the school media center for others to read and enjoy. Congratulations on a job well done!

Credits & References

This WebQuest was developed by Robin Pellegrini and Rebecca Anderson in August, 2002, as part of a workshop on WebQuests offered by Southern Connecticut State University's School of Communication, Information and Library Science in collaboration with the Connecticut Educational Media Association.

Significant thanks are due to Bernie Dodge, Professor of Educational Technology at San Diego State University, Bill Derry, Adjunct Faculty at Southern Connecticut State University's School of Communication, Information and Library Science and Nancy Disbrow, Professor at Southern Connecticut State University's School of Communication, Information and Library Science.

The template for WebQuests can be found on The WebQuest Page and the Design Patterns page.

Credit is given to the following for use of images used in the WebQuest:

Photo of Parthenon: http://www.pics4learning.com

Images of vine and background: http://hulamall.com/hawclip/graphics.htm

We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL.

. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page