Greek Mythology Unit - Myth Genre Study for Upper Elementary & Middle School

This five-week myth-themed unit will captivate your upper elementary or middle school students. A Greek mythology genre study has been planned for you! It includes a novel study, critical thinking and literature activities, vocabulary, writing, and more!

Open the individual previews to get a better look.

Kids will:

• Conduct a novel study.
• Research gods, goddesses, creatures, and mortals.
• Analyze perspectives of two pieces of literature with the same topic.
• Use critical thinking to develop a definition of the quest.
• Learn 40 allusions to Greek myths.
• Write two five-paragraph argumentative essays.

Everything you need is included:

• Lesson Plans - Five weeks of plans will inspire you to build the best unit ever. (Grab this free resource. It's a great way to get started!)
• The Lightning Thief – Students follow the adventures of Percy Jackson. It includes lesson plans, background information, 22 chapter worksheets, and additional materials.
• Banners – Each student researches a different character from mythology and creates a banner. (36 characters are included.)
• Medusa – Focusing on perspective, students read two pieces of literature about Medusa: a humorous poem and a brief narrative. Then they can write character descriptions, identify point of view and describe how it influenced events, compare viewpoints, and/or write an original piece.
• The Quest – Kids learn about the hero’s journey. After reading two myths, “Perseus” and Theseus,” they find similarities and differences, determine the pattern of events, and define “hero’s quest.” For an added challenge, students can study scholarly models of the monomyth, refine the original list, chronicle stages in a different character’s quest, and/or write an original story using a similar plot.
• Allusions to Greek Mythology – Students learn 40 allusions and take a test. Resources include a list of terms and definitions, a slideshow, an eBook, note-taking sheets, cards, a Quizlet set, and an assessment.
• Argumentative Writing – Two writing activities culminate your unit. First, kids write five-paragraph opinion essays about which god or goddess to invite to dinner. Next, they compose multi-paragraph persuasive texts on which character to elect as president.

These activities are great for most fifth and sixth grade students. You can also use them with high fourth graders or students in upper grades who struggle with reading.

Enjoy teaching mythology in your classroom or homeschool!

Brenda Kovich