1. Welcome to Greek Mythology

2. What are myths? Stories that help explain the world Traditional tales of a particular people that are connected to religious beliefs and rites Stories created to give value to persons, places and things http://destinationspace.net/screening/odyfor.asp

3. What about Greek myths? Don’t they include gods/goddesses? Greek myths include gods and goddesses with exceptional powers Greek myths show a relationships between gods/goddesses and human beings

4. Who are the twelve chief Greek gods /goddesses?

5. Who is the king of the Greek gods? Yes! You’re right. It’s Zeus. Did you know that he sometimes becomes angry at the behavior of the gods and the Greek people? Zeus is also fond of many beautiful women! http://christsbride-min.org/abc-link/Cbm%20-%20nuvalues-act06.htm

6. Who is his wife and is she jealous? Yes! You’re right again. Hera is his wife. She is often jealous and nags her husband. She is the queen of the gods and guardian of marriage. She can also be a tender and loving wife. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hera_Campana_Louvre_Ma2283.jpg

7. Zeus…what happened when he had a bad headache? Oh, what a tough question! No, he didn’t take an aspirin. Zeus bore Athena from his brain. I am not making this up. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war—notice the spear and shield. She is the protector and namesake of Athens http://www.throneworld.com/lords/players/maps.html

8. Does Zeus have any other children? What a silly question! Of course he does. Apollo—god of poetry, music, and medicine. Artemis—goddess of hunting an wild things; she and Apollo are twins. Hermes—god of science and invention, and messenger of the gods http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/PT/M6.html

9. Does Zeus have any more children? Well, yes…here are two more. Ares—god of war Hephaestus—lame blacksmith god of fire. http://www.entrenet.com/~groedmed/greekm/mythheph.html http://www.williston.k12.nd.us/larsen/Unit5%20Greece/gods1 2.htm

10. A lame blacksmith…who is married to him? Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, is married to Hephaestus. Did you know that she was born of the sea foam? http://www.muw.edu/~tvelek/101nh.html

11. Speaking of sea foam…who is the god of the ocean? Yes, you’re right…it’s Poseidon, the god of the ocean and of earthquakes. Poseidon carries a three-pronged spear. Did you know that Poseidon is Zeus’s brother? http://www.nantucket.net/art/nisda/event.html

12. Poseidon and Zeus have two important sisters…do you know who they are? Hestia—the goddess of hearth and home— is one of their sisters. Demeter—the goddess of grain and agriculture—is the other sister. Wow! This concludes the 12 chief gods/goddesses. http://www.pendevil.com/gr eekgods.asp

13. Does Zeus have any other brothers or sisters?

14. Isn’t that some temple shaking information? You’re probably wondering how we’re going to use Greek mythology in Reading. Well…

15. We’re going to perform many Greek dramas.

16. We’re going to read a variety of Greek Myths “The Four Tasks” “Arachne” “Narcissus” “Pandora’s Box” “Prometheus and the Fire” “Proserpina and the six pomegranate seeds” http://www.webmoms.com/ubah/consultants/About.html

17. We’re going to write and illustrate a myth.

18. Here’s a student sample of a written myth and pottery illustration.

19. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I can’t wait to read your myths.