Greek Culture Myths & Fables

1. Greek CultureMyths & Fables Social Studies/ Language arts connection

2. Anticipatory Set • Liberia • Where my family is from • The fable of the spider…

3. Standards • S.S. 6.4.4 • Explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today, drawing from Greek mythology and epics, such as Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey, and from Aesop’s Fables.

4. Objective Students will be able to comprehend and explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today.

5. Language of the Discipline Myth Fable Aesop’s fables Mythology

6. Storytelling in Greek Culture(Input)

7. Storytelling in Greek Culture(Input) Many early civilizations relied on an oral tradition of passing on history. Storytellers would pass on tales to the next generation and the culture would be passed on to each successive generation. Eventually, with the creation of writing, stories are now part of the historical record.

8. What is a MYTH?(Input) • A traditional story, concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. -Examples: The Battle of the Titans The Three Fates The Tale of Callisto

9. Image of The Three Fates(Input)

10. What is a FABLE?(Input) A work of fiction that uses fantastic or imagined scenarios along with human like animal characters to teach an acceptable norm of society. A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral or lesson. -Examples: The Tortoise and the Hare The Grasshopper and the the Ant

11. Image of The Tortoise and the Hare(Input)

12. Primary Differences(Input) • The main differences that exist between MYTH and FABLE is that FABLES will ALWAYS teach a moral lesson. • MYTHS are simply a way to explain the unknown, though there ay be a moral buried within the MYTH. • FABLES traditionally use ANIMALS to tell the tales. Here, ANIMALS represent traits/characteristics that exist within the human world. • Example: Industrious Ants, Deliberate and Determined Tortoise, Scattered Hare, etc….

13. Aesop Fables(Input)

14. Who was Aesop? (Input) • Some of the most famous and well-known fables were written by a man named Aesop. • Aesop was a writer who can be traced to 620 to 564 BC. • Aesop was born a slave and was believed to have been a prolific writer of fables. • Though no real historical proof exists that he had written these tales, many of his contemporaries had attributed the stories to him.

15. How were Fables Used within Greek Culture?(Input) Fables were traditionally used by parents, teachers and other adults on young children to help teach them acceptable traits/characteristics or behavior of the society. Fables are a beloved part of most cultures. They become part of the civilization. EVERY civilization uses fables to teach the next generation of the EXPECTED norms that are valued.

16. Importance to Greek Culture(Input) Mythology is VERY important to the culture of the region because it was used to explain the unknown. Later, myths represented to the Greeks that they were the chosen people of the Gods from Mount Olympus and that these humans received the shining favor of these all-powerful beings. Greek myths also showed the complexity of their civilization. Here, the myths themselves proved to others that the Greeks were advanced. They had writing and artworks to support this.

17. The Allure of Mythology(Input) • Why has Mythology been a subject enjoyed for countless generations? • Mythology transports the reader back to a realm of magic, fantasy and wonder. • Mythology was the Greeks way to explain the unknown or add a sense of romance or exoticism to a story. • Some believe that myths had a grain of truth to them, though many now agree they are complete works of fiction. • Myths were used to celebrate traits that were viewed as an ideal: • Heroism, intelligence, cunning, purity, devotion, honesty, etc…

18. Explaining the Unknown(Input) • Myths were traditionally used to explain the unknown. Here ,since they had yet to discover science and other fields of knowledge, a tale was spun to try to explain things. • Examples: • The Abduction of Prosperina/Persephone • The change in Seasons • The Tale of Narcissus and Echo • Origin of a flower and the echo • The Tale of Minerva and Arachne • The reason spiders weave/spin webs • The Tale of Europa • The formation of Europe.

19. Heroes: Men and Women of POWER(Input) • Greek Myths used men and women of great power (The Gods and Goddesses) to weave tales of conquest, discovery, love, loss, and redemption. • Additional tales were written about Demi-Gods, half- God and half-mortal, who traveled the world and completed amazing feats and challenges. • Perseus and the slaying of the Gorgon Medusa • Heracles and the Twelve Labors

20. Greek Gods and Goddesses(Input)

21. Greek Mythology Today(Input) In today’s modern world, Greek Mythology is still relevant. Many young learners are being exposed to the ancient world of heroes and gods and can use this as a leans to learn more about the wonderful world of Greek culture. Greek Myths have even served as the inspiration for many films, TV shows and video games.

22. Check for Understanding Please determine the BEST answer for the following question. Please write your answer on your white boards and wait for the teacher’s signal. On the count of 3, hold up your white boards.

23. Checking for Understanding • What did early civilization rely on to pass tradition? • Myths • What is a Greek myth? • A traditional story involving supernatural beings or events. • What is a fable? • A story to teach the next generation about the norms and expectations; a moral or a lesson.

24. Guided and Independent Practice • Guided Practice • Complete questions 1 and 2 on the reading comprehension worksheet. • Raise your hand and wait to get stamped. • If you received an “R” go to the back table with Ms. Graham. • Independent Practice • Once you have been stamped moved to independent practice and complete numbers 3 and 4 on the reading comprehension worksheet.

25. Reading Comprehension Connection Shades of Meaning

26. Anticipatory Set • Looking for a place to live. • Found an apartment • Sign a contract • “Residents must adhere to all community rules and regulations. If the resident cannot follow these procedures, the lease will be terminated.” • What does adhere mean? • Look at the context of the sentences. If I was to not follow the rules my lease would end, so adhere must mean “to follow.”

27. Standards • R.W. 1.1.5 • Vocabulary and Concept Development • Understand and explain “shades of meaning” in related words (e.g., softly and quietly)

28. Objective Students will be able to understand and explain Greek myths and fables by using “shades of meaning” through the reading of expository text.

29. What are Shades of Meaning?(Input) • “Shades of meaning” is a phrase used to describe the small, subtle differences in meaning between similar words or phrases. • Example: “KID” and “YOUTH” both refer to young people, but carry differing views and ideas about young people. • Example: “SHORT and “PETITE” both refer to a person that is small in stature. Yet one is viewed as more descriptive and can be viewed as a compliment. • Shades of meaning rely on nuances in the definitions, to determine which is better, you usually have to think in extremes or degrees. • Example: “SMART” vs. “WISE”. • Which do you think has the better meaning?

30. What is Denotation?(Input) • Denotation is the LITERAL meaning of a word. • Here, it is what the word or phrase truly represents. • No emotion or evaluation is needed. • The word simply is used as intended. • Examples: The girl was happy. The class was noisy. The present was nice. • The LITERAL meaning rarely asks for a reader to evaluate closely or rethink the word’s usage.

31. What is Connotation?(Input) • Connotation is an idea or feeling that a word invokes with a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning. • Generally has a Positive OR Negative influence. • Elicits an emotional reaction or some sort of value judgment • Example: “MEAN” vs. “HATEFUL.” “Mean” has one definition, “Hateful” hints of an extreme. Instead of simply being “MEAN,” the other word choice implies a person FILLED with HATE. “Hateful” has more power in the descriptive sense.

32. Synonyms: The Basis of Shades of Meaning(Input/Modeling) • When using shades of meaning, one needs to have a wide repertoire of words to select from. Synonyms will come into play. Think of a word and the connect yourself to all of the possible related words. • Example: Main word “THIN” Synonyms: SLIM, LEAN, SKINNY, EMACIATED, SKELETAL • Note how the words all cover the idea of “THIN” yet when you carefully examine the words, some of the synonyms have a more extreme meaning. • EMACIATED and SKELETAL go beyond simply being “THIN.”

33. Looking at the POSITIVE!!!(Input/Modeling) • Here, try to put a POSITIVE spin on the following sentences. Take the original underlined word and substitute in a much more powerful word that still sends the same message. • The smart student asked a series of interesting questions. • What are some synonyms for SMART? • The food tasted good. • What are some synonyms for GOOD?

34. Evaluating the Positive (Input/Modeling) • The smart student asked a series of interesting questions • SMART can also be switched out for words such as: • GENIUS, INTELLIGENT, BRILLIANT, PROFOUND, etc… • The food tasted good. • GOOD can also be described with words such as: • DELICIOUS, SAVORY, DIVINE, FLAVORFUL, etc… • Here, GOOD is not right or wrong but deals with taste.

35. Looking at the NEGATIVE!!!(Input/Modeling) • Here, try to put a NEGATIVE spin on the following sentences. Take the original underlined word and substitute in a much more powerful word that still sends the same message. • The dress looked ugly on the hanger. • What are some synonyms for UGLY? • The young boy was sad. • What are some synonyms for SAD?

36. Evaluating the Negative(Input/Modeling) • The dress looked ugly on the hanger. • UGLY is referring to the appearance of the dress. • UGLY can also be referred to as: • UNPRETTY, HIDEOUS, UNAPPEALING, DREADFUL, etc… • The young boy was sad. • SAD refers to the emotional state of the boy. • SAD can also be referred to as: • DEPRESSED, MOROSE, MELANCHOLY, GLOOMY, etc…

37. Comparing Using “Shades of Meaning” (Modeling) • Example: He would often become bored and to amuse himself he would call out,"Wolf! Wolf," although there was no wolf about. The villagers would stop what they were doing and run to save the sheep from the wolf's jaw. Once they arrived at the pasture, the boy just laughed. The naughty boy played this joke over and over until the villagers tired of him. • What best describes the relationship between the underlined words? • The relationship between the underlined words in that laughed adds to the meaning of amused.

38. Comparing Using “Shades of Meaning” (Modeling) • Example: • What does the word quarreled mean in the sentence below? • The two infants grew up side by side and became to be good friends and playmates. They never quarreled and played happily together. • In the sentence below, the word “quarreled” means to disagree or argue.

39. Comparing Using “Shades of Meaning” (Modeling) • Example: • What context clues can you find in the passage to help you interpret the meaning of the underlined word? • One day a lion was waken from his afternoon nap by a group of mice scurrying all about him. Swat! went his huge paw upon one the little creatures. • By looking at the words and phrases around the underlined word, “scurrying” means to move quickly. The context clue that helped me was the phrase“ mice scurrying all about him.”

40. Check for Understanding Please determine the BEST answer for the following question. Please write your answer on your white boards and wait for the teacher’s signal. On the count of 3, hold up your white boards.

41. Checking for Understanding #1 • Read the following passage. A wolf ravished his prey one day. He ate so fiercely and hungrily that a bone got lodged in his throat, causing him grievous pain. He howled and howled in agony and offered a rich reward to anyone who could remove the bone. 1. What best describes the relationship between the underlined words? • The relationship between the two words is that “grievous pain” describes the meaning of “agony.”

42. Checking for Understanding #2 • Read the following passage. Two men were strolling down a forest path when they came across a bear. One man scampered up a tree and escaped the bear's claws. • What is the difference between strollingand scampered? • The difference between the word strolling and scampered is that strolling means to slowly walk and scampered means to quickly run.

43. Checking for Understanding #3 • Read the following passage. But the man clutched his coat tight against him. The wind blew harder and longer, and the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man held his coat against him. • What context clues can you find in the passage to help you interpret the meaning of the underlined word? • The words “the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man held his coast against him,” helped me to understand that the meaning of clutched was to grip tightly.

44. Guided and Independent Practice • Guided Practice • Complete questions 1 and 2 on the reading comprehension worksheet. • Raise your hand and wait to get stamped. • If you received an “R” go to the back table with Ms. Graham. • Independent Practice • Once you have been stamped moved to independent practice and complete numbers 3 and 4 on the reading comprehension worksheet.