Nancy Schnure
T.W. Pyle Middle School
6th grade language arts
Lesson Plan | The Naming of Athens | Story Map Worksheet
Big Idea: The city of Athens from a geographical and a mythological point of view -- to be discussed in social studies and language arts.
County standards covered: 2.6.2 and 6.6.2 (appendix A).
Mastery Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to…
- Identify the story elements in the myth "The Naming of Athens"
(appendix B).
- Apply their knowledge of the history of Ancient Greek theatre and
understand the roles of the actors and the chorus in a Greek play.
- Write a script for a skit based on the myth "The Naming of Athens"
incorporating roles for both actors and a chorus.
- Make a mask for a Greek play.
Formative Assessments:
- Students will take notes on Ancient Greek theatre.
- Students will write a dialogue between Athena and Poseidon. They
will then evaluate each other's dialogues and eventually choose the
one they like best and want to use as the basis for their class skit.
- Students will complete a story map (appendix C) identifying the story
elements of the myth "The Naming of Athens."
- Students will write a script for a skit based on "The Naming
of Athens."
- Students will make masks for their different roles in the skit (appendix
D).
- Students will perform their skit based on "The Naming of Athens."
Criteria for Success:
- Notes will be taken on a piece of loose-leaf paper in outline form (format will be provided on the overhead).
- The dialogues between Athena and Poseidon will be written out on loose-leaf
paper.
- The story map will be completed accurately.
- A script will be written based on "The Naming of Athens"
with roles written for actors and a chorus.
- Appropriate masks will be made for each member of the chorus and the actors.
The criteria for success will be stated as I introduce each activity and a rubric for the script and performance (appendices E and F) will be given to the students before they begin writing their script.
Rationale:
When teaching mythology in language arts class, there is an obvious connection
to the arts. There are so many examples of paintings that depict myths.
My lesson, however, makes a different connection. First, my students will
make the connection with performance art. They will be writing a script
and performing a skit based on the myth "The Naming of Athens."
They will also be making a connection to the arts when they make their
masks. First, they will be creating their own masks; they will cut out
and color their masks to depict either a member of the chorus or one of
the actors in the play. Second, by using the masks, they will be eliciting
the methods of Ancient Greek theatre.
Activities and Involvement:
Day 1:
(This lesson will be taught in conjunction with the social studies teacher.
I will not begin until after he has taught his first lesson on the geography
of the city of Athens.)
Pre-reading activities:
- I will begin the lesson by asking the students to jot down in their
notebooks the answers to a few questions:
- How do you think Athens got its name? Why do you think that?
- Take two minutes to jot down everything you remember from social studies class about the city of Athens. These responses will be listed on the board.
- Students will take out a piece of loose-leaf paper and copy the first
two lines of the following dialogue between Poseidon and Athena:
- Poseidon: Citizens, hear me out. Your city should be named after me, Poseidon, god of the sea.
- Athena: Whatever. You all know the city should be named for me, Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. Students will be given about ten minutes to finish the dialogue. They will then be divided into groups of six. Each group will read their dialogues aloud and choose their favorite. Each group will then share the chosen favorite with the whole class. Eventually, the class will have chosen one dialogue as the class favorite.
Day 2:
Students will read the myth "The Naming of Athens." I will ask
them to remember as much as they can while they read. When they finish,
they will put the myth aside and write down as many details as they can
remember. I will record these on the board. Students will then reread
the myth checking for inconsistencies. We will then check off what is
correct on the list on the board. Students will then organize these points
into a story map.
Day 3:
Students will receive notes on Greek theatre. We will discuss the roles
of the actors and the chorus. We will then look at a section of a Greek
play and read it aloud. We will discuss how the roles of the actors and
the chorus were used in the specific play.
Day 4:
Students will write a script based on the myth "The Naming of Athens."
They will use the dialogue between Poseidon and Athena as a starting point.
While a few students are finishing up the script, the rest of the class
will be making masks for the chorus and the actors.
Days 5 and 6:
Students will practice the skit.
Day 7:
Students will perform the skit for another class.
MS Word version of the lesson plan.
The Naming of Athens
The citizens of the city now known as Athens spoke highly of their city,
as did all ancient Greeks of their own city. Yet when the gods looked
down on all of Greece no city could equal that of the city we now call
Athens. All the gods knew that whoever would be the patron god of this
city would be highly venerated in a city that would become like no other.
When the citizens of Athens prayed for a god to become their protector
the gods of Olympus heard and two of them rushed each hoping to become
the patron god of the city.
Athena and Poseidon appeared before the citizens of the city, and spoke
to its' people, each hoping that their words would sway them and make
them be chosen as the sole guardian of the city. Poseidon argued that
he was the elder of the two, the God of the sea, which the inhabitants
of the seafaring city depended on; with his protection they would become
masters of the sea. Athena then argued against Poseidon saying that what
she could teach them was far more important then what Poseidon could,
for Poseidon she said may have been greater then her in age but not necessarily
in wisdom.
Half the citizens wanted Poseidon to be their god, for they were a seafaring
people. The other half wished the protection of the goddess of wisdom
and war. What better god argued the citizens who supported Athena to have
as a patron then the one that represents wisdom? The leaders of the city
decided that the only way to settle the issue was a competition between
the two gods. The god who would give the greatest gift to the citizens
of the city would become its' protector. The citizens of the city would
make the final decision on who would be their patron god.
Athena and Poseidon agreed to this competition offered by the citizens.
Poseidon as the elder went first and raising his trident he struck the
ground bringing forth water. The citizens of Athens were amazed, what
is more glorious then the sea? They all asked. They all went to drink
from the water that sprang forth but then noticed it was salty. The citizens
began to look at one and other, what benefit was it to them water that
they could not even drink? What type of gift was this?
Athena then touched ground and from the ground sprouted a beautiful fully-grown
olive tree. Athena then spoke with wisdom and told them, "With my
gift you will never grow hungry, nor will you every grow cold. For it
will give you olives to eat, oil to cook with, and the fire wood to warm
your homes."
The citizens of Athens gazed at the undrinkable water and the olive tree.
All agreed that Athena's gift was the gift that they would keep. In her
honor they named her patron goddess of the city, a city that would now
be called Athens after her. Athena would now be the protector of the city
of Athens, and with her protection her city would become the glory of
the ancient world.
http://www.greekspider.com/greek_myth/athena.htm
MS Word version of "The Naming of Athens"
Appendix B
Name__________________
Date ___________________
Story Map
Title: __________________________________________________________________
Author: ________________________________________________________________
Main characters:
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________
Setting:
Time: ____________________________________________________________
Place: ____________________________________________________________
Plot:
Conflict: _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
Event 1: __________________________________________________________
Event 2: __________________________________________________________
Event 3: __________________________________________________________
Event 4: __________________________________________________________
Event 5: __________________________________________________________
Climax: __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Resolution: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Theme: ________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
MS Word version of this worksheet.
Appendix C
Theatrical Mask
Appendix D:
Appendix E: Rubric for grading students' scripts
Appendix F: Rubric for grading students' oral presentations
We welcome your comments
and suggestions
The Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
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The University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742
301-405-6830
Last updated August 1, 2002.