Ancient Greece Meets Meiosis
Examining the Myths of Immaculate Conception
by Elizabeth Stephens
Walter Johnson High School
Team A
Engage - Introduction to the lesson that motivates or hooks
the students' interest in the learning to follow.
To be written as a warm-up for the students either on the board or on
an overhead transparency: "How are babies made? Using "biological"
terms explain what is necessary in order for a child to be created."
Students should brainstorm on a sheet of paper based on knowledge that they already have, the teacher should not prompt the students yet about biological terms. Concepts that students may discuss are how genes are passed on from parent to child, mom and dad both contribute to the making of a child. Students should use words like intercourse, ovary, testes, egg, sperm, ovulate, fertilization, zygote, DNA. This lesson should follow the unit on meiosis. Students should have a working knowledge of meiosis and fertilization for this lesson to be effective.
Explore - An activity that allows the students to have experiences with the concepts and ideas of the lesson.
Students will explore Greek myths depicting "immaculate conception". Based on the warm-up discussion, students should have come to the conclusion that it takes two people in order to make a baby, for numerous reasons. By looking at the myths students have a chance to look at the foundations of science, see where people get their ideas and how over time, with scientific query and experimentation, those ideas can change.
Students will be divided into groups of 3. Each group will receive one
Greek myth describing the conception of a god or mortal: the story of
Athena, Dionysus, Aphrodite or Erichthonius. Once in their groups, students
will read the myth and discuss why or why not they believe the myth is
biologically accurate.
Explain - Students explain concepts and definitions in their
own words.
Students will create a poster depicting the conception of the god or mortal. The poster will be labeled with the god or mortal's name and a one-scene depiction of how that myth describes the god or mortal's beginning.
A student from each group will present the poster and explain to the class why their myth is or is not biologically accurate.
Extend - Students apply their new knowledge in a meaningful way.
Students will be asked to create a Greek myth on their own as an at-home project. Using Greek names and Greek setting, students will "re-write" the "immaculate conception" myths of Ancient Greece. The myths will accurately describe meiosis and fertilization to tell the story of the birth of a god or mortal in Ancient Greece.
Evaluate - Teacher and/or students assess both learning and teaching using informal and formal assessment strategies.
The myths produced will be graded on accuracy of the depiction of meiosis and fertilization, imagination and Greek myth style. Students will also be tested on the material.
Myths to be given to the students to discuss in their groups.
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The Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
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Last updated August 1, 2002.