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Objectives:
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(a) To have students think, write, and talk a! about the qualities of heroes and heroines.
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(b) To have students construct a coat-of-arms for a hero or heroine.
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Methods:
Day 1:
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1. Class is divided into small groups of five students and is assigned a male or female character to develop into a hero or heroine.
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2. Each group selects a secretary to record notes and contributors in the group.
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3. Each group is responsible for developing a short narrative which describes their hero or heroine performing a heroic act.
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4, Each hero or heroine should be given a name which is appropriate for the powers he or she possesses.
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5. Each group should develop a setting where the scene takes place.
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6. Each hero or heroine should be assigned a symbol for his or her qualities which is represented by a particular piece of clothing, part of the body, or possession.
Day 2:
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1. Each group meets briefly to complete their narrative.
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2. Each group selects a representative to read its narrative to the class.
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3. Class discussion of the readings centers around the following questions:
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a. Where are the traces of the mythical heroes and heroines today?
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b. What Greek qualities or American values do they subscribe to?
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c. What beliefs or symbols in our modem culture encourages and perpetuates these qualities or values?
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d. Have the mythological archetypes of heroes and heroines influenced what we consider masculine and feminine qualities in modem people?
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e. To what extent have they influenced the male and female roles in the modem family?
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4. Coat-of-arms shield project is introduced.
Day 3:
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1. Each group designs and constructs a coat-of-arms shield for its hero or heroine out of construction paper, crayons, paint, or magic markers.
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2. Each shield must have the following categories artistically represented:
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a. the symbol described in the narrative
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b. appropriate colors for the character chosen on the basis of physical makeup and personality description
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c. the figure or symbol of the god or goddess who favors the character
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d. something from the scene or heroic act developed in the narrative
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3. Each member of the group is responsible for one of the above or the designing of the shield.
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4. When completed, the coats-of-arms are hung around the room on display.
A similar lesson plan will be used after the following readings and shared inquiry discussions on the Greek gods and goddesses. The emphasis here is on each student’s concept of a god or goddess and his or her relationship to that deity. Each student works alone.
Man the Myth Maker:
The Beginnings of Things by W.H.D. Rouse, p. X
The Four Ages by Rolfe Humphries, p. 14
The Palace of Olympus by Robert Graves, p. 23
Mythology:
The Gods, p. 24-46
The Two Great Gods of Earth, p. 47
Demeter, p. 49
Dionysus, p. 54
How the World and Mankind Were Created, p. 63
