Words that allude to Greek Mythology

General

In this lesson, students explore Greek mythology. They will learn about different Greek mythological characters like Medusa, Achilles, Midas, and more. They will then be able to use this knowledge to better understand the text they read through the use of allusions. In the end, they will practice writing their own allusions using what they’ve learned!

Common core standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4

Learning Objective

Students will be able to determine the meaning of words or phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to important characters found in mythology.

Introduction

Have students read the sentence and discuss where the term “Scrooge” comes from. What does it mean and how is it used? Explain what an allusion is and briefly share the story of Ebenezer Scrooge to better understand the previous sentence.

Instruction

Explain the purpose of allusions in literature then read an example passage with the class. Have students read some examples and use the pencil tool to match them to the correct popular reference. Explain what Greek mythology is and share some familiar references like the planets and popular brands like Amazon and Nike. Share examples of Greek mythology including the stories of Pandora’s Box, the Midas Touch, the Siren’s song, and Hercules.

Quiz

Students respond to 10 questions which ask them to identify the Greek god alluded to and to review allusions.

Closing

Students will write their own allusions for each Greek mythological character (Trojan horse, Achilles, Hercules, Titan, etc.). An example is already done as a model.

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