Mount Olympus’ Top Idol

English/ Language Arts/ Reading8th Grade

Shanna Pavlak

IntroductionThe myths surrounding Ancient Greece are filled with a variety of gods and goddesses.According to the stories, 12 of those deities live on Mount Olympus.They are blessed with special talents and skills that they can choose to use to help the people of Greece… or hurt them.Zeus, king of the Olympians, has decided to hold a competition to find out which god or goddess is the best in all of ancient Greece.He’s calling it, “Mount Olympus’s Top Idol.”He plans to hold a vote to determine the winner.But first, Zeus and the other gods need your help.They are much too busy to take time out of their schedules to campaign for the competition.So they’re asking you to represent them.Who will walk away with the bragging rights and the glory?That’s for you to decide!

Essential Question: Which Greek god or goddess deserves to win the coveted title of “Mount Olympus’s Top Idol”? How will you convince your classmates that your deity is the best?

Task Create a campaign that explains why your contestant

should win “Mount Olympus’ Top Idol.” As part of the project, you will create campaign materials

(such as fliers or posters). You will also put together a Fakebook profile or a Glogster

page centered around your contestant. Finally, you will create a persuasive video or PowerPoint to

present to the audience (your classmates).

Process Page One  You will team up with a partner and check out this website to determine

which god or goddess you will be campaigning for. http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/olympian-gods.html

Next, you will create a top three list of which Olympian god or goddess you want to put your support behind in the contest.

You will then notify the host of the contest (your teacher) which contestant you’d like to have.

The host will approve the choice and send you on your way to find out all you can about your chosen contestant.

The host will provide you with several websites to look through for information.

You are also welcome to check out books at the library for more information.

Process Page Two One thing you’ll want to do is research any myths your god or goddess may

be mentioned in. It will go a long way in helping you tell us about their deeds. This website-- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman – has a wide range of source material you can look through.

Once you’ve finished your research, you will begin working on your campaign materials.

First, you’ll create something you can hand out to get people to support your campaign. It could be a t-shirt, a button, hat, a flier or a pamphlet. The heavens are the limit. You will want to make sure it’s eye-catching and has something on it that will make voters remember your god or goddess.

Next, you will create a Fakebook profile or a Glogster page featuring information voters will likely want to know about your god or goddess.

Finally, you will create a persuasive video or PowerPoint presentation in support of your god or goddess. You will present this to voters (your classmates).

 Once the presentations are over, we will hold elections to determine which god or goddess will be named “Mount Olympus’ Top Idol.”

Process Page ThreeHere are some links to help you during the campaign:This set of links takes you Glogster. It has tutorial videos on how to get started. I have also given you links to a few examples.http://edu.glogster.com/?page=videos&cat=HowtoCreateShareGlogshttp://pengo21.edu.glogster.com/ancient-greece/http://estevan1.edu.glogster.com/hades/http://adobrita11.edu.glogster.com/history-/

And here’s the link to Fakebook, along with some examples:http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/pagehttp://www.classtools.net/fb/73/bH6ZhKhttp://www.classtools.net/fb/1/CfjZCBhttp://www.classtools.net/fb/56/cAHRi2

Finally, here are some links to resources you can use during your research. Remember, you can also check out books from the library. Just be sure to cite your work!http://www.library.theoi.com/http://www.classicsunveiled.com/mythnet/html/olympian.htmlhttp://www2b.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/resultsbrowse.asphttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Romanhttp://mythman.com/ http://web.uvic.ca/grs/department_files/classical_myth/gods.html

Evaluation0-10 Points 11-15 Points 16-20 Points

Research Student locates basic biographical information using one source. Does not research candidate’s role in myths.

Student locates basic biographical information using two sources. Student researches candidate’s role in one myth.

Student locates basic biographical information and candidate’s role in multiple myths using three or more sources.

Campaign Materials Student presents materials with little information about candidate and that are not eye-catching or persuasive.

Student presents materials with relevant information but materials lack eye-catching appeal and persuasiveness.

Student presents persuasive materials that include a wealth of information and a creative design.

Fakebook/Glogster Page Student includes little information on candidate and only one media item on page.

Student includes relevant information, but includes only one media item on page.

Student includes a wealth of information and a creative use of video, sound and/or images on page.

Persuasive Video or PowerPoint

Student presentation includes little information, few illustrations and lacks persuasiveness.

Student presentation includes relevant information but few illustrations and lacks persuasiveness.

Student presentation is persuasive and includes a wealth of information and a creative use of illustrations.

Team Work Students do very little collaborating and communicating on project.

Students work together only on a portion of the project.

Students communicate and collaborate throughout the project.

Conclusion Once the project is completed, you should have a better working knowledge of the

Olympian gods and goddesses we will be reading about when we dive into more myths.

The 12 Olympians aren’t the only gods out there. There are countless lesser gods in the mythology, along with courageous heroes and terrifying monsters.

You can check out original source materials such as Homer’s “Iliad” or “Odyssey” to discover more about the amazing myths from ancient Greece. If you just can’t wait to dive into these amazing stories, you can get them online right now at http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html and http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html

Credits and References Page One

Project Websites: Glogster:http://edu.glogster.com/?page=videos&cat=HowtoCreateShareGlogshttp://pengo21.edu.glogster.com/ancient-greece/http://estevan1.edu.glogster.com/hades/http://adobrita11.edu.glogster.com/history-/

Fakebook:http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/pagehttp://www.classtools.net/fb/73/bH6ZhKhttp://www.classtools.net/fb/1/CfjZCBhttp://www.classtools.net/fb/56/cAHRi2

Credits and References Page Two

Research and Readings Websites: Theoi, E-Texts Library:http://www.library.theoi.com/ MythNET:http://www.classicsunveiled.com/mythnet/html/olympian.html Winged Sandals:http://www2b.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/resultsbrowse.asp Perseus Digital Library:http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman Myth Man:http://mythman.com/ Classical Myth:http://web.uvic.ca/grs/department_files/classical_myth/gods.html The Internet Classics Archive:http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html

Credits and References Page Three

Images: Mythwebhttp://www.mythweb.com/gods/index.html Theoi Projecthttp://www.theoi.com/GalleryK1.html

Standards: GPS Standardshttps://www.georgiastandards.org/standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.aspx ISTE NETShttp://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-S_Standards.sflb.ashx Common Core State Standardshttp://www.corestandards.org/

GPS Standards and Common Core State Standards

ELACC8W1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. ELACC8W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. ELACC8W7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. ELACC8W8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. ELACC8W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. ELACC8L2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. ELACC8L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. English/Language Arts Common Core Standards for Eighth Grade:Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.5.Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

ISTE NET STANDARDSCreativity and InnovationStudents demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processesb. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

Research and Information FluencyStudents apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.a. Plan strategies to guide inquiryb. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and mediac. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision MakingStudents use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigationb. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project