Lesson Title

How to Spot & Decode Allusions to Greek Mythology

4th Grade Reading Workshop, P.S. 171

Teacher: Steven Mann
Date: 04/08/19

Unit: Making Meaningful Connections to Greek Mythology

Common Core State Standards

ELA: Reading: Craft & Structure

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that
allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

Learning Objectives:
We can use prior knowledge and context to determine the meaning of allusions to Greek
mythology in a text.

Essential Questions:
Why do authors use allusions to Greek mythology in their writing?
Why do we study Greek mythology?

Vocabulary:
Greek mythology
Allusion
Prior Knowledge
Context

Classroom Arrangement:

● This lesson will take place with students on rug spots.

● Independent work would be at students’ desks.

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Materials Required:

Teacher:
● Smartboard with Google Slides presentation
● Achilles Handout (adapted from Tambra, Danley, ​Literacy Loves Company, 2​ 014).
● Independent Work Packet

Students:
● Pencil and an optional clipboard

The Mini Lesson

Opening / Hook [4 Minutes]

● Greeting and Introduction

● Greek allusions are all around us (ex. Nike / Pegasus)

● Focus Question: Today, we’re going to look at allusions to Greek mythology in our
reading. What do you do when you see an allusion to Greek mythology but aren’t
quite sure what it means?

● Objective: Well, today’s objective answers that: ​We can use prior knowledge and
context to determine the meaning of allusions to Greek mythology in a text.

Modeling [7 Minutes]

● Teacher models spotting and decoding the following paragraph:

Just as soon as it had begun, the earthquake was over. Mr. Hooper went back inside to see
the damage. Everything in his shop had fallen off the shelves and lay smashed on the floor.
Cleaning it all up was going to require Herculean effort.

● Teacher spots the word “Herculean” and connects to Hercules.

● Teacher reflects on ​prior knowledge​ of Hercules. (Disney movie, reading.)

● Teacher deduces that Herculean could either mean ​superhuman strength o​ r

working hard at something even though it seems impossible.

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 ● Next, teacher uses ​context​ to determine which definition is better.

● Teacher thinks out loud about damage from jars falling on floor from an
earthquake. Realizes those jars aren’t heavy to pick up, but it requires a lot of
effort, so Mr. Hooper needs ​superhuman effort.

● Teacher double checks that chosen definition makes sense in context.

● Teacher comments that Herculean effort is a great way to say a lot of things in
just a few words.

Guided Practice / Active Engagement [8 Minutes]

● Guided practice with the following paragraphs:

Wyatt was an amazing runner. He was the fastest kid in his class, and he could even outrun
some of the older kids in his school. The only problem was Wyatt’s sweet tooth—he loved
candy! Every day after school, Wyatt bought a candy bar from the vending machine. One
day, two candy bars came out of the machine. “It’s my lucky day!” Wyatt said. He was only
going to eat one, but he ended up eating both of them. From then on, Wyatt began eating two
candy bars a day.

A few weeks later, it was time for the big race. Wyatt came in fourth place. He was so
disappointed. His dad said, “Wyatt, I think your sweet tooth is your Achilles’ heel.”

● Students share ​prior knowledge​ to decode Achilles’ heel.

● Teacher asks where students can go to build their prior knowledge (library, books,
internet, friend).

● Teacher asks students to silently read the one page summary of Achilles.
○ Students turn and talk to about what they think the story of Achilles is about.
○ Students jot their initial thinking.
○ Students share out their thinking.

● Teacher asks students to self-assess if some aren’t seeing a connection between the
paragraph and the story of Achilles.

● Teacher guides students into using ​context​ to help determine the meaning.

● Students think out loud to determine possible meaning of Achilles’ heel in context.

● Students double check/revise their definition in place of “Achilles’ heel.”

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Conclusion / Connection [1 Minute]

● Teacher reviews objective covered in lesson.

● Teacher connects lesson to everyday life and tells students to be on the lookout for
Greek allusions all around them.

● Exit Ticket

**END OF DEMO LESSON**

Independent Work

If this were a full reading period, students would then shift to the following independent
work. See attached “Independent Work Packet.”

PART 1: Multiple Intelligence (Linguistic-Verbal)

Students will read “The Golden Touch,” the story of King Midas (from ​Favorite Greek
Myths, ​retold by Mary Pope Osborne) to gain prior knowledge behind the phrase “Midas
touch.” They will then answer the following prompt in their reading notebook (adapted from
Literacy Loves Company, 2​ 014):

Fionna is good at sports, earns high grades in school, has a lot of friends, and is also an
amazing artist. One of her friends told her that it’s like she has the “Midas Touch” at
everything school related.

● What does the phrase “Midas Touch” allude to?

● What does it mean that Fionna has the “Midas Touch”?
● Can you come up with a paragraph that uses the phrase “Midas Touch?”

PART 2: Multiple Intelligence (Visual)

Students will view the attached advertisement for the car repair company, Midas. Students
will then respond to the following prompt in their reading notebook (optional: students may
discuss the allusion of this advertisement with a partner).

Prompt: ​What do you think this car repair company Midas is trying to communicate when
they say “Trust the Midas Touch?”

PART 3: Student Choice

Students may then choose to read about other Greek myths from the classroom library in
order to build prior knowledge. Then, they will answer the attached multiple choice questions
(adapted from ​Allusions to Mythology Test: An Assessment from Doctor J​.)

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Extension

For those students who want to dive deeper, they can read sections of ​Shoe Dog: Young
Readers’ Edition ​by Phil Knight to learn about the founder of Nike’s travel to Greece and
why Nike makes so many allusions to Greek mythology.

Assessment

Formative:
·​ ​Student response to Greek myths they’ve already studied.
·​ ​Prior knowledge of Achilles.
·​ ​Turn & Talk during prior knowledge guided practice.
·​ ​Student responses during context think out loud guided practice.
·​ ​Class response to closing connection.

Summative:
·​ ​Independent work packet.

Differentiation

ELL / IEP Gifted & Talented

Guided Practice/Active Engagement:

Students paired with appropriate partners
who can guide or prompt the conversation
when necessary.

Independent Work: Independent Work:

Part 1: Prompts can include multiple
choice answers to scaffold student Students can choose more advanced texts to
comprehension. read from the classroom library.

Part 2: Students can be paired with
appropriate partners who can guide or
prompt the conversation as necessary.
Part 3: Students can choose to read
simplified summaries of Greek mythology
(adapted from ​Literacy Loves Company​)
instead of grade level text from classroom
library.
In place of Part 3 of the independent work,
students can choose to write their own
paragraph or story that makes an allusion to
Greek mythology (simplified stories can help
them quickly learn about other Greek
mythological allusions). Students will then
exchange their paragraphs with a partner to
see if their partner can determine the meaning
of the Greek allusion.

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Sequence of Unit
Prior to this Unit
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases
as they are used in a text, including those that
allude to significant characters found in
mythology (e.g., Herculean).
Lesson 1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.4 ​Continued
Lesson 2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem
from details in the text; summarize the text.
Lesson 3
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2 Continued
Lesson 4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.9
Compare and contrast the treatment of similar
themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good
and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the
quest) in stories, myths, and traditional
literature from different cultures.
Lesson 5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.9 Continued
Students will learn strategies to determine the
meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, but will only focus on more
familiar genres, not Greek mythology.
This Lesson (specific focus on allusions to
Greek mythology)
After surveying a number of common Greek
myths used in everyday allusion, students will
now study the Greek story of Pandora’s box
in depth. Students will be able to determine
the theme of the story, summarize the story,
and understand how “Pandora’s box” has
made its way into everyday allusions.
Building on their study of common Greek
myths used in everyday allusion, students will
now study a Greek creation myth in depth.
Students will be able to determine the theme
of the story (how did the world come to
exist?) and summarize the story.
Students will compare and contrast Greek
creation myths with the Native American
creation story of Maidu. They will make
connections between the two stories and
understand how every culture tries to answer
the questions “Where did we come from?”
and “Why are we here?” Students will also be
able to point out differences in each story.
Students will study Greek myths that explain
the opposition of good and evil, then compare
these myths to other cultures’ explanation of
good and evil.