English/ Language Arts/ Reading

8
th
Grade
Shanna Pavlak
The 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.
Hes calling it, Mount Olympuss 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 theyre asking you to represent them.
Who will walk away with the bragging rights and the
glory?
Thats for you to decide!
Essential Question: Which
Greek god or goddess deserves to
win the coveted title of Mount
Olympuss Top Idol?
How will you convince your
classmates that your deity is the
best?
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).


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 youd 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.

One thing youll 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:Gr
eco-Roman has a wide range of source material you can look through.
Once youve finished your research, you will begin working on your campaign
materials.
First, youll 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 its 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.





Here 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=HowtoCreateShareGlogs
http://pengo21.edu.glogster.com/ancient-greece/
http://estevan1.edu.glogster.com/hades/
http://adobrita11.edu.glogster.com/history-/

And heres the link to Fakebook, along with some examples:
http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page
http://www.classtools.net/fb/73/bH6ZhK
http://www.classtools.net/fb/1/CfjZCB
http://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.html
http://www2b.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/resultsbrowse.asp
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman
http://mythman.com/
http://web.uvic.ca/grs/department_files/classical_myth/gods.html
0-10 Points 11-15 Points 16-20 Points
Research Student locates basic
biographical information
using one source. Does not
research candidates role in
myths.
Student locates basic
biographical information
using two sources. Student
researches candidates role
in one myth.
Student locates basic
biographical information
and candidates 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.
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 arent 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 Homers Iliad or Odyssey to discover
more about the amazing myths from ancient Greece. If you just cant 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

Project Websites:
Glogster:
http://edu.glogster.com/?page=videos&cat=HowtoCreateShareGlogs
http://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/page
http://www.classtools.net/fb/73/bH6ZhK
http://www.classtools.net/fb/1/CfjZCB
http://www.classtools.net/fb/56/cAHRi2


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



Images:
Mythweb
http://www.mythweb.com/gods/index.html
Theoi Project
http://www.theoi.com/GalleryK1.html
Standards:
GPS Standards
https://www.georgiastandards.org/standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.as
px
ISTE NETS
http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-S_Standards.sflb.ashx
Common Core State Standards
http://www.corestandards.org/








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.
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
Students 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 investigation
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project