Humanities 8 – “Atalanta the Female Warrior” Greek Myth
Big Ideas:
English:
- Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to
the world.
- People understand text differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.
- Texts are socially, culturally, and historically constructed.
- Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
Lesson Question: What was the role of women in ancient Greece and what parallels can we see in today’s
world?
Rationale:
This myth shows the difference between how men and women were treated in ancient Greece. It is
important to know that women in ancient Greece had little choice. Atalanta’s myth is interesting in that it
goes against traditional women’s roles in ancient Greece but still has a typical (for that time period) ending.
My aim is that the students will see the difference and similarities between then and today. During
notetaking I will be asking them how much they think the world has changed from then to now and to
explain their thinking. We will also have a discussion tying in general comprehension questions from the
play and then moving onto societal expectations.
Core Competencies:
Communication: Thinking: Personal and Social:
- Focusing on intent and - Reflecting and assessing - Well-being
purpose - Recognizing personal values and choices
- Acquiring and presenting - Identifying personal strengths and
information abilities
Curricular Competencies:
English:
- Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written, oral, and visual texts, guide inquiry, and extend
thinking
- Think critically, creatively, and reflectively to explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts
- Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives in texts
- Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world
- Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
- Exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking
Social Studies:
- Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the
values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places (perspective)
Activities:
- Read through “Atalanta the Female Warrior” myth
- Discuss societal expectations for men and women making connections from the past to present.
Materials/Equipment Needed:
- Projector
- Nearpod or like program with hook questions pre-made
- Men/Women in Ancient Greece PPT
- Fill-in-the-blank notes for Men/Women in Ancient Greece
- “Atalanta the Female Warrior” myth
- “Atalanta the Female Warrior” response questions. Draft can be on paper final copy completed on
Teams.
- PPT of discussion questions based on myth
Total Time to Complete:
- Class 1:
- Lesson on men/women in ancient Greece
- Pick roles for play
- Read play
- Class 2:
- Finish play (if needed)
- Hand out reading questions
- Discussion on play
- Give time to work
Prior Knowledge Needed:
- Historical Thinking Concepts:
- Perspective
- Significance
- Evidence
- English terms:
- Plot diagram
- Setting
- Theme
- Types of conflict: Character vs. Self, Character, Society, Environment, Supernatural, Technology
- Types of character: Protagonist, antagonist
- In-text citations
ELL Levels in the Mainstream Class:
- Beginner ELLs x2
- Expanding ELLs x2
- Bridging ELL x1
Overall and Specific Expectations:
- Students will…
- Complete fill-in-the-blank notes on men and women in ancient Greece:
- Listening Objective (LO): Students will listen to teacher presentation on men and women in
ancient Greece.
- Writing Objective (WO)/Reading Objective (RO): Students will fill in the correct lines with
the words verbally emphasized and bolded/underlined in PPT.
- Oral Objective (OO): Students will answer questions when asked or when they volunteer.
- Have a role(s) in “Atalanta the Female Warrior”:
- OO: Students will orate their role(s).
- OO: Students will ask teacher how to pronounce words they are unfamiliar with.
- RO: Students will skim/scan the play for their roles and highlight their parts.
- RO: Students will read along with the class.
- Complete reading questions based on “Atalanta”:
- RO: Students will read through and comprehend questions handed out.
- LO: Students will listen to instructions and explanations for each question.
- WO: Students will write their answers on the Teams.
- WO: Students will draft their answers on paper before writing the final version on Teams.
- WO: Students will connect their own experiences in level 2 and 3 questions with the play.
- WO: Students will integrate quotations from lecture and play.
- Discuss “Atalanta” as a class:
- OO: Students will contribute answers to the question.
- OO: Students will defend their position (four corners activity within discussion).
- OO: Students will make and share personal connections with discussion questions.
- LO: Students will actively listen to peers and not have side conversations.
Language Demands that Exist:
Listening:
- Men and Women in Ancient Greece lecture
- “Atalanta” play
- “Atalanta” and society discussion
Speaking:
- Men and Women in Ancient Greece lecture teacher prompted questions and stories within
- “Atalanta” role
- Post-play discussion
Reading:
- “Atalanta” play
- “Atalanta” questions
Writing:
- “Atalanta” questions
Specific Language Structures / Academic or Subject-Specific Vocabulary:
- ELLs may need definitions or reminders of the following:
- Gender norms
- Gender roles
- Historical perspective
- Historical significance
- Oral storytelling
- Pedagogue / pedagogy
- Sophists
- Liability
- Arranged marriage
- Heir
- In-text citations
- Greek gods/goddesses
Language Demands that Exist:
- Listening to lecture
- Listening to the play
- Reading the play
- Speaking role(s) in the play May also be performing their role(s) in the play
- Answering varying levels of written questions about the play
- Discussing the play and society
- The rubric is very text heavy. Making sure to go through the “Proficient” column is key.
Day 1 Schedule
Time Activity
Hook and On a program like Padlet, Nearpod, or in a Teams Meeting have students answer the
Introduction 8 question:
min - What are “gender norms”?
- What are “gender roles”?
- Note: There is no wrong answer for this. It is only to gauge information and see
what the general understanding is. ELL students, if they know are able to answer
but they can also choose not to put their answer up on the program. We will be
defining both during notetaking.
Body of +/- Notetaking:
Lesson 20 - Fill-in-the-blank Men/Women in ancient Greece PPT
min
Pick roles for Myth
- Notes:
- Prior to beginning make sure you note which roles are small, medium, and
long in length.
- All students must read at least once so depending on class sizes long roles can
10
be split into 2-3 parts based on pages.
min
- For Beginner ELLs and other students who need support: “Game the system”
by placing their names at the beginning of your “random” picks. For example:
If you use cards, palm their names to the front few to allow these students to
pick roles they are comfortable with. If done well, students will not know you
have done this.
Students skim/scan text to find their parts and highlight roles:
+/- - Allow time for students to read their parts over.
20 - Speak with students and see if there are any words that are unfamiliar to them.
min Help them with pronunciation Have students to phonetically spell the word
beside or above for clarity.
Rest Read play aloud
of - Note: Play will likely not be finished by the end of class.
class
Day 2 Schedule
Time Activity
Hook and +/- Review plot from last class:
Introduction 5 - What happened in the play so far?
min - Who are the main characters?
Body of Finish reading play aloud.
??
Lesson
Introduce reading questions:
- Explain what each question means.
+/-
- Explain rubric breakdown.
15
- Let students know they can use “I”, “me”, and “my” in reading questions.
min
- Remind students to bring in evidence from the lecture and play.
- Remind students what in-text citations are.
Discussion questions:
+/- - Variety of question types:
25 - Comprehension (to check for understanding)
min - Four corners based on play and society
- Discussion based on gender roles and gender norms
+/- Work on reading questions
15 - Circulate to check for understanding
min
Closure +/- - Exit slip: Thinking about your participation in the play and discussion what is one
5 oral language skill you would like to work on for the next play?
min - Remind students about due date for reading questions.
Group Essential Criteria
Criteria 1 2 3 4 5
Have you trained your students in the activity you will
�
be doing? (Peer editing, drafting, analysis etc.)
Have you incorporated authentic discussion? (Not teacher asks,
student answers but discussion and time for students to talk about
�
the work/activity)
Have you connected this topic/activity to previous topics/activities in
�
the course?
Have you pre-taught/incorporated specific vocabulary regarding
�
content of the lesson?
Do you use multiple modalities to teach the lesson to ensure
understanding for all learners? (I.E., visual, listening, reading,
�
speaking)
Do you supply rubrics/specific expectations for students?
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Does each student have a role or task (individual responsibility),
which they understand, that provides equal participation and
�
opportunities for feedback?
Are the students grouped in a way that skill levels are balanced, in
order to provide opportunity for different language proficiencies the
�
benefit from working in a group dynamic. (Ex ‘developing’ language
learners grouped with ‘proficient’ language learners)
Does the activity provide opportunity for risk-taking while building
confidence in the writing process? Is it challenging enough to take a
�
risk yet lowers anxiety and fosters interactions among ELL students?
Strengths:
- Have you incorporated authentic discussion? (Not teacher asks, student answers but discussion and time for
students to talk about the work/activity)
- Have you connected this topic/activity to previous topics/activities in the course?
- Do you supply rubrics/specific expectations for students?
Weaknesses:
- Have you trained your students in the activity you will be doing? (Peer editing, drafting, analysis etc.)
- This would be the first myth in our short story unit. Therefore, I would not have been able to “train”
my students in the particular skills required. There are a lot of different parts for the mythology unit:
Reading the story aloud, listening to the lectures and discussion, speaking in the discussions, writing
answers to the myth questions. To make sure this is fair for the students the first myth (this one) would
be formative. The reading questions would not be marked and instead I would give feedback on where
they can improve so the next myth we do, they are prepared.
- Are the students grouped in a way that skill levels are balanced, in order to provide opportunity for different
language proficiencies the benefit from working in a group dynamic. (Ex ‘developing’ language learners
grouped with ‘proficient’ language learners)
- Unfortunately, I have not found a functional way to do this lesson with balanced groups. As it is right
now the students are all together and not put into groups. I would appreciate any assistance on how
and where I could make these balanced groups in this lesson.
