ABC Myth Books

Objective:

In this lesson students will:

  1. Be able to identify one word located in Greek and Roman myths for each letter of the alphabet. They must use the word in context, and give three facts about it.
  2. Create an original ABC book using these words, which they will illustrate, create a cover and author page for, and share with a younger grade.

Grade Level: 6th

Materials needed for entire unit:

  1. A variety of ABC books for examples.
  2. A variety of books on Greek and Roman Myths
  3. Website on Greek and Roman Myths
  4. Here is a list of all 88 constellations and the myths that go along with them.
  5. Copies of the attatched ABC Book pages for each student. Each student will need three copies of page three front and back.
  6. ABC Myth Book Rubric – attatched page 2
  7. Pencil

Estimated Time Needed: 6 weeks. Three 30 minute sessions each week.

Lesson and Activity:

Introduce the students to a variety of ABC books. Read them, look at the pictures, etc. Let your students examine them, and decide what kind of ABC book they would like to create.

Get a digital camera. Assign each student one letter of the alphabet. Have them go out onto the playground, and try and find their letter outside. It cannot be an actual letter written on something. They must find the letter in the shapes of things outside. Take pictures of each of their letters. Then using Photostory 3 or Picasa, create a slide show of the letters, and show it to the class. See if they can locate the letter in each slide.

Make a variety of myth books available in your class. Make the two websites listed above also available to your students. Read a new myth to your class each day. Let your students explore these things, and locate words that they would like to use in their ABC Myth books. They must come up with the meaning of each word. Use it in a sentence, and find three facts about it. Then using the story boards, have them create their book exactly as they want it to look. Have them create a cover, and an author page. When they are finished creating their story board, give them 15 sheets of art paper cut

9 X 6. Have them reproduce their book in it’s finally form on these pages. Bind with a spiral bind, and have the students share them with a younger grade. This section of the lesson will take the longest, and deadlines should be set for each section, or students procrastinate, and don’t have enough time to do their best.