Mythology of the Ancient World

Mythology is a high interest topic for most students, and you can use this as an opportunity to help your students increase their knowledge of history, and improve their analytical skills. Historians and archaeologists learn a great deal about ancient cultures from a close and careful analysis of their mythology. Myths played a critical role in the development of cultures around the world, and each was unique. Before civilizations had math and science to explain the inexplicable, they turned to mythology. Most notable, of course, was the mythology of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. Even though we now use science to explain natural phenomena, studying the mythology of ancient cultures is critical to gaining an insight into the past.

A fun way to introduce students to the gods and goddesses of the culture being studied is to have them write “Middle School Myths.” Before conducting this activity, students should have read various myths. You can write the names of various gods and goddesses on separate slips of paper. Then you can pass out papers with different scenarios that middle school students encounter, such as “got in trouble for passing notes” or “did poorly on a math test.” You can then have students choose one situation and one deity, and write a myth about how that deity used his or her powers and influence to resolve the problem.

A more hands-on approach to teach students about the different gods and goddesses is to have them create a throne for a deity of their choice. The throne should include symbols of the god or goddess (such as grapes for Dionysus, the Greek god of wine), and symbolic colors (perhaps red for Ares, the Greek god of war).

Since students always enjoy the opportunity to be creative, another way to harness this energy is to have students draw a comic strip depicting a myth that they have read in class. Not only does this activity help students work on their summarizing skills, it also allows students to demonstrate their content mastery. It is fun to assemble students’ comics into a binder that can be displayed in the classroom. What follows are creative mythology lessons you can use in your classroom.

Ancient Mythology Lesson Plans:

Mythology Spreadsheet

This lesson provides a nice opportunity for interdisciplinary and team teaching by using Greek myths, characters and attributes to generate spreadsheets. This is a useful skill which will serve students well in a variety of classes. The lesson can also be adapted to accommodate other cultures’ myths as well.

Writing Mythological Monologues

This lesson requires students to learn about a mythological character in depth. Students create a monologue about a character that they present to the class. Students may also make a prop to enhance their performance which can help make the activity more engaging and creative. Again, this lesson can be adapted to suit the study of any culture’s mythology.

Mythological Soaps

Students perform soap opera-style skits in this lesson. Although originally intended for ELL students, this lesson can be easily adapted for regular education classrooms. After performing the skits included in the lesson, teachers can instruct their classes to create their own soap opera-style skits.

Mythology and Ancient Civilizations

This lesson provides a good overview of mythology and the purpose it served ancient cultures. It also helps to provide reinforcement in students’ understanding of geography of both the modern and ancient world. 

The Mythology Connection

This lesson delves into the relationship between mythology and science, math and literature. This lesson also incorporates drama, technology and writing, making it a well-rounded learning experience.