Unit Portfolio Presentation

Jason Lobdell

Meet the Twelve Olympians!

Students conduct research that leads to an understanding of the mythological 12 Olympians and of connections between these archetypal characters and contemporary characters.

Students utilize written texts (like Hamilton’s Mythology), online texts, and “pop culture” for research.

They work in teams to create an illustrative monologue for one of the 12 Olympian gods AND for a contemporary character who exhibits characteristics of this god.

They publish their monologues via a “talking picture” (created at Blabberize.com), and they discuss each other’s work on a class blog.

Finally, students’ knowledge of all 12 Olympian gods is assessed objectively via a standard paper/pencil quiz at the end of the unit.

Unit Summary

Essential QuestionsWhat does it mean to be a hero?What does it mean to be a monster?What does it mean to be human?

CFQs

Unit QuestionsWhat were some of the characteristics that the

Greeks thought made a god (or a man) strong or weak—or heroic?

What were the ideas the Greeks valued so highly (like marriage, or truth, or civilization, etc.) that they created gods or goddesses to embody them?

How do we today feel about these Greek ideals, and who are some contemporary characters that embody them?

CFQs

Content Questions For each of the 12 Olympian gods, students should

know/be able to describe:By what names (Greek and Latin) the god was knownTo whom the god was related (significant immortal and

mortal relations)What powers and/or areas of responsibility the god hadThe god’s personalityAt least one incident from the god’s history that illustrates

the god’s personality, responsibilities, etc.At least one contemporary character (from film, TV, video

games, etc.) who is like the god in essential ways—ways that further illustrate important aspects of the god’s character

CFQs

By creating this unit, I hope to:Help students explore the connections between timeless

archetypes, ancient literature and culture, and contemporary culture

Use media (internet, pop culture) with which my students are already familiar to engage them in learning

During this unit, I want my students to:Learn about archetypal connections between classic

literature and contemporary cultureUse technology to communicate with different audiencesEngage with each other in discussions about both

ancient literature and contemporary culture

Vision for the Unit

As my students work on this project, theyConnect archetypes and ancient literature to

the contemporary worldCollaborate with peersCreate a product that shows what they’ve

learnedShare their learning with a real audience

Project Approaches

Students will develop higher-order and 21st century skills in this unit as theyUse the Essential and Unit Questions to guide their

analysis of ancient gods and goddesses and contemporary/pop-culture characters

Communicate their ideas to a community audience using online media

Reflect on their reading, writing, research, and thinking strategies, and modify and adapt them as necessary

Use project assessments to self-assess their work and give feedback to their peers using both traditional and technological means

21st Century Learning

Use Assessments & CFQs to learnStudents’ background knowledge of the

better-known OlympiansStudents’ ideas about characteristics of

humans and heroes, gods and monsters

Assess 21st Century skillsAbility to see common elements in ancient and

contemporary literature/cultureAbility to use a variety of means, from

traditional to technological, to communicate with their peers

Gauging Student Needs & Learning

Adobe Acrobat Document

I can use information from assessments toGuide students to learning that addresses ingoing

misperceptions or information needsGuide students to contemplate contemporary connections

that help them better understand underlying archetypesStudents can use information from these assessments to

Guide their own learning in terms of depth and directionEstablish a knowledge base for future unitsHone their communication skills for authentic audiences

Gauging Student Needs & Learning

Need tools for assessing team/group work that fairly assesses the work (or lack thereof) of individual members

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