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Introduction:
Some three thousand or so years ago, the lives of the Ancient Greek
citizens and the fate of the very world in which they lived, rested in the hands of the many gods who reigned atop Mount Olympus.
Happiness, hardship, love, war, calamity and catastrophe were cast about by the carefree immortals like dice on a board game.
To the gods, the human race was theirs to manipulate as little or as often as they desired. One such example of the disregard
immortals showed to their human counterparts is the story of the Trojan War. According to the myth, When the Olympian gods
attended the wedding of the mortal hero Peleus to the sea goddess Thetis, one name had intentionally been left off the guest
list; that of Eris the goddess of Discord. In keeping with her name, Eris later crashed the party and threw a golden apple
upon the table where the Olympians sat. Inscribed on the apple was the simple phrase, "For the Fairest." Harmless enough it
seemed, but clever enough to do the trick. Immediately, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hear claimed the prize for themselves. Zeus,
who was after all, a very wise ruler, refused to judge between his daughters and his queen. Instead, he appointed Paris, reputed
to be the most handsome mortal on earth, to judge in his place.
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In an effort to win the favor of the handsome judge, the three goddesses
each offered Paris a gift in exchange for being chosen most beautiful. Hera, Zeus' wife, offered him royal power over all
man. Athena, favored daughter to Zeus, promised Paris glorious victory in battle. Finally, Aphrodite, the Goddess of love,
promised him the hand of the most beautiful mortal woman as his wife. In the end, Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite.
In winning the Golden Apple, the goddess Aphrodite had promised the
hand of the most beautiful mortal woman to Paris. Unfortunately, this woman happened to be Helen, the wife of King Menelaus
of Sparta. Even so, Aphrodite made Helen fall in love with Paris and so the lovers fled to Troy, Paris' homeland taking with
them, most of Menelaus' royal treasure.
Calling upon an old oath, Menelaus sought help from the many suitors
who had once contested with him for Helen's hand in marriage. Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and others loyal to Menelaus vowed
to travel to Troy to return his beautiful bride. And so began the Trojan War. |
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After ten years of fighting with no end to the war in sight, Odysseus,
ordered the construction of an enormous wooden horse. When the soldiers of Troy saw the magnificent animal, they took it as
a sign that the Greek army had given up their futile siege. But while dragging the wooden gift into the city they failed to
realize that the belly of the horse was hollow and that hidden inside were Odysseus and several of his men. When night came
and the celebrating Trojans had fallen asleep, Odysseus's men snuck out and unlocked the city gates letting in the rest of
the Greek army. In a single moment, ten years of warring had come to an end. |
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With the fighting over, the armies of Greece left for home, the city
of Troy burning behind them. Somewhere along the way, however, Odysseus' journey took a turn for the worse, and so begins
the Odyssey of Odysseus, as written by Homer. So too begins your journey, as you travel back in history to gain an understanding
of the world of Ancient Greece and The Odyssey.
(from HERE)
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Your Web Journey:
In order to better understand the setting of Homer's The Odyssey, each person in in the class will be assigned
a specific role in the discovery and description of Ancient Greece's physical location, culture, and myths. After completing
this WebQuest and participating in the class presentations, you will have a detailed idea of what Ancient Greece was like
and how this influenced the writing of The Odyssey.
The Task:
The class will be divided into groups of four, and each person in the group will assume one of the following roles (click
the link for a full Job Description)
Once each group member has gathered sufficient evidence, the group may begin compiling the evidence into the final project.
*Once per week, you will be required to fill out an "UPDATE" sheet which will highlight new information that
you've found and progress that you've made on your final project.
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Method:
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Groups of four will be assigned.
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In the first group meeting, select the roles that each member will take.
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Click on the Resources link and begin to research information regarding your task.
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Discuss with your groupmates the final output of your project. (movie, powerpoint, website,
poster, podcast... the possiblities are endless!) Think about the logistics of your final output: does your choice allow you
to do everything that you want to do or that is required for the final output?
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Once your group has setteled on an output, fill out a project proposal sheet and submit it for acceptance.
Be prepared to answer questions about your proposed output (Do you know how to use Moviemaker or iMovie? Do you know
how create a podcast?)
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Use all of your research to assemble the final output that you have chosen. Projects will be
presented to the class near the end of December (actual date TBA).
Click here to email Mrs. Bottle
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Ancient Greece
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***REMEMBER*** The websites listed here are simply a basis for you to begin your research. You are
not limited to these websites only; in fact, you are encouraged to do research on your own!
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