Greatest Greek God/Goddess

GREATEST GREEK GOD/GODDESS!
WEBQUEST
By Cathy Ilani

This WebQuest was designed as part of the requirements for the Aurora University/Kane County(IL) Regional Office of Education course "Infusing Learning with Technology using WebQuests: OEDS581-5023 , July 30-Aug. 1, 2001 under the guidance of instructor Richard Levine. All clip art courtesy of www.arttoday.com.

Please click below to go directly to the following sites:

STUDENT PAGE LINKS TO RESOURCES TEACHER PAGE

POWERPOINT GRADING RUBRIC CONTACT THIS WEBQUEST DESIGNER

STUDENT PAGE

Introduction
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Your team of investigative reporters has been chosen by the incredibly popular magazine AWESOME PEOPLE to determine the “Greatest Greek God/Goddess”. You will travel back in time (via the internet) to research the various Olympian gods and goddesses. It is then up to your team to choose the best (and worst) Olympian.

Task
Your team of investigative reporters will find out all the important facts regarding the Olympian gods.
For each of the 14 Olympian gods and goddesses you will need to fill out the OLYMPIAN GOD/GODDESS CHART with the following information on it:

Name of god/goddess
Roman name
Physical and emotional description of god/goddess
Milestones
Hardships or struggles
Major accomplishments

After compiling the detailed list you will work with your team members on determining the “Greatest Greek God/Goddess” as well as the “Olympian Loser”.
On the Olympian chart of gods/goddesses you should draw a star on the name of the god/goddess you believe to be the greatest and place an "L" on the name of the god/goddess you believe to be the "loser". Be prepared to orally defend your choices! You will then need to think of ideas for a cover story for the AWESOME PEOPLE’s magazine issue that will run your featured article. Your group will present its ideas in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. Your presentation must describe in detail why your Olympian god/goddess is the greatest. Be sure to be as persuasive as possible and use LOTS of facts and details to support your opinions. You will be competing against other investigative reporters for this cover story. You will be presenting your ideas for the "Greatest Greek God/Goddess" cover story to the Editor in Chief of AWESOME PEOPLE magazine.
BACK TO TOP

PowerPoint Presentation
You will create 10-12 slides which contain the pertinent information you collected
about your god/goddess.

You must convey to the audience your ideas as to why this god/goddess is the "greatest".
Refer to specific events in the god's/goddess's adventures which prove your argument.

Be as persuasive as you can.

Be sure to include a title slide and a concluding slide.

Remember to make your slides colorful, eye-catching, and easy to read.

Don't forget to include some interesting and pertinent clip art and/or photos.

Prepare to orally present your PowerPoint show, keeping in mind the criteria for
giving a good presentation.

Refer to the PowerPoint Presentation Rubric to see how you will be evaluated.

GOOD LUCK! BACK TO TOP

PowerPoint Grading Rubric

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Graphic Design	No graphics present	A few graphics present which loosely relate to the topic	The graphics are well placed and help focus the viewer on the topic.	Numerous well placed graphics add special interest and enhance the content of the presentation.
Organization of Content	Lack of logical sequence	Content is somewhat organized, but in a confusing or illogical manner	The order and structure of the presentation is usually focused on the main idea of the content.	The order and structure of the presentation clearly focus and enhance the content of the presentation.
Mechanics	Numerous errors in punctuation, spelling, and capitalization	Errors in mechanics are not overwhelming, but are distracting.	Few errors in mechanics Text is concise and to the point.	No errors in mechanics Text is highly polished
Subject Knowledge	Many required facts are missing.	A few of the required facts are missing or are incorrect.	The required facts are present and are clearly included.	All required facts are included in an interesting way. Additional information enhances the content of the presentation.
Persuasive Argument	Presentation is not convincing of the heroic merits of the subject.	Presentation contains arguments on the heroic merits of the subject, but they are confusing or illogical.	Presentation contains valid arguments on the heroic merits of the subject.	Presentation contains strong, convincing arguments on the heroic merits of the subject.
Oral Presentation Skills	Presenter is hard to hear, makes little or no eye contact with audience, and speaks without emotion.	Presenter makes some eye contact, but lacks emotion in presenting the information.	Presenter makes eye contact with the audience, speaks clearly and audibly, and occasionally speaks with emotion.	Oral presentation is highly polished. Presenter speaks clearly, audibly, and with convincing emotion.

BACK TO TOP

Process
You will work in a group of 3-4 students.
Each person must contribute to the success of your research. You must work cooperatively to accomplish the above tasks. Each person on your team is crucial to the success of your group. Everyone needs to choose a specific role that they will be in charge of. You need to choose from the following roles:
RECORDER-this person needs to neatly record all of the data that is collected
MATERIALS MANAGER & FACT FINDER-your role is to secure all materials needed for the group and keep them together in a safe place, and assist in finding facts for your group
COMPUTER EXPERT-this person is in charge of maneuvering around PowerPoint and helping organize the structure of your group's presentation
EDITOR-you need to proof read and fine tune all work to be turned in making sure that the quality is the highest possible for your group
(IF YOU CHOOSE, YOU MAY ALTERNATE ROLES OR KEEP THE SAME ONES THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS WEBQUEST)
BACK TO TOP

eVALUATION
Students will be evaluated on the proper completion of the Olympian god/goddess chart, as well as a PowerPoint presentation (graded according to rubric). Students will also be evaluated on how cooperatively their group worked. Upon completion of this WebQuest all students will fill out a form evaluating each member of their group as well as themselves.
BACK TO TOP

LINKS
Use the links below to help you complete our god/goddess chart and prepare your
power point "cover story" presentation.

Myth-Web This spot on the web is filled with all sorts of interesting facts about The Oympians.

The Encyclopedia Mythica Tons of information at your fingertips!

Olympian Family Tree Find out how all Olympians are related, plus LOTS of cool facts.

Greek-Roman Gods/Goddesses Find out the names according to the Greeks & Romans.

Olympians! Another source full of information regarding all of the gods/goddesses of Mt. Olympus.

FUN FACT QUIZ For fun try this quiz to test your knowledge of the Olympian gods/goddesses.
BACK TO TOP

TEACHER
PAGE

Welcome to the teacher page for Greatest Greek God/Goddess WebQuest.
This WebQuest was designed as part of the requirements for the Aurora University/Kane County(IL) Regional Office of Education course "Infusing Learning with Technology using WebQuests: OEDS581-5023 , July 30-Aug. 1, 2001 under the guidance of instructor Richard Levine.

I designed this WebQuest to help enrich my Ancient Greece curriculum.
My students always seem to be fascinated with the concept of polytheism and enjoy learning about the Greek gods and goddesses. This WebQuest was designed to be done along with any current Ancient Greece studies or as an independent project.

This WebQuest was designed with Gifted 4-5 graders in mind. However I believe that this site could easily be used as a learning tool or reference for all ages and abilities. This lesson integrates Language Arts, Social Science, and Technology.

Click here for extension ideas

Click here for Illinois teaching standards that are met by working on this WebQuest

BACK TO TOP

ILLINOIS STATE TEACHING STANDARDS: BACK TO TOP

SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS

Learning Standards	Late Elementary	Middle/Junior High School
A. Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.	16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.	16.A.3c Identify the differences between historical fact and interpretation.

WRITING STANDARDS

Learning Standards Late Elementary

A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure. 3.A.2 Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences. 3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g., mapping, outlining, drafting).
3.B.2b Establish central idea, organization, elaboration and unity in relation to purpose and audience.
3.B.2c Expand ideas by using modifiers, subordination and standard paragraph organization.
3.B.2d Edit documents for clarity, subjectivity, pronoun-antecedent agreement, adverb and adjective agreement and verb tense; proofread for spelling, capitalization and punctuation; and ensure that documents are formatted in final form for submission and/or publication.

C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes. 3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a variety of forms including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository (e.g., reports, essays) and persuasive writings (e.g., editorials, advertisements).
3.C.2b Produce and format compositions for specified audiences using available technology.

LISTENING & SPEAKING STANDARDS

Learning Standards Late Elementary Middle/Junior High School

A. Listen effectively in formal and informal situations. 4.A.2a Demonstrate understanding of the listening process (e.g., sender, receiver, message) by summarizing and paraphrasing spoken messages orally and in writing in formal and informal situations.
4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small and large group settings.

B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience. 4.B.2a Present oral reports to an audience using correct language and nonverbal expressions for the intended purpose and message within a suggested organizational format.
4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.

4.B.3a Deliver planned oral presentations, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the purpose, message and audience; provide details and supporting information that clarify main ideas; and use visual aids and contemporary technology as support.
4.B.3b Design and produce reports and multi-media compositions that represent group projects.
4.B.3c Develop strategies to manage or overcome communication anxiety and apprehension (e.g., sentence outlining, note cards).

RESEARCH STANDARDS

Learning Standards Late Elementary Middle/Junior High School

A. Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas. 5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan.
5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).
5.A.3a Identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions through research.

B. Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources. 5.B.2b Cite sources used. 5.B.3a Choose and analyze information sources for individual, academic and functional purposes.

C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats. 5.C.2a Create a variety of print and nonprint documents to communicate acquired information for specific audiences and purposes.
5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
5.C.3b Prepare and orally present original work (e.g., poems, monologues, reports, plays, stories) supported by research.
5.C.3c Take notes, conduct interviews, organize and report information in oral, visual and electronic formats.

TECHNOLOGY (SCIENCE) STANDARDS

Learning Standards	Late Elementary	Middle/Junior High School
A. Know and apply the accepted practices of science.	13.A.2b Explain why similar investigations may not produce similar results. 13.A.2c Explain why keeping accurate and detailed records is important.	.

BACK TO TOP

Contact Cathy Ilani,the designer of this WebQuest, at cilani@davinciacademy.com

Information about the designer of this WebQuest

Cathy Ilani is a mother of three bright and highly energetic children. She helped organize, create and implement Da Vinci Academy, a school catering specifically to Gifted Children grades K-8.
She currently teaches 4th graders at Da Vinci Academy in Elgin, Illinois. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact Cathy via e-mail at cilani@davinciacademy.com

BACK TO TOP

Extension ideas:

Ancient Greece is always a very fun unit.
I am sure that you will agree that if the students are having fun while learning that they actually retain more knowledge. Below you will find some fun and creative ideas to enrich your unit on Ancient Greece.

GREEK GOD GATHERING:
Have the students choose a god/goddess to research in depth. The students need to write an essay in 1st person (as if they were the god/goddess) describing themselves, their thoughts and feelings.
This really requires some higher level thinking skills!
On a predetermined date have the students come to school and make oral presentations as their chosen god/goddess. I like to have the students dress up and "talk/act" as their character.
Students can read their essays or memorize them for a memorable presentation. I find that the students truly remember the names of the various gods as well as what they are most known for.

IT'S GREEK TO ME!:
For fun have the students learn the alpha-beta and have them sing it at the beginning and end of each Social Science period. I have students that are now in High School and College that STILL remember the alpha-beta from singing it in 4th grade!

GREEK FEST:
Bring in typical Grecian food for the students to try.
Some simple ideas are: pita, hummous, feta cheese, Greek olives, and baklava.
Better yet, visit a Greek Restaurant for a field trip for a more authentic experience!

MATH MANIA:
To integrate with math you can have students build a model of a famous Greek temple such as the Parthenon. You can determine the scale or for a greater challenge have the students create their own scale. This is an excellent group or individual activity.

BACK TO TOP

Learning Standards	Late Elementary
A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.	3.A.2 Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.	3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g., mapping, outlining, drafting). 3.B.2b Establish central idea, organization, elaboration and unity in relation to purpose and audience. 3.B.2c Expand ideas by using modifiers, subordination and standard paragraph organization. 3.B.2d Edit documents for clarity, subjectivity, pronoun-antecedent agreement, adverb and adjective agreement and verb tense; proofread for spelling, capitalization and punctuation; and ensure that documents are formatted in final form for submission and/or publication.
C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.	3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a variety of forms including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository (e.g., reports, essays) and persuasive writings (e.g., editorials, advertisements). 3.C.2b Produce and format compositions for specified audiences using available technology.