Greek Mythology Inquiry Design Model
XR Sources: (Available on Google Expeditions, smartphone required)
Compelling Question: How does art represent the culture within which it was created?
In this World History IDM, students can work in groups to analyze statues from Ancient Greece, including Zeus, Medusa, and Athena. On the Google Expeditions webpage or through the app, students are tasked to locate the expedition entitled “Greek Mythology” and/or “Greek Mythology: Gods and Goddesses.” Using their phones or tablets students can then view and look around a series of Statues on their desk or floor. Each statue is accompanied by a brief written description of the image.
The students then begin to analyze the various statues of Greek deities from the AR. Each of the statues will be paired from different readings based on the reading level of the class. As the students analyze the pieces of art, they can refer to the various readings and myths to contextualize the figure they are examining. Students will complete the See, Think, Wonder graphic organizer in which they will partner aspects of the statue with direct quotes or examples from the reading. After viewing the statues in AR, students will be asked how their experience would have changed if they had been viewing flat images of the statues rather than 3D models via AR. As an extension, students can apply what they learned about analyzing statues to statues familiar to them, such as the Statue of Liberty or a local statue.
- Compelling Question
- Supporting Questions
- Formative Performance Task
- Featured Sources
- Summative Performance Task
| Compelling Question | |
| How does art represent the culture within which it was created? | |
| Standard |
National Council for the Social Studies Standards C3 Standards |
| Disciplinary Practice | History |
| Staging the Question | As a whole-class activity, a teacher can model and demonstrate how to analyze a piece of art, by asking questions such as ‘what do we see,’ ‘what do we wonder,’ and ‘what do we think.’ Show a statue or image of a Greek statue and ask students what they See, Think, and Wonder. Facing History has an excellent strategy for this. |
- What were the beliefs of ancient Greeks?
- What symbols were used to represent various aspects of Greek myths?
- What types of art were used to represent Greek deities?
While analyzing the art, students can fill out a graphic organizer asking what they See, Think, and Wonder about the piece of art. There is also room for students to provide direct quotes from the various readings that they see represented in the piece of art.
Source 1: Google Expedition AR tour: Greek Mythology (Hercules, Zeus, Medusa, Poseidon, Prometheus, Mt. Olympus) and,
Greek Mythology: Gods and Goddesses (Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Medusa, Hermes, Poseidon, Zeus, Greek Temple)
Source 2: Background on Gods and Goddesses
Source 3: Children’s Literature
- D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths (Available online through Google Books )
- The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki Brandenburg
Source 4: Greek Mythology by Edith Hamilton While we recommend these sources, there are numerous other sources that include Ancient Greek myths. Teachers should feel free to use what sources they have available to provide myths for the students.
ARGUMENT
Given a story about a Greek mythical figure (not analyzed in the AR experience), students can create or draw a statue of that figure using symbols represented in the reading.
EXTENSION
Students can be shown an image of the Statue of Liberty, and if applicable, a familiar statue that commemorates local history, and using See, Wonder, Think, examine the symbols that are represented.
Using teacher-selected questions from Pullout A “Burden of Historical representations,” students could also begin to explore the potential of XR as a source to be unpacked alongside other sources. As part of this, the teacher should include questions as to how this experience would have been different if looking at 2-D images of sculptures rather than the AR
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