Zeus has been reading a lot lately, and he has especially enjoyed poetry. He has decided that this year's competition for the title of "The Godliest God of All" will be centered on writing, and the first task will be to create a poem. He has also enlisted the help of a panel of unbiased mythical creatures - satyrs, nymphs, and other such beings - to judge the contest.
The class will be divided as evenly as possible into teams, and each team will pick the god whom they will play during the competition. Again, the gods and goddesses each team can choose are the twelve Olympians:
Zeus
Hera
Poseidon
Demeter
Athena
Apollo
Artemis
Ares
Aphrodite
Hephaestus
Hermes
Dionysus
After selecting your god, the teams will research who the god or goddess is, his or her Roman counterpart (i.e. Jupiter, Pluto, etc.), stories and myths featuring him or her, and ways in which the god or goddess has shown up in art, literature, brands, products, architecture, or anything else you find in modern times.
Task 1: Then, the team will write their poem from the point of view of their god, knowing that the poem is their first attempt to impress the panel of judges. The poem should have an introductory stanza, a concluding stanza, and at least 2 stanzas between. The stanzas must have at least 4 lines each. The poem must include:
1) What the god or goddess is god or goddess of
2) A brief poetic reference to one of the myths/stories that feature the god or goddess
3) An argument as to why the god or goddess is the best of all
Task 2: Finally, the panel of judges will hold a "hearing" of sorts to determine "The Godliest God of All." On the day of the hearing, students are encouraged to dress like the god or goddess they are playing. Each team will write a persuasive speech on why their god or goddess is the "godliest." The persuasive speech must include a reference to a modern way in which the god or goddess has appeared. This can include modern literature that alludes to or features the god, art, brands, products, or any other reference you find. You can use this modern-day connection to support your claim that you are the best god of all, enduring in the hearts and minds of men even today. The speech must be long enough for each person in the team to speak for 2 minutes.
The class will be divided as evenly as possible into teams, and each team will pick the god whom they will play during the competition. Again, the gods and goddesses each team can choose are the twelve Olympians:
Zeus
Hera
Poseidon
Demeter
Athena
Apollo
Artemis
Ares
Aphrodite
Hephaestus
Hermes
Dionysus
After selecting your god, the teams will research who the god or goddess is, his or her Roman counterpart (i.e. Jupiter, Pluto, etc.), stories and myths featuring him or her, and ways in which the god or goddess has shown up in art, literature, brands, products, architecture, or anything else you find in modern times.
Task 1: Then, the team will write their poem from the point of view of their god, knowing that the poem is their first attempt to impress the panel of judges. The poem should have an introductory stanza, a concluding stanza, and at least 2 stanzas between. The stanzas must have at least 4 lines each. The poem must include:
1) What the god or goddess is god or goddess of
2) A brief poetic reference to one of the myths/stories that feature the god or goddess
3) An argument as to why the god or goddess is the best of all
Task 2: Finally, the panel of judges will hold a "hearing" of sorts to determine "The Godliest God of All." On the day of the hearing, students are encouraged to dress like the god or goddess they are playing. Each team will write a persuasive speech on why their god or goddess is the "godliest." The persuasive speech must include a reference to a modern way in which the god or goddess has appeared. This can include modern literature that alludes to or features the god, art, brands, products, or any other reference you find. You can use this modern-day connection to support your claim that you are the best god of all, enduring in the hearts and minds of men even today. The speech must be long enough for each person in the team to speak for 2 minutes.