Spring Break Project

Spring Break Project: Click Here

Research Materials:

• Zeus
• Athena
• Poseidon
• Hades

Spring Break Project

            Your assignment is to complete one writing project to supplement what you’ve been learning in social studies class.  You will write a research report on the Greek god or goddess of your choice, and you will also create a colored cover to accompany your informational report. 

            While you may choose any one of the 16 options, Mr. Schaefer and I will only provide research materials for a few of the gods.  If you choose a different god, you will have to conduct the research on your own, using resources at the library or on the computer.  Regardless of your decision, you must document (or cite) where you get ALL of the information that you include in your report.  Do not make any information up, and do not use information from your head or another person.  This is an informational report, and the information about the god must be completely accurate.  Nonetheless, you cannot copy another author’s writing into your report, so you must paraphrase the ideas you read in your resources. Copying or not citing your sources is considered plagiarism and will not be tolerated.

            All sixth grade students must complete the project; this assignment will be one of the first grades of the fourth quarter and a large part of your grade in the class.  Make sure you write carefully and thoughtfully, as I will be looking for: completeness, structure, use of grammar and style, accuracy of information, and creativity.  You do NOT have to submit more than one final draft, but you should revise and edit your writing to be sure it is your best work.  You may either type your report or neatly write your paper on the lined paper provided.  If you type your work, please type it in your Google Drive account and email me to let me know.

            I am excited to read your reports and see your covers because I know they will be excellent!  If you have questions, please call me to ask for help.  I will be out of the country from Saturday, March 23^rd to Wednesday, March 28^th, so please email me or leave a voice message, and I will return your message as soon as I can.  Please do not put this assignment off until the last minute, or you will unable to finish on time.  May the odds be ever in your favor!  Enjoy your break!

Day	To Do
Friday, March 22nd	Choose your Greek god/goddess to research.
Monday, March 25th	Conduct research. Start filling in graphic organizers.
Tuesday, March 26th	Finish research and complete graphic organizers.
Wednesday, March 27th	Write the first 4 paragraphs of report.
Thursday, March 28th	Write the last 3 paragraphs. Revise and edit.
Friday, March 29th	Create cover page with colored illustration.

OPTIONS:
Your options for the Greek god/goddess to research include:

1.      Aphrodite          goddess of love and beauty

2.      Apollo               god of the sun, poetry, & music

3.      Ares                  god of war

4.      Artemis             goddess of the moon & the hunt

5.      Athena              goddess of wisdom & war

6.      Demeter            goddess of agriculture

7.      Dionysus           god of wine & fertility

8.      Eros                   god of love

9.      Hades               god of the underworld

10.  Hephaestus      god of fire & metalworkers

11.  Hera                  goddess of marriage

12.  Hermes             messenger of the gods & god of travel

13.  Hestia               goddess of the hearth (family fire)

14.  Pan                    god of nature

15.  Poseidon           god of the sea

16.  Zeus                  ruler of the gods

RESEARCH:
You must use 2 or more resources (websites, encyclopedias, or books) to gather information for your project.  The following are suggested resources to use for your research, but you may also use other resources at the library.  For the websites listed below, be sure to type in the entire web address.  At each site, you will need to navigate on the page and click on the appropriate links to find more information about your chosen god/goddess.  As one more reminder, you must write down information about each resource that you use using the forms provided.

o   Internet websites:

• http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/olympians.html
• http://greek-gods.info/greek-gods/
• http://www.mythweb.com/
• http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/olympians.html
• http://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/index.html
• http://www.webexhibits.org/greekgods/index.html
• http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/greek/

o   Encyclopedias

• World Book Encyclopedia
• World Encyclopedia

o   Books

• Wilkinson, Philip. (2007). Eyewitness: Mythology, Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
• Selection of other books from local public library (The NEW! Bayview / Anna E. Waden Branch of the San Francisco Public Library is located at 5075 Third Street, at Revere.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

REPORT:  The final product that students will create is a 7-paragraph informational research report on the Greek god or goddess of his/her choice that contains the following information:

1.      Introduction: Greek and Roman name of the god (and origins of name), the title of the god, a list of any important powers the god has, and a brief description of where the god can usually be found (where does the god spend his/her time in most myths?).

2.      Family/Relatives: parents, siblings (brothers/sisters), and children; what gods or goddesses did he or she marry, love, or desire?

3.      History: the story of the development of the god through birth, infancy, childhood, and life as an adult

4.      Physical appearance and symbols: description of what the god looked like and any weapons / objects / animals / other symbols associated with the god

5.      Celebration: are/were there any festivals to celebrate this god?  Is this god a patron god of any city or area?

6.      Summary of one important myth involving the god: a retelling of the major events in one myth, with a focus on the most important characteristics and powers of the god

7.      Conclusion: other interesting facts or identifying characteristics about the god, summary of the findings and characteristics of the god; remember to leave the reader with something to remember about your god/goddess

COVER PAGE:  Students will also create a colored cover page that includes:

• Greek name of the god
• the title of the god (found on page 2 of this packet)
• hand-drawn OR printed image of the god or goddess (must be colored)
• your name (as the author)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Additionally, the report will include a bibliography citing all resources used to gather information for the report.  Students must use at least 2 different sources to research their god or goddess.  For the bibliography, the only requirement is that students complete the same graphic organizer that will be used in science class (pages 7-9 of this packet).