Present your sixth graders with a list of Greek gods. Give them some cursory information on each one and ask them to choose their favorites. Assign students to prepare a presentation on the god they have chosen. On presentation day, students can dress as the god they select and share some key information about that god with the rest of the class, such as the god’s role in society, whether he was born of mortal or immortal parents, what his special powers were and how he obtained his powers. Through the presentations, students learn from each other in addition to becoming experts on the god they present.
Host Ancient Greece Day in your class. Encourage students to come to class wearing togas made from old bed sheets. Purchase plastic ivy vines from a craft store and make ivy headbands for students to wear. Spend the day reading myths about Greek gods, enjoying snacks such as pita and olives, and watching documentaries on discoveries made about ancient Greek society. This interactive activity allows students to have fun, which helps them engage with the material and enhances learning.
Hand out a spreadsheet to your sixth graders explaining the supernatural powers of each of the Greek gods. Ask them to read the spreadsheet carefully as homework and come to class the next day prepared to engage in a trivia game using the information. Divide the class into several teams and give each team a piece of paper. Write a god’s power on the board and ask the class who possessed this ability. Each team that writes the correct answer on their sheet of paper gets a point. You can reverse the activity by writing down the god’s name and asking the class to come up with his power. Reward the winning team with extra credit or five additional minutes at break.
Bring in action figures of several Greek gods. Hand out information sheets detailing the lives of these gods, such as their family history, strengths and weaknesses. Ask the class to review the spreadsheets as homework. The next day, ask for volunteers to control the gods in battle. Students must rely on their knowledge to win the battle. They must know the strengths of the gods they have been assigned and they must know the weaknesses of their opponents. This activity engages the entire class, as it is enjoyable to watch as well as to participate, maximizing the information your sixth graders retain about Greek gods.