Mythology module By: rachael Tyrrel Hercules Mythology module By: rachael Tyrrel

Summary of hercules Hercules is a story of a powerful, strong man who had to prove himself to society. He was part mortal and part immortal because his father was Zues, King of the Greek Gods, and his mother was a human. Therefore, Hercules was a Demigod. He was a mix between Superhero and Normal Man. He was forced to complete 12 Labors (now known as The 12 Labors of Hercules). These labors would make him immortal. However, through these actions he became a very violent man. His super-strength and powers caused him to complete some terrible acts. *Note: There are various versions of the Hercules story available. This is a summary based on the readings of multiple sources.

12 labors of hercules

Why did I pick this myth? What can we learn from Hercules? I picked the Hercules myth because this was one of my favorite “stories” as a child. I think this is also just because it is a popular myth, rather than a good myth. I learned a lot more about Hercules during this module and some of his actions were despicable. As a child, I think this story was so popular because we (as classmates) admired Hercules super-strength and powers. I think you can learn a lot about society and people by studying the past. For example, why is Greek Mythology so important in society and how can these myths be utilized in the classroom to teach students certain values? I created the following questions below as potential discussion points around the various Hercules stories in order to build cultural understanding. What can we learn from Hercules? Hercules was a violent man, who although was very courageous and strong (and is viewed as a hero) was also very violent. What responsibility does he have over his actions? Who determines what constitutes a Hero? What does Hercules and his story say about the way our country or society views strength, violence and mental health? What does this story convey about what humans are capable of? What is each person’s unique strength?

One image that describes the myth: I think this image is important because it shows the heroism and bravery of Hercules, but also his cruel, abusive side. The Hercules story is not the story we see in the Disney film. I think this image also helps explain the time period and culture of Ancient Greek Civilizations.

Great links for students and educators in the classroom… A lot of these resources focus on the inaccuracies seen in the Disney Movie: Hercuels. Educators can use these resources (and others) to teach not only the Hercules story, but also the role of Greek Mythology. I think this would be a great way to teach Greek Culture, especially culture revolving around ancient civilizations. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson011.shtml http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1998/2/98.02.06.x.html

Notes about teaching There are various stories about Hercules, including stories that are gruesome and graphic. These stories should be appropriately adopted to the classroom and matched to the appropriate grade-level. Educators should be prepared to field a wide array of questions and concerns regarding this story. Not all myths are happy fairytales!

Works cited Websites: http://tpstieret.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-12-labours-of-hercules.html https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200910/why-myths-still-matter-hercules-and-his-twelve-healing-labors Images: http://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/greece_hercules.gif https://booktrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Hercules.jpg https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/3/30/Hercules_KHREC.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20140609040759 https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/c/c8/Hercules_transparent.gif/revision/latest?cb=20150916010345