Mr. Verlin South Philadelphia High School September 24, 2014

Preliminaries  Respond to the following prompt in your journals: In their journals, the students will respond to the following prompt: “What is a hero? How does one achieve heroic status?”

Objectives:  The students will be able to define the motif of “dragon slaying”.  The students will be able to identify the elements of a heroic quest.  The students will be able to identify the trials and rewards of Theseus’s heroic quest.

Focus Lesson: Theseus…  Stories often come alive when they’re read aloud. Today, we will be listening to the Theseus story read from audio. While you listen, be sure to pay particular attention to the 5 trials of Theseus. You will be asked to identify and explain them later in small groups.

Focus Lesson: Identifying…  Divide into small groups of 3 or 4.  Complete the handout provided.  Each group will report out.

Homework  Assume that Theseus deliberately deserted Ariadne on the island of Naxos. Write a letter to Theseus in Athens from Ariadne’s point of view. The letter should express Ariadne’s feelings about Theseus’s choice to set sail for Athens without her after she had helped him escape the Labyrinth.  Due in 1 week (30 homework points).