1. Mini-Lesson on “Persephone”
By Mrs. Hoegh

2. Journal
Describe the relationship you have with your father or mother. How would he/she respond if you were “taken”? What steps would they take to get you back?
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3. Basic Information--Characters
Persephone (daughter of Zeus and Demeter, wife of Hades, goddess of spring)
Demeter (goddess of agriculture)
Hades (god of the underworld)
Zeus (king of the gods, ruler of mankind

4. Basic Information--Setting
Earth
The Underworld

5. Basic Information—Plot
Hades has fallen in love with Persephone, Zeus’s daughter, and wants to make her his wife. Zeus knows Demeter would never allow this so he plots with Hades to figure out a way to make this work. As Persephone is out in the fields one day, she is distracted by a beautiful flower which traps her and she is taken to the underworld to become Hades’ wife. Demeter heard her daughter scream and figured out what happened.

6. Basic information—Plot
Demeter went into a serious depression which effected the earth, creating famine. Zeus knew this couldn’t happened so he sent Hermes to plead with Hades to send Persephone back. Hades allowed it; however, since Persephone ate seeds from the underworld she must remain there three months out of the year revealing the explanation of the seasons.

7. Message From the Story
To Everything there is a Season To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to lose and a time to seek a time to rend and a time to sew a time to keep silent and a time to speak a time to love and a time to hate a time for war and a time for peace.

8. Message From the Story
"This myth directly invokes your relationship with your adolescent daughter as you brave her exciting but terribly risky passage to becoming a woman."

9. Application of the Message
Many mothers feel they are losing their daughters during adolescent years
If we hold on to our children too tightly, if we weave our lives totally around them, we are then at a loss when they mature and become independent
Though there are times of great sorrow there is also great joy to be found
We learn to live through the ups and downs, the sorrows, heartaches knowing it’s possible to reach for the light again

10. Application of Message Continued
We need to stand firm for what is good and right, even in the face of adversity when powerful forces are aligned against us
We can't go back. For everything there is a season. And there is a time for letting go.

11. Connection to Current Event

12. Assessment Questions Include a question about summarization.
Provide a 1-2 sentence summary over Zeus’s motive to help Hades.
Include a question about a character’s conflict.
Example—What motivates Hades to capture Persephone?
Include question to include support of theme/message.
Example—Provide an example that supports the message discussed in the lesson.
Include another question to support theme/message.
Example—Provide another example that supports the theme discussed in the lesson.

13. Assessment Questions
(Knowledge) What is Demeter goddess over and what is her relationship to Persephone?
(Analyze) What motive does Hades have for taking Persephone?
(Analyze) Compare and contrast the personality traits of Hades and Zeus.
(Analyze) Predict what would have happened if Persephone wasn’t returned to Demeter?
(Evaluate) Determine what Hades’ life is like when Persephone is with Demeter. Explain.