Greek Plays

Debbie B. Woodford

develop english speaking skills through drama Journey into the exciting world of drama and theater with the Lollipop Theater series!

Greek Plays

Greek Plays

In this series, students will learn to express themselves with confidence through body language, facial expressions and speech. By taking part in fun and lively activities like discussions, voice exercises, role-play, and stage performances, students will develop strong presentation skills and learn to speak more fluently. They will also learn to be more creative by engaging in improvisation and drama games.

This series aims to develop and nurture students’ appreciation for drama and literature. Students will have ample opportunities to analyze the form and content of different types of texts. They will also be able to improve their writing skills through projects such as script writing.

ISBN

Empowering Minds • Improving Lives

978-981-4321-83-9

9 789814 321839

Debbie B. Woodford

Gods and goddesses, monsters and heroes ... In Greek Plays, students will be immersed in the fascinating world of Greek myths and legends! In addition, students will be introduced to the genres of Greek tragedy and comedy, and learn about famed playwrights, Sophocles and Aristophanes.

Greek Plays

Debbie B. Woodford

Greek Plays

Debbie B. Woodford

Published by Alston Publishing House Pte Ltd 6 Battery Road, #29-03, Singapore 049909 Main: (65) 6538 3990 Fax: (65) 6538 3991 Email: enquiry@alstonpublishinghouse.com Website: http://www.alstonpublishinghouse.com Š 2011 Alston Publishing House Pte Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

First published 2011 Reprinted 2012 ISBN 978-981-4321-83-9 Managing Editor: Ann Teo Editor: Ally Cheah Designers: Constance Lim and Keith Lee Illustrator: Choy Printed in Singapore

Contents Chapter Title

Learning Outcomes

Ancient Greek Theater And Culture 1. Ancient Greek Theater

Do some research about ancient Greece

Learn about ancient Greek theaters and plays

Explore and create rhymes

1

2. Greek Gods And Goddesses

Learn

about various Greek gods and goddesses Summarize a story about a Greek god or goddess Exercise your imagination by pretending to visit the home of the Greek gods and goddesses

6

3. Ancient Greek Festivals

L earn about ancient Greek festivals and the ancient Olympic Games Plan and give a short speech Design a statue of Zeus Mime sporting events in the ancient Olympic Games

11

4. The Chorus

L earn about the chorus in ancient Greek theater Carry out research and do a simple quiz on the chorus Practice choral reading

18

5. The Actors And Masks

Learn about ancient Greek actors

Learn about the use of masks in ancient Greek theater

Express yourself with your voice and body language

Design masks that display certain facial features and emotions

Use masks in a short skit

23

Chapter Title

Learning Outcomes

The Wonderful World Of Greek Myths 6. Greek Myths

nderstand the definition of a myth U Learn about characters in Greek myths Perform tongue twisters Create a mythical creature Write about your creature

29

7. Creation I

Read Creation, a Greek myth Discuss and take down notes about Creation Gather information through interviews Write a news article based on Creation

35

8. Creation II

ead the script for Creation R Describe the characters in the story Discuss and compare two different text types Decide how to perform the script Perform the script

40

9. Zeus, Hera And Io I

Read the story of Zeus, Hera and Io Describe the characters in the story Use your voice to convey different emotions Use your voice to engage an audience Retell the story in your own words Mime the story

45

10. Zeus, Hera And Io II

R ead a poem about the story of Zeus, Hera and Io Use your voice to express yourself Perform the script Use your imagination and change the ending of the story

53

Chapter Title

Learning Outcomes

The Wonderful World Of Greek Myths 11. Pandora's Box I

Read Pandora’s Box

Mime and play a guessing game

Design symbols to represent the gifts in the story

Perform part of the script

58

12. Pandora's Box II

R ead and perform the entire story of Pandora’s Box

Discuss and identify the evils in our world

Create your own Pandora’s Box Write and share hopeful solutions to end the evils in the world

64

13. Narcissus And Echo

Learn about the story of Narcissus and Echo

Do activities involving mirrors and echoes

Retell the story with actions

71

14. Heracles

Learn about Heracles through a talk show interview Use your imagination to carry out drama activities focusing on strength Create battle scenes and re-enact them in slow motion

76

15. Perseus And Medusa

Learn about Perseus and Medusa through a talk show interview

Practice body movement by playing a freezing game

Practice improvisation

80

16. The Trojan War

Learn about the Trojan War and draw a map of the city of Troy Cooperate with others and use your problemsolving skills Think of ideas and draft a plan to help the Greeks overcome the Trojans

84

17. The Trojan Horse

Read the first part of The Trojan Horse

Design the wooden horse

Use your imagination in several drama activities

Read the second part of the story and practice improvisation using the scripts

88

18. King Midas

Read the story of King Midas

Identify action words and come up with gestures for them

Learn to give a simple ‘eyewitness’ account

Design props and retell a story using puppets

94

Chapter Title

Learning Outcomes

Greek Tragedy 19. Sophocles

Learn about the Greek playwright, Sophocles Think and write about a sad movie or book Learn about the characteristics of Greek tragedies Read a sad story and reflect on your feelings about it Practice saying lines in a dramatic manner Discuss stories that feature negative emotions

101

20. Antigone I

Learn about Antigone, a Greek tragedy Explore emotions by reading a poem and imagining the loss of a loved one Read and act out the story Practice developing and acting out characters

107

21. Antigone II

Learn about victims, villains and heroes Act as a victim, villain and hero

Plan a new tragic ending for Antigone Discuss what the characters of Antigone, Creon and Ismene are like Write the script for a new ending for Antigone and act it out

113

Greek Comedy 22. Aristophanes

Learn about the Greek playwright, Aristophanes

Learn about the characteristics of Greek comedies

Read and describe the humorous situation in The Three Brothers

Take part in drama activities centered on laughing

Make up a humorous story and tell it to the class

119

23. Birds I

Recite and perform a rhyme

Do vocal warm-ups through a game

Read and act out Birds, a Greek comedy

Design costumes for characters in Birds

125

24 Birds II

Improve concentration by playing a miming game

Learn to create a story tableaux

Recall words that you have learned

Use your imagination to create names for a new city

132

Glossary

137

Acknowledgements

138

1

Ancient Greek Theater

d i Yo u K now ?

Greece is located in southern Europe. It is made up of the Peloponnese, which is its mainland, and thousands of islands. Some of the islands include Crete, Lesbos and Euboea.

Greece has many mountains. Its most famous mountain is Mount Olympus.

Most Greeks live along the coast where the land is good for farming.

Theaters Going to the theater was very important to the ancient Greeks. It was so important that prisoners would be released from jails for a short time so that they, too, could also attend plays!

Every town and every city had at least one theater. These ancient Greek theaters were shaped like a semi-circle and usually large enough to hold 15,000 people!

The theaters were often built on hillsides. Why do you think the ancient Greeks built their theaters on slopes?

Teacher’s Note

Ask students to think of possible reasons why ancient Greek theaters were built in the shape of a semi-circle and on a hillside.

Ancient Greek Theater

1

Le t's do I t!

More About Ancient Greece

Do some research on ancient Greece and write your notes in the space below.

Share any interesting information you find with your friends.

Fun Facts About Ancient Greece

Teacher’s Note

Guide the students’ research for more facts about ancient Greece. Students could be asked to work in groups.

Topics can be assigned to the students. Some possible topics include the type of clothes the ancient Greeks wore, architecture (such as the Greek columns), food and the ancient Olympics.

2

Greek Plays

Greek Plays Greek plays were either spoken or sung in rhyme.

What Is A Rhyme?

A rhyme is when two or more words that sound similar are used. Rhymes are often found in poems and songs. Here’s an example:

I had a little turtle; his name was Tiny Tim. I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim.

He drank all the water and he ate a bar of soap.

The next thing I knew, he had a bubble in his throat!

Did you notice that the last words in each pair of lines sound similar? ‘Tim’ rhymes with ‘swim’ and ‘soap’ rhymes with ‘throat’.

Student Dialog

ue

Do you know any othe r rhymes? Share them with your friends.

Teacher’s Note

'I had a little turtle' is a skipping rhyme. If time and classroom conditions permit, students can skip as the rhyme is being recited.

Ancient Greek Theater

3

Le t's do I t!

Time To Rhyme

Try this exercise with your partner.

Read these examples of words that rhyme with ‘ball’.

hall

tall wall

Can you think of three words that rhyme with ‘cat’? Write the words in the blanks below:

Now use the word 'cat' and all the words you wrote to create four sentences.

Examples The naughty elf has a big orange ball.

1 She throws it at the giant in the hall.

2 3 The giant is quick and tall.

He caught the ball and threw it over the wall.

4 My Sentences 1.

2.

3.

4.

4

Greek Plays

Now try this activity again with a list of words that rhyme with ‘old’.

My Wor s old

My Sentences 1.

2.

3.

4.

Teacher’s Note

Give prompts and hints for rhyming words. Encourage students to be creative with their choice of words and construction of sentences. Stress to the students that they need to place the rhyming words at the end of their sentences. Get students to read their sentences aloud and point out the similarities in sounds. The sentences do not have to be related, though it would be ideal if the students are able to create short poems.

Ancient Greek Theater

5

2

Greek Gods And Goddesses

d i Yo u K now ?

The ancient Greeks believed that powerful gods and goddesses watched over them. These gods and goddesses lived in a cloud-palace above Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. They looked down from the mountain to watch what humans did.

Each god and goddess had a different purpose. The ancient Greeks would hold festivals to honor them. Greek gods and goddesses were often used as characters in Greek stories and plays. The most important gods and goddesses of ancient Greece were the 12 Olympians.

1 Demeter

Goddess of fertility and harvest. She also had the power to control the seasons.

5 Hera

Goddess of marriage, birth and children. Hera was Zeus’ wife and the queen of the gods.

9 Hephaestus

God of fire, technology and manufacturing (making something from simple materials).

He was a son of Zeus and Aphrodite’s husband.

6

Greek Plays

2 Poseidon

God of the sea, rivers and floods.

He was Zeus’ brother.

6 Apollo

3 Hestia

Goddess of the home and cooking.

She was Zeus' sister.

7 Artemis

4 Zeus

King of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky.

As the most powerful of the gods, he would hurl a thunderbolt to bring about order.

8 Aphrodite

God of the sun, light, poetry and music. Apollo was one of Zeus’ sons.

Goddess of the hunt and wild animals.

She was one of Zeus' daughters and Apollo's twin sister.

Goddess of love and beauty. She was Hephaestus' wife.

10 Ares

11 Hermes

12 Athena

God of war and manly courage. He was Zeus’ son too.

He was handsome but also cruel and vain.

God of travel, another of Zeus’ sons and the messenger of the gods. Hermes was known for his pranks and his speed.

Goddess of wisdom and warfare. She was Zeus' first-born child and favorite daughter.

2

1

3

4 5

9

6

7

8

10

11 12

Greek Gods And Goddesses

7

Le t's do I t!

Getting To Know The Greek Gods

Choose a Greek god or goddess. Do some research on him or her. Share one story about him or her with your class.

Name of the Greek god or goddess: One story about this god or goddess:

Teacher’s Note

Students could be asked to search the library for stories about the god or goddess they have selected. The students could work in groups or individually, then retell the stories to the class. They could also make a list of other characters that they discover during their research and introduce them to the class during their presentations.

8

Greek Plays

Le t's do I t!

Let’s Climb Mount Olympus!

Let’s climb Mount Olympus and see where the Greek gods and goddesses live!

What do we need to climb a mountain? Work in groups to list the things you will need.

Th ing s To Br ing

Teacher’s Note

Items could include ropes, a flashlight, a map, binoculars, food, water, a compass, a camera, and so on. The teacher should facilitate the ‘climb’ up and down Mount Olympus. Encourage the students to use their imaginations and articulate what they ‘see’.

Greek Gods And Goddesses

9

Let’s gather the items and begin our journey up Mount Olympus. Each of you will be in charge of one item on your list. Use the item when it is needed during the climb up and down Mount Olympus.

Once you have reached the top of Mount Olympus, explore the cloud-palace and take photographs. Then make your way back down the mountain.

Share with the class what and who you saw on top of Mount Olympus.

Describe what you saw in as much detail as you can.

For example, what did the cloud-palace look like? Did you see Zeus? What was he doing and what did he look like?

10

Greek Plays

Debbie B. Woodford

DEVELOP ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH DRAMA Journey into the exciting world of drama and theater with the Lollipop Theater series!

Greek Plays

Greek Plays

Greek Plays

Debbie B. Woodford

In this series, students will learn to express themselves with confidence through body language, facial expressions and speech. By taking part in fun and lively activities like discussions, voice exercises, role-play, and stage performances, students will develop strong presentation skills and learn to speak more fluently. They will also learn to be more creative by engaging in improvisation and drama games.

This series aims to develop and nurture students’ appreciation for drama and literature. Students will have ample opportunities to analyze the form and content of different types of texts. They will also be able to improve their writing skills through projects such as script writing.

ISBN

Empowering Minds • Improving Lives

00_LT_GreekPlays_cover.indd 1

Debbie B. Woodford

Gods and goddesses, monsters and heroes ... In Greek Plays, students will be immersed in the fascinating world of Greek myths and legends! In addition, students will be introduced to the genres of Greek tragedy and comedy, and learn about famed playwrights, Sophocles and Aristophanes.

978-981-4321-83-9

9 789814 321839

6/4/12 11:58 AM