VIKING GIANTS: In Viking Mythology their god was Thor. He liked to go out and catch giants. Make up simple addition and subtraction problems using the giants of Viking Mythology.

Examples:

FLYING THINGS: In Greek and Roman mythology so many of the gods and animals fly. Have the children draw a picture of many flying gods (show them illustrated pictures of the gods from books) and animals. Count together how many they can make on a piece of paper.

GREEK GODS: Using the names of the Greek gods: Zeus, Apollo, Athena, and Dionysus have the children make up a simple math chart of how often the gods would each eat at different fast food restaurants, if these fast food restaurants were in "their world".

APPLE TREE: Read the tale "The Eleventh Labor: The Apples of the Hesperides" from the book "Mightiest of Mortals: Heracles" by Doris Gates to the children. Have them decide how many apples Heracles was to get from the apple tree.

ORION: Orion was a mighty hunter, the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Orion was given the gift of walking through water by his father, Poseidon. One day Orion decides to walk through the ocean and collect fish. As a class create adding and subtracting problems with the number of fish Orion catches with his right hand and his left hand.

TWO GROUPS: Divide the class into two groups. One group represents the "Greek gods" and the other group represents the "Roman gods". Have the "Greek gods" group create math problems to challenge the "Roman gods" group. Take at least 20 minutes for each group to create their problems and then have a Contest of Challenge Games. The group that answers the most problems correctly will be given "gifts" by the losing group. The "gifts" could include:

1. carrying books for the winners.

2. cleaning out the winners' desk.

3. cleaning the chalkboard for the teacher.

4. taking library books back to the school library for the winners, etc.

Let the students decide the "gifts" ahead of time and ones that everyone agrees on.

A FEAST IS PLANNED: In the book "The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus" by Aliki Brandenberg the gods and goddesses are described in detail. They lived in a golden palace on top of a mountain that was so high it was hidden by the clouds. It was called Olympus. They ate ambrosia and nectar. They are planning a party. Have the students decide how many pounds of nectar and ambrosia they will need if there are going to be 125 guests. Each guest will need 2 pounds of nectar and 3 pounds of ambrosia.

THE "WORLD SERPENT": Thor, the Viking mythological god went fishing and encountered the mythical "World Serpent" and tried to capture him. Thor wanted to measure his length. When he got him up on the shore he was so long that he had to measure him in sections. Have the students add up Thor's findings.

l. The head of the "World Serpent": 5 feet 6 inches

2. The first section of the body: 10 feet 2 inches

3. The second section of the body: 20 feet 3 inches

4. The third section of the body: 4 feet 8 inches

5. The fourth section of the body: 7 feet 4 inches

6. The tail: 25 feet 1 inch

As a variation have the students subtract the size of the second section of the body from the first section of the body, etc. As a further variation have the students make up their own problems with mythological creatures to measure, weigh, count distances the creatures fly or climb, or how far the dragon's fiery breath goes, etc.

APOLLO, THE GOD OF THE SUN: The sun god, Apollo lived in a palace that was on Mount Olympus. It was most splendid. It had golden walls and jewels ornamenting those walls. It also had doors of silver with gleaming engravings of the seas, the cities of the mortals, and of the trees and streams of earth and the mystical beings of the heavens. Have the students create math equations of how much they think the following items weigh: the golden walls of the palace (if the palace is 25,000 square feet with only outer walls), the gleaming silver doors which were 25 feet high, and Apollo's throne which was encrusted with emeralds.

STAR MAP: Have the students create math story problems using a star map and the different creatures that make up the constellations. The class can create scenarios where the creatures of the heavens toss things back and forth to one another and to the mystical creatures of earth.

THE GOLDEN CHARIOT: Apollo, god of the sun, had a golden chariot which he drove across the sky with his team of horses. Have the class calculate how much the solid gold chariot is worth if it weighs 15,000 pounds and gold is valued at $750 an ounce.

THE ROYAL TEAM: The royal team of horses that Apollo had ate the following diet daily. (There are 4 stallions on his royal team.)

l. Two pounds of hay morning and evening.

2. One pound of oats at bedtime.

3. Three golden apples in the afternoon for a snack (each apple weighs two pounds).

4. Two pounds of carrots daily.

5. And each horse drinks 4 gallons of purified water daily.

How much did each horse eat and drink daily? And what would be the total for all 4 horses? As a variation have the class figure a different diet for the horses and add up that amount for each of the seven days of the week.

THE MYTHOLOGICAL HAMMER: The god Thor, of Viking mythology had a hammer. As a math assignment have the students draw the hammer on graph paper. Each square of the graph paper will equal one foot. The dimensions of the hammer are: the head of the hammer is 4 feet by 8 feet, the handle is 20 feet by 4 feet. After the students draw this hammer on the paper have them measure a regular sized hammer from home and compare the size of theirs with Thor's hammer.

AN EXPERT MARKSMAN: The god Apollo was an expert marksman with his silver bow and arrows. Have the students pair up and create math problems with their solutions on how Apollo utilizes his arrows on a weekly basis. Remember there are dragons, serpents and other dangers that Apollo had to fight to defend his kingdom. He was the god of the sun, music, poetry, archery, healing and prophecy. Have the paired students present their problems to the other classmates to solve. Give awards for the most creative math problems.

THE MOTION OF THE SUN: When the sun god, Apollo moved the sun through the sky he rode his chariot with his team of horses. Speed is measured in miles per hour (mph). To get the mph, multiply the time it took Apollo to move the sun around the earth (24 hours) and divide it by the distance he traveled.

A MYTHICAL TALE: Read a mythical tale or fairy tale to the class such as Aladdin, Peter Pan or Mary Poppins. On the board make two columns and have the children decide what parts of the story are "believable" and which parts are "unbelievable". For example, "Can carpets really fly?" or "Can people really use umbrellas to fly?"

THE FLYING DRAGON: As a class write a fantasy story about a flying dragon that is 20 feet tall. After writing the story together have each student draw a picture of their "20 Foot Tall Flying Dragon".

THE SKY IS GREEN: Write a story together about a world where the sky is green and the grass is blue, where animals talk and people make noises like animals. Then create costumes out of construction paper and act the story out for the parents. Make sure that the children include legendary animals that fly and mystical people that have wings.

PEGASUS: Have each class member pretend that they are Pegasus, the winged horse. Using ones imagination exercises that part of the child's creativity. Have them verbalize their feelings and write down on the board their thoughts. Then have the class copy the sentences and design a cover for their paper with construction paper and crayons.

A MYSTICAL PALACE: Have the class pretend that they live in a palace in mythical times. Have them use their imaginations in creating what they think the palace will look like and who will occupy its many rooms. Discuss together and write down the ideas that the children come up with and create a poem together from the ideas that are given.

UPDATED TALE: Have the students rewrite a favorite fairy tale or myth in an updated, modern version. i.e. "Sinbad and the Space Shuttle", "Bats Fly to The Moon".

FLYING FEET: Have the class pretend that they have naturally motorized flying feet. Have them write an essay about their "flying adventures" through mythological lands and what they discover along the way about the different heroes, heroines and villains.

VARIOUS VERSIONS: Have the students read different versions of the same myth (they were written differently according to the country they originated from). Have the class describe the similarities and differences in the various versions.

NATURAL MYTHS: Have the students write their own myths to describe some part of nature (i.e. "Why is there lightning?" or "Why don't we see the sun at night?").

A TALL TALE: Have the students write a tall tale. Describe to the class that a tall tale expresses exaggerations in story form. Have them include as many exaggerations as possible in theirs.

A LIVING AIRPLANE: Have each classmate pretend that they are a non-living object such as an airplane, kite, chariot, or flying carpet. Have then describe a day in their lives as the object.

FANTASY CHARACTERS: Have each student write a story that involves three fantasy or mythological characters and three mythological locations. i.e. a flying horse on Mt. Olympus, a flying fish on the sea of the gods, a dragon-slayer in the marshy woods.

THE POWER OF MIND READING: Each student has been "given the power to read other peoples' minds" for one day. Tell where you would go, during which period of mythological history, and to which person or people in mythological history. What did you discover? Write about your adventure.

A MYTHOLOGICAL POEM: Have each student write a poem about a mythological character and include a drawing of their character. Have them try the Dada poetry style. What your student does is write down ten verbs, eight nouns, and some pronouns on small pieces of paper. Then jumble them up in a bowl and draw them out one at a time. Arrange the words on a piece of paper until you like the way they look. These type of poems were originally written by artists and poets in Paris, France, who clipped words from newspapers, scrambled them, and then arranged them in lines to form nonsense poems.

ALIVE BEFORE: Have your students imagine that they were alive at the time of their favorite myth. Have them describe their life and how it would differ from their life today. Describe the differences in dress, food, housing, toys, games, entertainment, employment, family life, etc.

A FABLE WITH A MESSAGE: Have each student write a fable. A fable teaches a lesson or moral. Each classmate can then make a proclamation of their "fable or moral" to the rest of the class.

A LEGEND YOURSELF: How could you become a legend like in mythology? Using your imagination think of ways you can become a legend. There are no boundaries but fantasy in creating your legendary character. What feats of bravery or unusual things do you accomplish in your imaginary world?

THE GOOD GUYS & THE BAD GUYS: Have the class become acquainted with some myths or fairy tales. Read them through once to discover the "good guys" and the "bad guys". Have the class read them again and consider whether these characters might actually commit a crime. i.e. "The Dance of the Eagle".

MASKS: Have the students create masks about a mythological character. Then have them write a new legend about their character. When giving the presentation have them wear their masks to enhance the story. Provide heavy paper, marking pens, glue, scissors, feathers, cloth pieces, beads, ribbon, and twine to make the masks.

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW: Have the students choose a myth or fairy tale and have them rewrite it from a different character's point of view. i.e. Pegasus' viewpoint in "Pegasus, the Flying Horse".

A SCIENCE-FICTION STORY: Have the students take a myth a step further in the progression of mythology and science and have them write a science-fiction story about an imaginary world system.

A SIMPLE GREEK MYTH: Read a simple Greek myth to the class and do a study together of the characters in the myth, comparing the characters to a similar Roman myth.

MAN AND BEAST: Do a class study of the creatures that are a combination of man and beast in various mythological stories of the Greeks, Vikings, and Romans.

CREATURES OF MYTHS: Have the students do a study of the many creatures that are associated with Greek and Roman mythology. Examples of creatures they can do research on would be: Centaur, Apollo, Charbdis and Scylia, Cyclops, Faun, Griffin, Hydra, Hercules, Pegasus, Python, Zeus, Aphrodite, etc.

AESOP'S FABLES: Have the students do a class study of Aesop's Fables after they read them. Next to each fable have the student write out the moral or lesson that is to be learned from the fable.

DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: Have the class do a study of fairy tales and myths from different countries. Have them graph the stories that have the same basic themes or endings.

FAMOUS PLACES: Have the class do a study of famous places that are associated with Greek and Roman mythology. Examples would be: Arcadia, Atlantis, Augean Stables, Delphi, Elysian Fields, Labyrinth, Olympus, Parnessus, Pillars of Hercules, Styx, Troy, etc.

FAMOUS AUTHORS: Have the class do a study of famous authors of fantasy and mythological books for children. Have them write out their findings and then give oral reports to the rest of the class.

FAMILY TREE: Have the students do a study of the "family tree" of the Greek and Roman gods and then draw the tree out on paper for the class to view.

THE LITTLE PEOPLE: Have the class do research on the "little people" of myths, legends, and fairy tales. Have them find out the similarities and differences between gnomes, dwarfs, pygmies, and midgets.

FAMOUS HEROINES: Have the students study some of the famous heroines in the following two categories: myths and legends; and fairy tales. Are the women equally represented in the two groups? Make a chart to show the differences.

ONE COUNTRY: Have the class do an individual study of mythology from one particular country or people group. i.e. Greek, Roman, Chinese, Viking, American Indian, Japanese, Eskimo. Have the students prepare a lesson, complete with photographs, drawings, and other illustrations to teach their fellow classmates.

FLYING FISH: Have the children pretend that they are flying fish, flying horses, flying dragons and dinosaurs from mythological stories. Create scenes with these flying creatures and play music as the children move about the classroom. They can design simple costuming with colored construction paper.

A COLORFUL MURAL: As a class make a mural of their favorite characters from myths, fairy tales, legends, nursery rhymes, etc. After they complete it ask the class next door to visit and discover new things about mythology.

MOBILES: Using a thin coat hanger and colored construction paper and tape create a mobile with a variety of creatures and characters from myths and fairy tales.

MYTHICAL GROCERY STORE: Have the class make "food items" out of empty boxes and construction paper that they can sell in their Mythical Land Grocery Store to creatures who "live" in mythology.

A MYTHICAL PLAY: With the teacher overseeing have the class "write" a play about mythical characters. Create costumes together from construction paper and have the children present the play to their parents.

WHY DO TURTLES HAVE SHELLS? With the theme "why do turtles have shells" or "why does an elephant have a trunk" have the children draw fantasy animals that have or do things that ordinary animals cannot do.

HOW MANY SPOTS: Read selected tales in the book "How Many Spots Does A Leopard Have? and Other Tales" by Julius Lester. Supply art materials for the children to draw about the tales you read to them.

HEROES AND HEROINES: Choose selected stories from the book "Iroquois Stories: Heroes and Heroines, Monsters and Magic" by Joseph Bruchac and read to the children. Supply art materials to the children to draw pictures of their choice from the stories they hear.

THE INDIAN PAINTBRUSH: After reading "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" by Tomie de Paola to the students. Supply art paper and watercolors, colored chalk and colored marking pens. Have the students explore the possibilities of "painting" with no limitations.

PUPPET SHOW: Have the class make puppets to represent a favorite character in a myth. Then have them write "a play" for the puppets and act it out in front of the class.

STORY BOOK: Have the students write a mythical story book for very young children introducing a new character of their own. Have the student give their character a name, a home, and an interesting adventure. Have them use a lot of colorful pictures and only a few words per page. Then have them bind the book by stitching it between cardboard covers. Invite a younger class to come and view the books that have been made by the older children.

A ROLL MOVIE: Have the students make a "roll movie" of their favorite myth. Make certain that each frame of the movie has a caption appropriate to the picture. You can give each student a long piece of white butcher paper that they trim and measure so that each separate frame is approximately 8x10 inches.

A ROAD SIGN: Students can design a "road sign" that can be used to the entrance of their "mythological land". Have a contest to see who creates the most colorful and appealing sign.

A COMIC STRIP: Have the students create a comic strip with characters from Greek, Roman or other mythology. Supply paper, marking pens, and scissors.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE: Using the sound track from the movie, "Chariots of Fire" have the class create dance movements and actions that they might imagine a mystical character would do. Have them include "flying" motions of these mythological beings. Have them bring simple costume items from home to complete their activity as they move to the music.

WHY THE SKY: "Read Why the Sky Is Far Away" by Mary-Joan Gerson, a Nigerian folk tale. Supply art materials so that the students can draw pictures about the tale.

THE MOON: After reading the "Moon Was Tired of Walking on Air" by Natalia M. Belting or the "Home of the Sun and the Moon" in our text, have the students explore different approaches to drawing the moon. Supply different art mediums: paint, chalk, pen and ink, marking pens, paper, etc.

A CHEYENNE LEGEND: Read "Quillworker: A Cheyenne Legend" by Terri Cohlene to the class. Have books on the Big Dipper constellation that the students can refer to. Supply art materials that the students can use to draw the Big Dipper Constellation.

GODS AND GODDESSES: Read selections from the book "The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus" by Aliki Brandenberg to the class. Supply art materials to the students and have them draw pictures of their perceptions of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. As a variation to this lesson read selections from the book "Gods and Heroes From Viking Mythology" by Brian Branston to the students and have them choose art materials to draw pictures of Viking gods and heroes.

READ ALOUD: Have the class read mythical stories aloud to one another. Then have them make a scrapbook of pictures illustrating the various exaggerations found in the story. Have them put a caption under each illustration.

MYTHOLOGICAL WORLD: Have each student pair up with one other classmate. Then have each team design their own "Mythological World". Have them design creative transportation, street names, buildings, cities, waterways, recreation, etc. Then have the teams draw up plans for their "worlds" along with illustrations of their means of transportation, waterways, buildings, recreation, etc.

A GNOME HOME: Have the students build an environment for a gnome. A gnome is only six inches tall, so remember everything has to be properly scaled. The students can pair up with other classmates for this project.

A BOARD GAME: Have the class design board games that can be played by younger children. Have the game include a variety of their favorite mythological characters. Make it out of heavy cardboard, including directions on how to play, playing pieces, and any other equipment that is needed. Invite a younger, primary class to join your class to play the game.

BOOK JACKET: Have the students design a new book jacket for an old mythological tale. Have them include an interesting picture, the title, author, publisher and a short review of the book for the inside flap or back cover.

EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW: Have the class illustrate a book written by a Greek god. Call it "Everything You Must Know About a Greek God". Have the students team up to create interesting ideas and scenes for their books. After completing the books share with the school librarian.

Synopsis:

This illustrated collection of 25 legends which deal with the creation of the world has been awarded the Newberry Honor Book. It can be enjoyed by all grade levels.

Synopsis:

This is a Pueblo Indian Myth about how the spirit of the Lord of the sun was brought to the world through "the Boy". The angular and bold illustrations are uniquely suited for the tale.

Synopsis:

This tale is set in Texas and tells the legend of a young Native American girl, whose people desperately need the drought to end. The lovely illustrations add depth to the book.

Synopsis:

The animals in this legend decide to send a messenger to the Great Sky Spirit when it snows for a long period of time. The outstanding illustrations are perfectly matched to the text.

Synopsis:

After a Dream Vision, the Indian boy is inspired to paint pictures as pure as the colors in the evening sky. It is a must tale for children.

Synopsis:

This is a wonderful collection of stories that people in Greece began telling long ago about ancient Greece. These myths are told in such a way that you can read these stories to small children. The characters are brought back to life in such an awesome, yet simple way. The illustrations only lend to the delight of this book.

Synopsis:

This beautifully illustrated book depicts some of the adventures of the god Thor in Viking mythology. This would be a wonderful book to read to children as young as kindergarten.

Synopsis:

This legend tells of the time when all people were healthy. It is a fascinating story to read to children and the illustrations by Helen are beautiful.

Synopsis:

This Folk tale about the sky goddess Elinda is a clever tale about her wedding and the relationship she has with the stars. The illustrations are beautiful.

Synopsis:

This is an African tale that explains why bats fly only at night. The illustrations lend to the overall appeal of the book.

Synopsis:

This creation myth from New Guinea shares that the world was made by a great sea turtle. The vibrant illustrations show the lovable sea turtle and an island teeming with life.

Synopsis:

This Nigerian folk tale is about the sky that embraces a strong moral message about squandering natural resources. The illustrations give the reader a deeper appreciation for saving our planet.

Synopsis:

The folk tale from Nigeria speaks about the sun and his wife, the moon, building a large house for entertaining the water. This book has won the Caldecott Honor Book.

Synopsis:

This tale is not attributed to any culture in particular, but the motifs seem to be African inspired. The story is about a feisty old woman who bargains with the Sky Spirit. It is well illustrated.

Synopsis:

This book deals with the indigenous people of New Zealand. These exciting tales show the life of a people whose survival depended on their knowledge of the sea. It is well illustrated.

Synopsis:

This is the tale of a weaver Princess who came down from heaven to marry a mortal. The Chinese celebrate this story on the seventh Chinese month, on the seventh day of the month. The last entry in the book explains the familiar stars and constellations that are represented in this legend. The illustrations are beautiful.

Synopsis:

Mr. Wise does a wonderful job presenting an introduction to Greek Mythology by telling afresh six of the classic Greek stories of adventure. The dramatic illustrations evokes the mood of these myths and depicts in detail the superb monsters of the time.

Synopsis:

This is a delightful Cheyenne legend that explains the origin of the Big Dipper constellation. A reference section at the back includes a short glossary and an overview of the Cheyenne people and their customs. The illustrations are lovely and give the book a total presentation for the reader.

Synopsis:

This is a book of amusing tales of how things came to be - like how the elephant got his long nose, or how the camel got his hump. This is an inspired classic and these stories provide a perfect springboard for the question: Could that be true?

Synopsis:

This book is a retelling of 22 legends about the creation of the world from different California Indian tribes. The illustrations give the book an added benefit as they show the simplicity of Indian ways which will be sure to fascinate the reader.

Synopsis:

This book includes fourteen creation myths from tribes in South America that explain the worlds above and below the earth. The illustrations are beautiful and lend a lovely air to the reading experience.

Synopsis:

This Native American legend is about a mouse who becomes the noblest of creatures, the eagle. The illustrations are great and lend a noble quality to the legend.

Synopsis:

This is a folklore book that has a collection of North American Indian legends that interpret astronomical phenomena. It is well illustrated.

Synopsis:

The author, Doris Gates does a superb joy in retelling Greek myths that are often fragmented or lost. Heracles, a fierce warrior, was the mightiest mortal ever to live, yet he had to earn his place on Olympus, the mountain of the gods. The black and white illustrations lend to the fascination of this epic story.

Synopsis:

A wonderful collection of over 30 legends and the book opens with "The Coming of Legends" which tells how legends came into the world. The illustrations are terrific and add spark to this volume.

Synopsis:

This tale of the most loved of all the Olympian gods. Doris Gates brings the myths of Apollo to life in such a dramatic and vigorous way for readers. The black and white illustrations add depth to the reading experience.

Synopsis:

This book gives the reader a fresh description in words and pictures as if the gods of Olympus were alive today. A must for students who are researching the mythology of Greece.

Synopsis:

In the far North in ancient times gods lived who battled awful frost giants who caused the icy winters. This book translates the spirit as well as the words of the myths. The colored illustrations lends to the imagination of these tales.

Synopsis:

The tale of Odyssey's journey from Troy is one of the greatest stories of all times. This retelling by Mr. Lister is delightful and breathes new life into this tale that has endured for thousands of years. The dramatic illustrations add depth to this inspiring story.

Synopsis:

This is a wonderful set of stories of mythical legends and would be a great way to share myths with your class by reading a few pages each day. The Search For The Golden Fleece is particularly a great epic.

Synopsis:

A legendary myth god, Zeus is displayed in all his thunderous appeal. Along with stories about Zeus there are stories about Hera, his jealous wife, his son, Dionysus and others.

Synopsis:

This is the adventures of Alice in the legendary Wonderland. Nearly all the pages in the tale include some twist or mishap that Alice has to logically figure out and all the paradoxes that abound in the story make it a classic beyond measure.

Synopsis:

This is a wonderful book providing many specific examples of myths or stories that explain natural events. The teacher should choose two or three of her favorites to widen her students acquaintance with Native American culture.

Synopsis:

The legends in this book explain the observations of the stars, moon, and night sky. Along with each tale there is information about the constellation or other heavenly observation and how various Indian tribes perceived them. The illustrations lend to the beauty of this work.

Synopsis:

This science fiction tale is about a group of children that are considered troublesome. They face the ultimate test: to pass the Survival Trek so that they can go to Mars. It is not illustrated but a fun book to read.

Synopsis:

A wonderful collection of African folktales such as why monkeys live in trees, and why dogs chase cats, but no ever finds out how many spots the leopard really has!

Synopsis:

This is a beautiful book, illustrated superbly and with depth of feeling. The book is filled with stories of the old gods and heroes of Europe. A must for every Mythology student.

Synopsis:

This is a collection of 14 folk tales that include mysterious problems to solve. There are notes in the book that have information about countries, sources, and solutions. The book is well illustrated.

Synopsis:

This is a science fiction tale with a dolphin-commanded star ship from our planet which runs into trouble and hides in an alien ocean. There are no illustrations, but the tale is fun to read.

Synopsis:

This is a book that presents historical references, myths, legends and true stories about dolphins. It is illustrated with pictures and has early research on the behavior of dolphins.