The Ridiculous Myth of Hercules
In this detailed and funny class, we enact the whole Greek myth of Heracles in just 55 wild minutes.
Jonny Walker (he/him) - MA (Uni of Cambridge)
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(614)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
In this highly interactive and lively class, we will tell the WHOLE story of the ridiculous life of Hercules. From his bizarre birth, through all of the quests he must go on, and on to his immortal life on Olympus, we use humour and storytelling to breathe life into one of the most famous figures from Greek Mythology. We will cover - The childhood and youth of Heracles - The rage of Hera - The Labours of Heracles - The gift of immortal life The class is highly interactive. Whilst I teach with slides, there are opportunities throughout for children to join in and become characters, reading from the slides. I always design my slides to allow opportunities for readers at different levels of confidence and ability, and the choice to read is *always* the child's choice. Children will have lots of opportunities to engage and interact with each other, in role and through questions and discussion. The class is comically fast-paced, setting us the amusing challenge of telling an enormous story in a short amount of time. Humorous storytelling supports the children to hold on to this complex story. This class is a perfect introduction to my Greek of the Week ongoing classes. Children do not need any prior knowledge of mythology to take part, but for those who *do* know their myths, there is plenty to stretch and extend their understanding.
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the birth, life and sort-of-death of Hercules.
Students will learn that Hercules is the Roman name given to the Greek hero, Heracles.
Students will learn the twelve labours of Heracles.
Students will have opportunities to read and to speak aloud throughout, providing great contextual literacy learning.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Greek Myths are, by their very nature, quite violent and horrid stories. I am a very experienced educator, both on Outschool and as a school-teacher in London with 10+ years experience. I always ensure the way we talk about more gory episodes of the myths is handled with comedy and sensitivity, and it is always age-appropriate. This is true of my Greek of the Week ongoing classes too, which are designed in the same way.
Supply List
n/a
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
The New Larousse Encyclopaedia of Mythology
Mythologica - Professor Stephen Kershaw
The Greek Myths: Gods Monsters Heroes and the Origins of Storytelling - Professor Stephen Kershaw
Heracles the Strong - Ian Seraillier
Heroes - Stephen Fry
www.theoi.com
Joined February, 2021
5.0
614reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a highly experienced primary school teacher and educational author, with a professional specialism in the teaching of mythology and poetry, both in schools and online. I am a published author of two books Greek Mythology books for young readers, 'Myths Don't Frighten Me' and 'Legends of Land and Sky', both published by HarperCollins. Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$17
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
3-9 learners per class
