We’re almost finished May and moving into June! Which means we’ll be looking at sunnier skies and brightly coloured flowers and hoping to swim soon; but have you ever considered where the names of these months are from? May is actually named for the Greek goddess Maia, while June is named for the Roman goddess Juno! Lots of the names of our months are from history and mythology, and you can use our calendar as a starting point to teach about Greek civilization in your classroom. OISE library has an elaborate collection of resources, for all ages, on Greek mythology.
From our Children’s Literature Collection, take a look at these titles in which Greek mythology is made accessible to children and young adults:
Rick Riordan‘s incredibly addictive and popular series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, allows teens to immerse themselves in Greek mythology with demi-god and protagonist Percy, combining Greek mythology with modern young adult woes.
George O’Connor, meanwhile, retells classic Greek myths through a series of colourful and engaging graphic novels. There are currently 6 books in the series, covering myths of Zeus, Athena, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Aphrodite.
While Walking with the Dead by L.M. Falcone, and Troy by Adèle Geras are also written for young adults, Persephone written by Sally Pomme Clayton and illustrated by Virginia Lee, bring Greek mythology to a younger audience.
We also have an expansive collection of curriculum resources, from books describing Greek crafts (Greeks: facts, things to make, activities) to bringing Greek myths to life through theatrical performances (Greek Myths: Eight Short Plays for the Classroom, Greek and Roman Plays: for the Intermediate Grades)
Finally, we have a number of engaging activity kits and movies:
Folens History Photopack provides stimulating images of Greek mythology; it includes 10 large photos, a poster and a teacher resource book to help guide discussion.
The Discovery Channel’s video, Ancient Greece, explores the influence of Greek civilization on our own culture and the important relationship between Greeks and their Gods.
All of these items (and more!) are available for check out, and can be located in the Seasonal Display Case on the ground floor of the OISE library, near the Service Desk. We have many titles on learning Greek in our Modern Language Collection, as well as many more teaching resources in Curriculum Resources, and don’t forget to check out our collection of pictures on the third floor of OISE.