Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 59708
Close Reading of a Greek Myth: Apollo and Daphne
Students will conduct a close reading of the myth "Apollo and Daphne" as told by Thomas Bulfinch. Students will use a variety of strategies to learn
new vocabulary from the myth, paraphrase complex sentences, and analyze lines in the story that propel action, reveal details about a character,
or provoke a decision. As the summative assessment for the lesson, students will work in groups to create a short dramatization of an assigned
section of the myth. Also as part of this lesson, students will view some wonderful artwork inspired by this myth and explore why myths are still
relevant in our culture.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Microsoft Office
Instructional Time: 6 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: Apollo, Daphne, Bullfinch, Thomas Bullfinch, drama, mythology, Greek mythology, close reading
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Apollo and Daphne by Thomas Bulfinch.ppt
Apollo and Daphne retold by Thomas Bulfinch.doc
Apollo and Daphne Vocabulary Handout Worksheet.doc
Apollo and Daphne Sentence Analysis Graphic Organizer.doc
Apollo and Daphne Drama Rubric.doc
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
utilize appropriate textual evidence from "Apollo and Daphne" to answer text-dependent questions about the myth.
analyze lines from the myth, paraphrase the lines, and analyze how the content in the lines reveals aspects or personality traits of the characters, how characters
are provoked into making certain decisions, or how the content propels the plot.
use various strategies (including word parts, context clues, and dictionaries when needed) to determine the meaning of selected words from "Apollo and Daphne."
turn a narrative (the myth of "Apollo and "Daphne") into a modernized dramatic script. Student groups will write a script for their assigned section of the story. They
should be sure to organize the events based on the original myth, utilize textual evidence from the myth, and include appropriate dialogue, stage directions, and
descriptions to retell their part of the story.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should have some prior knowledge of drama format for proper staging instructions and dialogue for the summative assessment, although a sample may be
sufficient. If students are unfamiliar with script reading/writing, this resource from Education.Com is helpful.
Although no background knowledge in mythology is required for this lesson, some background in Greek and Roman mythology would enhance students' understanding
page 1 of 5 of the story/myth and make the readings a little easier to navigate.
Note: This myth explains the use of laurel as an adornment in ancient times, and laurel is still found on some athletic prizes, such as Olympic medals.
Based on one of the guiding questions for the lesson, teachers might want to review the five purposes of myths listed at this link. Teachers might wish to provide this
information to students in advance, or use it as part of the lesson. Again, this knowledge is not required for students to understand the lesson, but it would add
beneficial scaffolding into the lesson.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. What are different strategies or tools that can be used to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in a text?
2. Why do we continue to study myths?
3. Consider the characters Cupid, Apollo, Daphne, and Peneus. How do each of these characters succeed or fail to get what they want?
4. Describe the relationship between Daphne and her father, Cupid and Apollo, and Daphne and Apollo.
5. What is the purpose of this myth?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
Anticipation Activity/The "Hook": The Visual Arts in Literature
1. Show a variety of artistic representations of Apollo and Daphne. Several examples are available in the attached PowerPoint. I advise a warning prior to showing the
artwork because many of the paintings and sculptures show Daphne's bare breasts. My experience has been that the class shares a touch of silliness during the
warning, followed by complete seriousness during the observations and discussions of the artwork.
Note: The point of this exercise is not to give background knowledge of the myth to the students, but rather to emphasize the lasting influence these stories have had
on our culture. Artists have depicted this story for eons, and that makes having a familiarity of myths relevant.
2. Students should study each picture for about a minute, then write down one interesting observation they make about the image. Then, the student can share with
his/her shoulder partner. Next, the teacher should circle around the room, asking various students what they found to be most interesting about the artwork (other
than Daphne's breast).
Note: Interestingly, students rarely catch on to Daphne's transformation. They might notice she is holding onto a tree, or some other similar observation, but never
once in my experience has a student with no prior knowledge of the story made the connection that she was turning into a tree. I recommend not pointing this out if
students do not notice it and instead let them discover it when reading the text. We return to this artwork at the end of the lesson, and the students quickly recognize
their oversight.
First Close Reading: Comprehension
1. The instructor should begin by starting to read the text aloud (one retelling of the myth is attached in this document), and then use a modified form of popcorn
reading where the instructor calls out a student's name to read. I allow students to read as long as they want but require one full paragraph before calling out the
name of the next student to read.
2. Purpose for reading: Tell students to mark the text to identify who is speaking when. Use "A" for Apollo, "C" for Cupid, "D" for Daphne, and "P" for Peneus. Also,
students should circle any unknown words.
3. After reading the text aloud and allowing students time to text mark and circle any unknown words, have students share out where they marked "A", "C", "D", or
"P." The teacher should provide corrective feedback when needed. The teacher can also have students share out what words they circled and the teacher can make a
chart on the board with those words. Do not go over the words yet at this time.
4. After the first reading of the text, ask the following questions as a comprehension check. Have students cite evidence from the text to support their answers. For
more advanced students, have them work with a partner to give written responses, citing textual evidence to support their answers. You might wish to put students in
groups of three or four to work through the following questions. Then, review the questions and their answers as a class to provide corrective feedback where
needed.
1. In paragraph one, who is speaking to whom?
2. Using evidence from the text, describe Python.
3. Who is the son of Venus?
4. Who shot arrows at Apollo and Daphne? What was the effect on each of them?
5. What is Daphne's attitude toward marriage, and does her father agree with her beliefs? Why or why not?
6. How does Apollo feel about Daphne? How does Daphne feel about Apollo?
7. What happened to Daphne at the end of the myth, how did it happen, and why?
8. How does Apollo honor his love?
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Second Close Reading—Vocabulary/Word Usage
The vocabulary section contains two worksheets: a handout and a Frayer Model.
1. Give students the vocabulary handout.
2. Have students work with a partner to complete the first two columns, "What do you think the word means?" and, "Describe how you determined the meaning."
Teachers should model completion of these columns for the first word so the students understand that they are making a guess based on the context of the word in
the sentence, paragraph, or story. At this time, students will complete the first two columns only. Numbers 7 and 8 are vocabulary words selected by the student
based on words circled during close reading 1. The student should select whatever words they wish to as long as they were selected during the reading and are not
part of the assigned vocabulary list.
3. Distribute the Frayer model. The Frayer Model is in the attached PowerPoint, which also contains the Root Word Pyramid and the artwork mentioned above. The
teacher should model the use of the Frayer model by using the example given for the word unbound. The teacher should work with the students to complete one or
two of the Frayer models for words from the vocabulary list. Release the students to work with a partner or in small groups to complete the rest of the assigned
vocabulary words. The students should do their own work for the individually-selected vocabulary words.
Assigned Vocabulary words:
nymph
page 2 of 5 deity
oracle
malice
malady
fortunes
4. Ask students: Which two words have the same root?
5. Students will use the root word pyramid to create a chart for "mal." An example of the completed root word pyramid for the root "medic" is included in the
attached PowerPoint and can be used for modeling or as an example to students. Have students find additional words to complete the "example" section of the
pyramid individually or with a partner. The examples should contain a word using "mal" as a root and contain the meaning of the word. When students are
ready, the teacher will have them share their work, and the teacher can provide corrective feedback as needed.
6. Return to the vocabulary handout and go over the actual meanings of the words. Have students then update the final column of their chart, marking an "I" if
they got the meaning of the word incorrect or a "C" if they determined the correct meaning.
7. At this time, the teacher could also return to the chart of unknown words that the class put together during the first close reading. The teacher and students
could work to determine the meanings of these words before moving into the final close reading.
Third Close Reading: Paraphrasing and analyzing lines of a story for character development, plot development, and conflict
1. As practice for the Summative Assessment, students should be able to paraphrase sentences containing archaic structure and challenging vocabulary. Students
should also recognize or identify specific elements of literature developed by these sentences; in this case, character development, plot development, and
conflict. A handout has been attached for students to use for the third close reading. The first two pages of the graphic organizer are the key; the last page is
the student handout. The first sentence from the text is completed as an example that the teacher can use to model with students before having them work
with a partner to complete the rest of the handout.
2. When students' work is complete, the teacher can collect their work and provide written feedback, or the teacher can provide the key to students and have
them self-assess and correct their work.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Note: The Independent Practice for this lesson is the summative assessment.
Divide students into groups of three. Then divide the groups into three different parts of the story. (If you have six groups, two groups will work on each of the three
scenes). The students will write a dramatization of three segments of the story. Scene 1 stars the characters Apollo and Cupid, scene 2 stars Peneus and Daphne, and
scene 3 stars Apollo and Daphne. Students will modernize the dialogue by paraphrasing the words spoken in the text to something more like what people would say to
each other today. For example, no one calls anyone a "saucy boy" anymore. What might Apollo call Cupid in today's language to show his disrespect for Cupid as an
archer? Each scene will contain dialogue and detailed stage directions indicating movement of the characters. The scene should convey the main idea and include
specific and appropriate textual evidence from the myth. Additionally, each scene will use at least some of the vocabulary words from the Frayer models and Root
Word Pyramid correctly. Teachers can decide how many vocabulary words students will be required to use.
Scene 1 will answer these questions:
1. How does Apollo feel toward Cupid?
2. How does Cupid feel about Apollo?
Scene 2 will answer these questions:
3. How does Peneus feel about Daphne?
4. How does Daphne feel about Peneus?
Scene 3 will answer these questions:
5. How does Apollo feel about Daphne?
6. How does Daphne feel about Apollo?
7. How does Apollo honor his love?
The scenes can be performed by each group, or if there are multiple groups for each scene, put groups together for scenes 1, 2 and 3, and let them hammer out one
script to perform the entire story. Or, the teacher may, after the scenes are performed, mesh a group from each of the three scenes together to produce the entire
play for the whole class. A rubric to assess students' work is attached.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
1. If you have some trophies with leaves, these are the best to show the lasting effect of the myth on our current society. Ask students to find textual evidence
explaining the uniqueness of the laurel branch. Why did Apollo want it used as an honor for conquerors and athletes?
2. Return to the artwork shown at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students to identify something unusual or interesting about the artwork to share with each other
and the class. Ask students to write down what they notice now that they did not notice before. Their reaction can be very enthusiastic as they examine the artwork
and now see the story in the art.
3. Return to the focus questions from the beginning of the lesson. Students should be able to answer these questions on an exit paper or as a reflection paragraph.
When I have multiple questions, I may allow students to pick one and elaborate using textual evidence.
Consider each of the characters, Cupid, Apollo, Daphne, and Peneus. How do the characters succeed or fail to get what they want?
Describe the relationship between Daphne and her father, Cupid and Apollo, and Daphne and Apollo.
What is the purpose of this myth?
4. The class can also have a brief discussion on the guiding question, "Why do we continue studying myths?"
Summative Assessment
After conducting three close readings of "Apollo and Daphne," students will work together in small groups to turn their assigned section of the myth into a modern
dramatization. Students will write a narrative script for their assigned section and then present their work in class to their peers. Each group will present sequentially
until the entire modernized myth is retold. Please see the independent practice section for further information.
Formative Assessment
For Close Reading #1: Before moving forward with the lesson, students should be able to answer the comprehension questions, supporting their responses with
specific and appropriate textual evidence from the myth.
For Close Reading #2: Before continuing with the lesson, students should be able to complete the vocabulary graphic organizers. One encourages the use of context
page 3 of 5 to determine meaning (although students can also use word parts if needed) and one is a root word pyramid.
For Close Reading #3: Students will complete a handout directing them to paraphrase lines taken from "Apollo and Daphne." Students will then determine the
literary element(s) being addressed. Finally, they will analyze how the content in the lines reveals aspects or personality traits of the characters, how characters are
provoked into making certain decisions, or how the content propels the plot.
Feedback to Students
Feedback for Close Reading #1: Feedback to students for the comprehension section is provided through class discussion or written response, depending on how
the teacher decides to continue with the lesson.
Feedback for Close Reading #2: Students' will make corrections on their graphic organizers based on feedback from the teacher. They can refer to this handout
when completing the summative assessment.
Feedback for Close Reading #3: Students will complete a handout, which may be formally graded, or students can self-check against a key. A key has been
provided in the guided practice section and has been uploaded as an attachment for the lesson.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
These activities are performed with partners or in groups. Reading is oral, whether by the teacher or by other students in popcorn format. Modeling occurs for the
vocabulary Frayer model and the Root Word pyramid.
The teacher may group students in a way that ensures students have mentors available through the lesson, but are also responsible for their own contributions.
If students are having trouble with the organization or format of their script, the teacher might wish to provide a writing frame or template for students to use to
draft their script. The frame could contain not only where the dialogue would go and who the speaker for each piece of dialogue would be, but also a place for
stage directions.
For students that need even more support, teachers can add prompts within the template to help students think about their content, make sure they are answering
all the questions asked for their assigned section and ensure that their script flows in the order of the original myth.
Extensions:
Instead of a reflection or exit slip, students could write an essay about the humanistic behavior of deities. For example:
Apollo is arrogant, Cupid is petty and jealous.
Daphne is treated poorly by one who loves her and foolishly rejects a god.
Apollo, one who should know all, doesn't know that Cupid will harm him with his own weapons or that Daphne will reject him.
Teachers could also have students work with additional vocabulary from "Apollo and Daphne." Words to consider:
elated
saucy
abhorred
spurned
tinged
entreaties
lyre
plea
wooings
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Microsoft Office
Special Materials Needed:
Apollo and Daphne retold by Thomas Bulfinch (Note: the text file is slightly edited from the copy provided in the public domain by Project Gutenberg at
www.gutenberg.org)
All other required materials have been included as attachments with the lesson.
Further Recommendations:
Preread the materials and examine the PowerPoint.
Make several copies of the Frayer models. I actually copy two models on a page and then copy front and back so each paper contains four models for students to
use.
Be comfortable with the artwork or find others artistic representations of Daphne and Apollo.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
"Apollo and Daphne," told by Thomas Bullfinch, has a Lexile of 960. Taking into account the quantitative measures, qualitative measures, and reader and task considerations,
this text is appropriately rigorous in complexity for 8th grade students. Teachers will need to review the qualitative measures for this text carefully before deciding whether
or not to implement this lesson with their students, as the vocabulary demands for this text are complex, and students will need a certain level of maturity to handle the
content of the story.
If teachers need assistance with examining qualitative measures for literature, view this link: http://www.education.nh.gov/spotlight/ccss/documents/literary-text-rubric.pdf
page 4 of 5 SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Barbara Leathers
Name of Author/Source: Barbara Leathers
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.8.L.3.4:
LAFS.8.RL.1.1:
LAFS.8.RL.1.3:
LAFS.8.SL.1.1:
LAFS.8.W.3.9:
Description
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as
a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
precede, recede, secede).
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and
digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in
context or in a dictionary).
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character,
or provoke a decision.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation
by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and
define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with
relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light
of the evidence presented.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes,
patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including
describing how the material is rendered new”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize
when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).
page 5 of 5