Introduction

You are tired and fed up with studying for your Ancient Greece final.  In a rage, you hurl your textbook at the wall shouting, "WHY DO WE HAVE TO STUDY THIS STUPID STUFF, ANYWAY?!?!"  Suddenly, thunder is rumbling outside of your window and a lightening bolt pierces the sky!  Next thing you  know, you are no longer safe in your bedroom!  You are in a dark, shadowy place - devoid of both sunlight...and hope!  Too late you realize your mistake!  You have offended the great Zeus, king of all gods, and  he has banished you to the Underworld as punishemnt for your thoughtless comment.  There is little chance of escape, for the evil lord Hades is in charge of this domain.  But wait!  There!  On his black marble throne!  A hastily scribbled note that reads: "GONE FISHING...WITH MY BROTHER". 

There may be hope for you yet!  IF you can fool the denizens of the Underworld into thinking that YOU are one of the Olympian gods paying a visit, then maybe...just maybe, mind you, you'll make it out of the land of the dead, ALIVE!  Use your knowledge of all things Greek to save yourself!  It is your only hope! 
 
 

You have multiple tasks awaiting you, but if you accumulate enough knowledge of Ancient Greek Gods and Myths you will be able to successfully complete these tasks. 

   1.  To impersonate the God or Goddess of your choice, design and create
         a costume, with prop or symbol, which will identify you as one of the
         Olympian Gods. You MUST be an expert on the god of your choice.

    2.  Compose a friendly letter to Hades to place on his throne, just in case
          Persephone hears rumors that you have been there. Sign it with both
          your Greek and Roman/Latin name. Follow proper letter writing format.

    3.  Pen a persuasive oratory speech to convince Hecarte that you can
          help her solve her problems with Medussa at the crossroads.

    4.  Create a nursery rhyme or lullaby based upon an ancient Greek
          god, hero, or myth to pacify Cerebus, who guards the gates of Hades.

     5.  Research the form of payment Charon the oarsman will need in 
          order to ferry you across the river Styx to freedom. (Even mere mortals 
          know how to deal with Charon!)
 

  Look for internet links as you proceed  through the next section of this web
  quest. They will help you retrieve much needed information.  Pointing the way
  is your underworld guide's hand!
 

  Along with the internet, you can use resources at school and home such as:

    "A Message of Ancient Days" - textbook
    "The Gods And Goddesses of Olympus" by Aliki Brandenberg/1994/Harper    Collins
    "Gods, Men, and Monsters from Greek Mythology" by Michael Gibson/1977/Eurobook
    "Greek Myths" by Geraldine McCaughrean/1992/Simon and Schuster
 

   1.  First you must choose the God or Goddess you will impersonate. 
        Photocopy or print out from the internet a picture that will help
        you "masquerade" as an Olympian God. Bring to class on day of report.
 
 

    2.  Next, design and make a costume to be worn on the day that your
         project is due.  Be sure to include a prop or symbol with your costume.
         Your prop should symbolize the deity you have chosen. So research
          in depth, the god or goddess you are imitating in order to know what
          symbols are associated with them and what their powers or concerns
          are. Prop should be separate from costume.

     3.  Write a friendly letter to Hades expressing your disappointment at
           not finding him at home on the day of your visit.  Fill it with enough
           references about his job...or your job...or life at Mt. Olympus so that
           his wife, Persephone, will be sure to believe that you were really one
           of the gods. Be sure to research other names you are known by be-
           cause you must sign both your Greek name and your Roman/Latin
           name. Use proper form for setting up a letter. Final copy to teacher.

      4.   Hecarte, the witch, will be crying at the crossroads because she is 
            having a bad hair day.  It seems her beauty consultant, Medussa,
            has botched Hecarte's most recent hair-do.  The witch is in a terrible
            mood and will not let you pass.  Use your powers of persuasion to 
            convince her that she looks great.  Or,  if you can't lie,  promise her
            that you will return and use your godly powers to fix the situation.
            She may let you pass. What is your special power? How can you
            explain to Hecarte just how you can solve her problem using your
            powers?  This speech must be delivered orally, with a draft 
            passed in to teacher.

       5.   You must, somehow, relax the guardian of the gates of Hades.
             There are not many who have gotten past Cerebus, but it HAS
             been done.  You must come up with a song or poem to put this
             "puppy" to sleep.  Use your knowledge of myths and legends here,
             as your rhyme or song must tell of heroes or gods. We've studied
             some myths in class, but you do not have to limit yourself to these.
             Draft of song/rhyme must be passed in to teacher. Be prepare to sing
             it or read it on day of report.  Draft to teacher.

       6.   Be sure to read up on Charon, the oarsman of the Styx River...
             because you can't get out of Hades without help from him.  What is 
             proper payment and procedure for crossing.  He's not in the habit 
             floating souls OUT of the underworld, so be sure you know proper
             protocol for passage...or you'll be stuck down below forever!  Godpeed!

Your grade for this project will be based upon completion of these five categories.
Each category can earn you up to 20 points, for a final total of 100!
 
 

Categories	1	2	3	Score	Comments
Costume &  Believability	Little evidence of God status,  symbol missing or unrecognizable	Adequate evidence of God status, symbol recognizable	Superior evidence of God status, symbol recognizable and true
Friendly Letter & Facts	Letter format not followed,facts lacking, signatures missing or incomplete.	Letter format followed with minor lapses, some facts evident, at least one signature	Letter format achieved, facts are plentiful, double signature is in proper spot
Persuasive Oratory & Problem Solving	Problem not solved through oratory , no evidence of how powers can be used	Some success in solving problem through oratory, some evidence of use of powers to solve problem	Problem solved successfully through oratory , excellent example of use of powers to solve problem
Mythological Rhyme or  Song	No or little evidence of rhyme scheme or song relating to mythological character	Some evidence of  creation of rhyme or song relating to mythological character	Successful completion of rhyme or song relating to mythological character
Overall  Performance	Weak , lack of preparation, not a quality performance	Adequate,  more preparation needed	Strong , obviously well prepared, a quality performance

Conclusion

Congratulations!  Zeus rewards mortals who are brave and resourceful. He lives by the old adage: "To err is human...to forgive, divine"!  By completing this web quest you have increased your knowledge and understanding of the ancient Greek gods and myths.  You have practiced the art of persuasion, attempted problerm solving,  participated in the age-old tradition of letter writing and composed a rhyme or song in tribute to a mythological character. You have explored the internet , along with other resources, to gain the information needed to complete this quest. 
 

Clip Art  taken from sites belonging to Kathy Schrock and Art Today.

Internet links : http//raven.cybercom.com/grandpa/chapter8.html
                           http//web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/gods.html
                           http://www.hol.gr/greece/olymp.htm
                           http://jccnet.johnco.cc.ks.us/~jjackson/oly.html
                           http://www.hellenism.net/eng/mythology.htm
                           http://sxws.com/charis/relics6.htm