Ancient mythology is one of the most engaging topics in a 6th grade social studies unit. And it can also be one of the riskiest to assign for student research. Every ancient civilization has deities whose stories contain genuinely inappropriate content for a 6th grade middle school classroom. I’m here to share how to teach ancient mythology in middle school and preserve the drama and intrigue without the mature content.
Always Vet Student Materials BEFORE you use them!
What’s your most embarrassing teacher moment? Take a second to get a good visual.
Let’s compare!
When my son was in 5th grade, he had to record himself demonstrating how to do something. He chose how to throw a football.
Now this was way back in the days before smartphones. So most students just reused a VHS tape from home and recorded over old content. Took it into school and they shared the video in class. Super fun.
Well, that is until one boy showed his video about how to play a saxophone. He did a great job according to my son. That is until the saxophone lesson segued into, shall we say, mom and dad’s mature video content.
Now that’s a teacher moment. She closed down the video in a hurry, but do you think anyone raved about the sax performance?
TEACHER RULE #1 – NEVER show a video, play a song, or let students research on the internet without fully previewing the websites and material in advance. NEVER!!
Why is Ancient Mythology Risky to Assign for Student Research?
Why is Ancient Mythology Risky to Assign for Student Research?So what does this have to do with how to teach ancient mythology to 6th grade middle schoolers?
Middle Schoolers love ancient mythology. Ancient gods and goddesses look cool and have cool powers. They show up in video games, movies, and literature. What’s not to like?
Bringing that excitement into the classroom is a great instinct.
But when I started researching ancient mythology, I was blown away by the mature themes.
Have you read about Osiris, Egypt’s god of fertility, agriculture, and the afterlife? His jealous brother Seth chopped him into 14 pieces which were distributed around Egypt. Isis, sister-wife of Osiris (that’s a whole other issue) found 13 of the pieces and reassembled them.
Now any good teacher like yourself is going to encourage students to solve the mystery of the missing piece. Just saying, it’s that fertility connection and it will definitely make its way to tonight’s dinner table conversation!
Ancient mythology is full of surprises. Fertility deities. Lots of mature interpersonal relationships. Lots of graphic artwork. It’s way too easy for your middle schoolers to find themselves diving down the wrong rabbit hole.
TEACHER RULE #2 – NEVER assign student research on a topic of which you don’t already have a fairly good depth of knowledge. You need to know what surprises and pitfalls your students will uncover.
How to Teach Ancient Mythology Safely in Middle School
After lots of searching, my solution to how to teach ancient mythology was to write my own materials.
Every half-page reading passage tells the story of a deity: the drama, the rivalries, the creation myths, and the intrigue. Adult themes are edited out and every image is screened for middle school. And I love to weave stories and relationships through the passages to tie all the deities together.
A half page is a perfect length for chunking information and eliminating pages of word walls. It’s a perfect jumping off point for students who want to dig deeper on their own.
Each reading passage pairs with a comprehension sheet, including a line drawing of each deity to color.
While mythology is not a key part of most state standards, it permeates all aspects of each ancient culture so truly enhances student understanding.
And it’s just plain fun and interesting. I use it for bellwork, but it’s terrific for a sub plan, early finishers and enrichment/extra credit.
While these materials can be used as a stand alone activity, they’re also terrific as a research source for other activities. They’re adaptable to how you teach ancient mythology.
Which Ancient Civilizations & Deities Are Covered?
Here’s how to teach ancient mythology across five major ancient civilizations – the same 5 taught in most 6th grade ancient history social studies classrooms.
How to teach ancient mythology for MESOPOTAMIA in 6th Grade
Thirteen ancient Mesopotamian gods, goddesses and sacred symbols including Anu, Apkallu, Ashur, Enlil, Enki, Gula, Ishtar, Lamassu, Marduk, Ninhursag, Ninurta, Shamash, and Sin.
How to Teach Ancient Mythology for EGYPT in 6th Grade
Twenty-four Egyptian gods, goddesses, and sacred symbols including Ptah, Ra, Amun, Geb and Nut, Osiris, Isis, Seth, Nephthys, Horus, Anubis, Sobek, Hapi, Khnum, Ma’at, Thoth, Ammit, Bastet, Apis Bull, Ankh, Was Scepter, Djed Column, Flail and Crook, Eye of Horus, and Scarab.
How to Teach Ancient Mythology for CHINA in 6th Grade
Elevan Chinese gods and goddesses including Pangu, Nuwa & Fuxi, Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West, Chang’e, Caishen, City God, Earth God, Kitchen God, Gate Gods, God of Death.
How to Teach Ancient Mythology for GREECE in 6th Grade
Twenty-two Greek gods and goddesses including the full Olympian family: Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hades, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Hestia, Persephone, Poseidon and Zeus; the Titans: Chronos, Rhea, Helios and Atlas; and the Primordial deities: Gaia and Uranus.
How to Teach Ancient Mythology for ROME in 6th Grade – Not Just Greek Gods with Roman Names
Yes, Greek and Roman mythology share gods. The Romans absorbed Greek gods and gave them Latin names. But Roman religion was shaped by Roman values, Roman civic identity, and Rome’s founding stories. This resource connects sixteen Roman gods and goddesses to Rome’s founding story (Aeneas, Romulus and Remus) and to the Roman Values that governed civic life including, Janus, Saturn, Ops, Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Neptune, Mars, Apollo, Diana, Venus, Vulcan, Mercury. Pluto, Ceres, and Vesta.
No Prep Mythology Curriculum Supplements for 6th Grade
If you teach a full ancient world history curriculum covering Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome, the Ancient Mythology Bundle is the clear choice. It includes all five civilization sets at a bundle discount, giving you over 80 deities and symbols, all pre-vetted and ready to use.
If you are covering one civilization at a time and want to start with just one, each individual resource stands on its own. The complete list with individual links is in the section above
Your students will thank you. Your parents won’t be sending problem emails. You won’t spend hours researching and editing! This is how to teach ancient mythology!
You’re Welcome!
Keep Exploring Ancient Mythology
Here is where to take them next:
Ready for a primary source investigation? The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead Primary Source DBQ puts students in direct conversation with the deities who lead the deceased through the ancient Egyptian underworld. It works as a standalone activity or as the natural academic follow-up to Egyptian Mythology.
Teaching Chinese mythology and want to extend into a cultural celebration? Explore Chinese Lunar New Year Traditions Through 7 Folktales shows how the Chinese folk deities your students just read about, the Kitchen God, Jade Emperor and Chang’e, are woven into the stories behind every Lunar New Year tradition.
Mary
*** NOTE: I have introduced the word deity into my resources to lessen the discomfort that some families may have referring to ancient deities as gods ***
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