Lesson Plan: Invent a God

1. Discuss with the class the idea that all the Greek gods were invented to explain various aspects of life and the natural world - e.g. Zeus caused lightning storms, Demeter made the crops grow in Spring and Summer, etc.

2. Ask children to make up a god to live on Olympus with the other 12. This god (male or female) should deal with some aspect of life not covered by the 12 Olympian gods (or any the children have heard of). Some of the roles the children come up with there will probably already be a god for, but this does not matter.

3. Each child can create the following for his or her god:

• a name (Greek sounding!)
• a role - if children have difficulty thinking of one, suggest things, e.g. mountains; rivers; snow; air; boats; trees; bronze; sheep; clothes. The role must be consistent with Greek history - so no gods of football.
• a physical description - clothes, hair, attractiveness, eye colour, strength, etc.
• a symbol carried or worn by the god (like Zeus' thunderbolt)
• an associated animal (optional)
• a myth of the god's birth and deeds (one paragraph is enough)
• a drawing of the god

4. All of this can be made into a display or a piece of writing, and perhaps a presentation to the class.