Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the story, and support their choices with details from the text.
The theme of dominance through violence occurs several times in the Greek creation myth.
Ouranos was the first paternal figure, and he became the first "in power". Ouranos feared that his children would overtake him. He tried to prevent that by forcing his children underground (inside of Gaia). Eventually, Kronos defeated Ouranos with a sickle. Kronos castrated his father with a sickle. He, too, feared one of his children would overtake him one day, so he ate all of his offspring. Kronos knew that he had to take preventive action in order to preserve his own power. His wife Rhea tricked Kronos into eating a stone instead of his youngest son. After he grew up, Zeus overthrew Kronos with the help of Giants and other allies. Zeus established dominance and became king of the gods in battle.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in the Greek Creation Myth. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.