Relive the adventures of Greek heroes and heroines by creating a 3-D board game.

• 1.

  Read several Greek myths. Learn about their major heroes and heroines. Working with your classmates, design a board game based on what you learned.

• 2.

  First, make a plan for your game. Will there be a theme such as the labors of Hercules or the travels of Ulysses? What will be the objective of the game? How will players advance around the board? Will you use random number generators or a spinner? Will players move forward based on their answers to questions? Write basic directions for your game with Crayola True to Life Colored Pencils.

• 3.

  Next, design your game board. For a 3-D game such as one shown, based on a climb to the top of Mt. Olympus, select two boxes with lids of different sizes that can be set one on top of the other. Cover each box with gift wrap or decorated paper. Glue paper to the boxes.

• 4.

  Use Crayola Fine Line Markers and a ruler to draw game paths on white paper. Cut these out and glue them on the top of each box. Divide the paths into squares. Write ideas related to mythology in some squares. Draw illustrations from myths in and around others using the realistic colors of True to Life Colored Pencils. For example: "See Medusa’s head and turn to stone. Lose your next turn." Or, "Charm Cerberus with sweet music. Advance to Charon’s ferry."

• 5.

  Make Crayola Model Magic® features, such as a Mt. Olympus for the center of the board or a Pandora’s box to hold your question cards. If you are making a large structure, use a paper cup or another armature under the Model Magic form. You also could make your own playing pieces such as Charon’s boat, Orpheus’ lyre, or a figure of the Cyclops. Air-dry the sculptures.

• 6.

  To keep your game pieces clean while you use them, coat them with a glaze of equal parts water and Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glaze.

• 7.

  Create and decorate a set of question cards on index cards. Remember to include an answer key.

• 8.

  Review your rules to make sure they match your game board and cover all possibilities for play, including how a correct answer will affect a player’s progress. When you are finished, enjoy playing your game! Store the pieces in the boxes between sessions.

Standards

• LA: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
• LA: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
• SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.
• SS: Demonstrate an understanding that people in different times and places view the world differently.
• VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.
• VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resources include: D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire; A Child's Introduction to Greek Mythology: The Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Monsters, and Other Mythical Creatures by Heather Alexander; Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Monsters by Donna Jo Napoli
• Students work in small groups to create mythology games. While creating the game, students will identify the theme of the game, as well as objectives. Write clear directions for players to follow when playing. Post this information inside the game box.
• Students teams create a poster advertising their new game. Be creative and compose a catchy saying referring to the game. If time permits, students write a commercial for the game and video tape their performance of the commercial. Other students in the class evaluate the effectiveness of the commercial in selling the game.