Bellerophon & Pegasus Myth Lesson

Starting from:

Bellerophon & Pegasus Mythology Series for Middle & High School ELA

Engage Your English Language Arts class with the fantastic story of the flawed hero Bellerophon and his steed, the winged Pegasus.

This resource is optimized for distance learning. The product includes Google Workspace & PDF files. Access and modify this resource for student-use on Google Classroom and other classroom management sites.

Use this Digital Download for a Three-day English Language Arts Lesson

Using my tested-in-the-classroom resources, your kids will want to discuss the characteristics of a flawed hero, intrigue, lies, deception, and what exactly makes a Chimaera (Chimera)! So, I have loaded this resource with activities that will get your students talking and writing! N.B. — The text of the myth is not included in this digital download, but I provide multiple links to this story online.

Common Core Standards: This resource aligns well with the reading literature standard: “Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux-Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).”

This Resource Includes the Following Features:

1 Teacher’s Three-day Lesson Calendar
- With a teacher-tested stamp of approval, follow my suggestions on how to teach the tale of Bellerophon to middle and high school students. Start with artwork, read the text, engage in questions and sharing, and cap off the lesson with a writing activity.
Bellerophon and Pegasus Reading Cards
4 Art + Literature Connections (with Visual Aids)
- Compare the text with illustrative artwork from the New York Public Library Digital Collections. Note — all images used are in the public domain and adequately cited.
1 Key Characters and Places Worksheet
- Orient your learners by identifying the story’s key characters and geographical location.
24 Reading Comprehension Questions
- Either use these two question sets as a quiz for after reading, independent work, or in a discussion or small group setting.
Frayer Model Vocabulary Card Set (with student sample)
- Frayer models are a way to get kids to think about vocabulary visually in a four-section square —- A square for meaning, one for examples, another for non-examples, and a sketch. It is incredible to see the work they produce. A great way to decorate your classroom to showcase your kids’ vocabulary-in-text understanding. The cards contain terms, Greek and Latin roots, and challenging words (as well as contextual entries that fit the story).
Half-Sheet 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
- Exit tickets are a way to get data about your students’ understanding of the lesson right before the class is finished. Collect these exit tickets and quickly see what ideas your students took away from reading and discussing the myth.
1 Essay Writing Activity (with two visual starters and prompts)
- Cap off this three-day lesson with a writing lesson designed to engage students in writing about conflict and climax in the plot.
1 Further Reading List
- Don’t disregard this further reading list if you think it is merely a bibliography. Share the list with your students or have them do projects based on the available research. Assign different sources to students and organize presentations where learning can go deeper into this essential Greek myth.
Answer Keys for all student-facing documents
- Teachers always ask for answer keys for my products, so I gave you plenty of guidance on what to expect from students in their written and oral responses.
Standards Alignment Chart

I created this resource with middle and high school students in mind. It is designed for an English Language Arts Mythology unit —

For any myth-related unit!
On the.
Use this resource as a stand-alone lesson or pair it with a larger unit on Myth, Robert Graves’s Greek Myths, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, or Parallel Myths by J.F. Bierlein.