Giants & Gigantomachy: Myth & Meaning in ELA Class

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Gigantomachy | The Giant War in Greek Myth Lesson Activity | ELA Humanities 8-12

Giants & Gigantomachy: Myth & Meaning in ELA Class

Invite your middle and high school students to explore the mythic giant war between the airy Olympian gods and the earth-born children of Gaia, the gigantes. Whether you teach classics of mythology, such as Robert Graves’ Complete Myths, or primary sources from Homer, Hesiod, and more, these engaging lesson activities turn a fierce conflict into vivid classroom experiences through illustrated reading cards, inquiry-based prompts, and collaborative activities.

What's Inside:

Formats: PDF, Google Workspace™ (Slides)
Four-Day Lesson Calendar: Step-by-step guidance with optional extension ideas
Anchor Chart: Illustrated reference of key characters and concepts
Map Activity: Locate major temples such as the great altar frieze from Pergamon (now in the Berlin Museum)
Illustrated Reading Cards (10)
- Rhea and Cronus
- Typhon
- Gigantomachia
- Gigantes
- Otus and Ephialtes
- Hesiod, Art. and the Gigantomachy
- Artemis and the Giants
- Great Altar of Pergamon
- Gigantic Stories from the Gigantes in Greco-Roman Myth
- Athena Battles Enceladus
- Appendix: Gigantic Tales of Giants and Other Figures in Graeco-Roman Myth
Reading Assessment
- 12-Count Reading Comprehension Questions
- Question Bank (17): Use as a quiz or a discussion launch
- Frayer Model Template: Visual vocabulary builder for key terms
- Exit Tickets (2, half-sheet): Differentiated reflection prompts for quick formative data
Written Response: On the Gigantomachy and the Titanomachy
- 4-Point Writing Rubric
13 Public Domain Images (The New York Public Library Digital Collections, The Vatican Museums, and more!)
Note-Taker
- Three-Box Cornell template
Further Reading List
- Curated bibliography for projects or deeper dives
Answer Key
4-Point Writing Rubric: Quick, transparent feedback tool

Students will:

✓ Compare multiple versions of the giants in myth.

✓ Master key vocabulary in context, meeting Common Core RL and L standards.

✓ Collaborate to discuss how myths change and adapt to social custom, and beliefs.

✓ Write reflective and analytical pieces on war and peace, survival and human flourishing.

✓ Connect ancient concepts to modern examples (e.g., why to "pile on Ossa on top of Pelion" means dealing with a difficult, compounding problem, or how the giants were first depicted with serpent-legs.