The Labors of Theseus Greek Mythology Series | Middle + High School ELA 7-11

English teachers love to start at the beginning—who do you think coined the term 'origin story'? What about Theseus, the Attic hero with a conflicted heart (and he made some rather bad decisions despite being a hero. Start with his birth—and a pair of sandals, and a sword—and you have the start of one of the world's most enduring, if not scandalous, myths:

The Labors of Theseus

However, while everyone touts the minotaur story as the best—the story of Theseus’s Labors, although less celebrated than Heracles’s Labors, follows the intrepid son of Aegeus on a series of legendary adventures. He forsakes his home in Troezen, takes the coastal road to Athens, and, in a fairy-tale twist, reunites with his lost father—only to face more challenges than he anticipated. In his quest to become a hero, Theseus must confront his inner demons, a journey that exacts its price (and a touch of cocky self-assuredness). Through these trials, he forges an enduring legacy as a resourceful, unifying Athenian hero.

Here's what you get out of the box:

• This resource includes PDF & Google Workspace
• 4-day Lesson Plan with lots of extension activities.
• 13 Reading Cards
  • Theseus: The Son of Aegeus, King of Athens, and Aethra, daughter of Pittheus of Troezen
  • Theseus: The Legendary Hero of Athens
  • Theseus and Poseidon
  • Early Life and Heroic Deeds of Theseus
  • The Six Antagonists of Theseus’s Labors
  • Theseus and the Labors of Heracles
  • A Few More Adventures of Theseus: The Argo, Pirithous, and Charon
  • Theseus, Medea, and Helen
  • Four More Interconnected Tales of Theseus
  • Closing Events: Theseus's Legacy
  • Greater Panathenaea
  • Art and Literature Connection: Attic Hydria
  • From the Archive: Ancient Headdresses
  • The card decks come with 12 high-quality illustrations from art history:
• 1 Key Characters Anchor Chart
• Map Skills Activity: The Coast Road to Athens
• 2 Exit Tickets (with academic choice)
• 27-count Question Bank
• 8 Critical Thinking Questions
• 2 Note-taking Templates
• Frayer Model Vocabulary Cards (with suggested vocabulary)
• Answer Keys for student-facing materials and a Lesson Pacing Guide
• Further Reading List for you and your students
• Bonus: (1) Standards Alignment Chart (2) Teaching the Reading Cards: Suggestions for Teachers (3) Myth or History? Report: The Labors of Theseus

Suggested Classroom Use:

• English Language Arts or Humanities Class
• Unit on the Hero in Greek Mythology
• Unit on Ancient Greek Myths
• A lesson paired with Theseus and the Minotaur

Note: The story of Theseus is told in many different texts and versions. Use this lesson to teach any version or adaptation of the myth you plan to share with students paired with the premium reading cards included in this listing. Theseus's story is widely available on the web and reprinted in many literature textbooks. I prefer Ovid's fantastic telling of the story in Metamorphoses.