The Myth of Sisyphus Ancient Greek Lore & Mythology Series for ELA Grades 7-10

Engage Middle and High School English Language Arts students with the ancient Greek Myth of Sisyphus — the trickster hero who cheated death! The myth of Sisyphus is the original rolling stone. Students will love tracking down the allusions to this extraordinary Greek hero tale. Aligned with Common Core Standards, this individual lesson pack prompts students to discuss the myth, compare it to other works of art, work in groups, and complete a writing activity.

• This resource is optimized for distance learning. The product includes PDF and Google Workspace files (Slides, Forms, etc.). Modify this resource for 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, learners will want to discuss Sisyphus’s beguiling and deceiving antics and the captivating way his story has permeated our modern consciousness. So I have loaded this resource with discussion questions that will get your students talking and writing!

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:

• Teacher Three-day Lesson Calendar
  • With a teacher-tested-stamp of approval, follow my suggestions on how to teach the myth of Sisyphus in a three-day block. Start with artwork, read the text, engage in questions and short writing and sharing, and cap off the lesson with a writing activity.
• 1 Reading Card
  • Dictionary Entry — “Sisyphus”
  • “Sisyphus” — Public Domain Story Translated by Frances Younghusband
• 2 Art + Literature Connections (with Visual Aids)
  • Compare the text with famous works of art by Titian and Antonio Zantius.
• Key Characters and Places Worksheet
  • Orient your learners by identifying the key characters and the geographical location of the story (in the ancient city of Corinth in Greece)
• 10 Reading Comprehension Questions
  • Either use these questions as a quiz after reading or in a discussion or small group setting
• 7 Critical Thinking Questions
  • Use these questions for whole-class discussion, but I also like to spice things up and get my students moving by having a carousel-style discussion.
  • Includes a discussion guide!
• 2 Google Forms Assessments
  • Both Multiple Choice & Short Answer Versions
• 10 Frayer Model Vocabulary Cards (with student sample)
  • Frayer models are a way to get kids to think about vocabulary visually in a four-section square —- one square for meaning, examples 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, geography, and challenging words (as well as contextual entries fit for the story).
• 2 Editable Exit Tickets
  • 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 picked up about the myth of Sisyphus. I also provide two different tickets to offer academic choice for students.
• Essay Writing Activity (with visual starter and prompt)
  • Cap this three-day lesson with a fun writing activity with students reimagining the myth for our current time (similar to what Albert Camus did in his famous essay on the myth).
• 2 Further Reading Lists
  • Don’t disregard further reading lists 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 popular myth.
• Standards Alignment Chart
• 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.

I created this resource with middle school students in mind. It is designed for an English Language Arts Mythology unit on characteristics of the epic hero (and as a pre-lesson on the hero’s journey.

• Use this resource as a stand-alone lesson or pair it with a larger unit on Myth, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, Parallel Myths, and paired with Albert Camus’s compelling essay “The Myth of Sisyphus.”

N.B. — The text of the myth included in this digital download is in the public domain, with additional content provided by Stones of Erasmus.

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