Theseus & The Minotaur | Comprehensive Crete Tale Study for Middle & High School

The story of Theseus is a classic tale of ancient Greece and Crete. Theseus, the son of King Aegeus of Athens, is sent to Crete as one of the seven youths and seven maidens offered as a tribute to the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man who lives in a labyrinth under the palace of King Minos. Theseus slays the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, King Minos’ daughter, who gives him a ball of thread to help him navigate the labyrinth and a sword to kill the beast. Theseus and the other Athenians then escape Crete on a ship with the help of Ariadne, but he abandons her on the island of Naxos. Upon returning to Athens, Theseus forgets to change the color of his sails from black to white, indicating his success in killing the Minotaur, causing his father to commit suicide in despair.

Here’s what you get out of the box:

• 3-day Lesson Plan for 45-minute class sessions or 1.5-hour session with a 45-minute writing block.
• Access Diverse Versions of the Story
  • Links to versions of the myth online
  • Public Domain Content
• 7 Works of Art to Compare to the Story:
  • “The Tribute to the Minotaur” by Auguste Gendron
  • “The Minotaur”
  • “Theseus Slays the Minotaur,” painted on a terracotta flask
  • “Theseus Slays the Minotaur,” painted on a terracotta jar
  • “Theseus and Ariadne,” a print from a children’s book of myths by Charles Kingsley
  • “Thesée et Ariadne,” an etching from Jeu de la Mythologies
  • “Theseus on his way to the Minotaur,” a drawing by Charles Snyder
• 1 Visual Organizer for Key Characters and Places from the Story
• Exit Tickets to Check for Understanding
• 26 Reading Comprehension Questions w/ answer key
• 8 Critical Thinking Questions
• 3 Note-taking Templates
• 3 Frayer Model Vocabulary Cards (aligned to the lesson)
• Includes Two Writing Activities
• Includes a “Further Reading” List for you and your students
• Standards Alignment Chart
• Includes both PDF & Google Workspace versions

stonesoferasmus.com