Comenius Project

Greek National Day

2011-2012

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ...........................................

1. ‘King Midas’

King Midas is a greedy king

in Ancient Greece. Money is

more important to him than his

own family.

One day a God grants him a

wish. He wishes that everything

he touches turns to gold. His

wish comes true.

Now he is very very rich

but he isn't happy anymore. He can't smell the flowers because

they are gold. He can't eat or drink because it turns to gold

when he touches it. He hugs his children and they turn to gold.

He misses them.

He tells the God that he doesn't want gold anymore, he

wanted his family. The God changes everything back to how it is

meant to be. King Midas is happy again.

He learns some things are more important than money.

1. ‘King Midas’. Vocabulary:

1. Greedy (adjective): he is never satisfied with the things he has got

and always wants more and more.

2. Grants (verb): offers him as a gift.

3. Wish (noun): something he wants, a desire.

4. Smell (verb): what we do with our nose

5. Hugs (verb): puts his arms around them with affection.

6. How it is meant to be: the way things usually are, before they turn

to gold.

7. Learns: he knows and understands new things.

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

2. ‘Narcissus’ Narcissus is a beautiful boy. He has

long, blond hair, beautiful, blue eyes and

white teeth.

Many young ladies love him including

Echo. Poor Echo falls in love with Narcissus

she can't speak. Narcissus laughs at her

and she cries.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love sees

what happens punishes Narcissus. As he

comes to a pool of water Narcissus sees

his reflection and falls in love with his own

face.

Poor Narcissus watches his own reflection, every time he tries to

touch the face of the vision he loves it breaks on the surface of the

water. Narcissus stops eating because he is so sad. Eventually he dies.

Aphrodite pities him and makes a flower grow in his place on the

bank of the lake.

Narcissus flowers can be found to this day growing wherever you

can find water and trees.

2. ‘Narcissus’ Vocabulary:

1. Enjoyed (verb in past): To like something.

2. Built (verb in past): Make a building.

3. Saw (verb in past) : See in past.

4. Fell in love (verb in past): He begins to love her.

5. Gift (noun): a present, something you give someone to be kind..

6. Would give (verb conditional):on condition that she kisses him/gives him a kiss.

7. Thought (verb in past): thinks.

8. Was (verb in past): past of is.

9. Gave (verb in past): past of give, presents her with

10. Could (verb in past): can, is able to.

11. Angrily (adverb): with anger, in an angry way.

12. Warned (verb in past): advise, tell that something bad may happen.

13. Watch out (verb): be careful, take care.

14. Believed (verb in past): think that someone is telling the truth.

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

3. ‘Daedalus and Icarus’

One day, King Minos of

Crete imprisons Daedalus and his

son Icarus.

They decide to try and

escape. Daedalus makes wings

from wax and feathers. They

learn to fly and prepare to

escape. Daedalus tells Icarus not

to go high, to keep away from

the sun.

They jump into the air and start to fly into the clouds.

They go very fast, up and down. Icarus is so excited that he

leaves his father. He goes higher and higher. His father shouts

for him to come down.

The sun sees Icarus coming too close. He shines on Icarus.

Icarus tries to go back down, but too late. The sun melts the

wax that holds the feathers and Icarus' wings break. He falls

to the ground and dies.

3. ‘Daedalus and Icarus’. Vocabulary.

1. Imprison (verb):to put into jail

2. Wax (noun):the material that candles are made of

3. Feather (noun):covering the body of a bird

4. Learn (verb):to aquire knowledge or skills

5. Keep away (verb) :to prevent from coming near

6. Fast (adjective):quickly

7. Excited (adjective):emotional, enthusiastic

8. Higher (adverb): up

9. Melt (verb): to make into a liquid

10.Fall (verb): to drop suddenly

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-1012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

4. ‘Apollo & Cassandra’

Apollo enjoyed visiting the

temples around ancient Greece

built in his honor. One day, Apollo

went to the temple in Troy.

Cassandra, who was young and

beautiful, worked at the temple.

When Apollo saw Cassandra, he

fell in love.

Apollo offered Cassandra a

deal. He would give her a very

special gift, the ability to see the

future, if she would give him a kiss.

Cassandra thought that was a great deal and Apollo gave her his

gift. Instantly, Cassandra could see the future. She saw Apollo, in

the future, helping the Greeks destroy Troy. When Apollo went to

kiss her, she angrily spit in his face.Apollo was furious. He could not

take away his gift.

Although Cassandra could see the future, no one would believe

her. That was his added gift. When Cassandra warned her people in

Troy to watch out for the Trogan horse, not one person believed

her.

4. ‘Apollo & Cassandra’. Vocabulary.

Apollo & Cassandra

1. Enjoyed (verb in past): To like something.

2. Built (verb in past): Make a building.

3. Saw (verb in past) : See in past.

4. Fell in love (verb in past): He begins to love her.

5. Gift (noun): a present, something you give someone to be kind..

6. Would give (verb conditional): on condition that she kisses him/ gives him a kiss.

7. Thought (verb in past): thinks.

8. Was (verb in past): past of is.

9. Gave (verb in past): past of give, presents her with

10. Could (verb in past): can, is able to.

11. Angrily (adverb): with anger, in an angry way.

12. Warned (verb in past): advise, tell that something bad may happen.

13 Watch out (verb): be careful, take care.

14. Believed (verb in past): think that someone is telling the truth.

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

5. ‘Aphrodite & Venus’

Some say

Aphrodite's parents

were unknown and that

she was born of sea

foam. Others say she

was a daughter of Zeus,

the king of all the gods.

Aphrodite was the

goddess of love and

beauty. She was

essential in many Greek

myths.

Legend says that

Aphrodite could be kind

or mean. Aphrodite was only mean if you did something that truly angered

her. But, Aphrodite knew that she was the fairest in the land.

The myths says that Aphrodite's vanity that caused the Trojan

War, not a fight over land or goods.

5. ‘Aphrodite & Venus’. Vocabulary.

1. Were unknown (verb in past and adjective): they are unknown- no

one knows who they are.

2. Was born (verb in past): when you first enter the world you are

born.

3. Foam (noun): white part on top of the sea and waves.

4. Goddess (noun): A God who is female .

5. Kind (adjective): nice and friendly, caring to others.

6. Mean (adjective): the opposite of kind, not nice or caring to others.

7. Truly angered (adverb and verb in past): really makes her angry/

makes her very angry.

8. The fairest in the land (superlative): the most beautiful woman .

9. Vanity (noun): too much importance for yourself and your

appearance.

10. Caused (verb in past): it is the reason for/ it started.

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

6. ‘Hercules’

Everyone knew that

Hercules was half-man and

half-god. His mother was a

mortal, but his father was

Zeus, the king of all the

gods.

Hercules did not know

he was part god until he had

grown into a man.

Hera, Zeus' wife, was very jealous of Hercules. She tried

to kill him many times. One time, she sent a couple of really big

snakes into his crib. He was just a baby, but Hercules survived.

Hercules was incredibly strong, magically strong, even as a baby!

Zeus loved his little son. To protect Hercules, Zeus sent

him to live with a mortal family on earth.

Hercules grew up loved and honest. But he didn't fit in on

Earth. He was too big and too strong. One day, his mortal father

told him he was part god.

6. ‘Hercules’. Vocabulary.

1. Did not know (verb): negative past tense of knew

2. Was (verb): past tense of to be/is

3. Had grown (verb): past perfect tense of grow, to get bigger

4. Wife (noun): a female who is married, the opposite of husband

5. Jealous (adjective): envious

6. Sent (verb): past tense of send, to require or enable to go

7. Crib (noun): where a baby sleeps

8. Survived (verb): past tense of survive, to remain alive

9. Even (adverb): used as an intensive

10. Grew up (verb): past tense of grow up, to get bigger and more

mature

11. Didn't fit in (verb): negative past tense of fit in, to belong

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

7. ‘Pandora's Box’ Once up a time, a long time ago, Zeus orders someone to make him a

daughter. It is the first woman made out of clay. She is a beautiful woman and

her name is Pandora.

Zeus sends his new daughter, Pandora, down to earth so that she can

marry Epimetheus, who is a gentle but lonely man.

Zeus is not being kind. He wants revenge.

Zeus is angry with Epimetheus.

Zeus gives Pandora a little box. He makes her

promise never to open the box. He gives the key to

Pandora’s husband and tells him to never open the

box.

Zeus is sure that Epimetheus' will be too

curious and will open the box.

Pandora is very curious. She wants to see what is

inside the box, but Epimetheus says no."Maybe it

is a trick from Zeus,”he says.

One day, when Epimetheus is sleeping, Pandora steals the key and opens

the box.

Out flies every kind of disease and sickness, hate and envy, and all the

bad things that didn't exist before. Pandora slams the lid closed, but it is too

late. All the bad things are already out of the box. They fly away, out into the

world.

Epimetheus wakes up at the sound of her crying. “I opened the box and

now all these bad things exist,” she cries. Pandora opens the box to show him it

is empty. But the box isn't empty. One tiny insect flies quickly out before

Pandora can close the lid again.

“Hello, Pandora,” says the insect. “My name is Hope.” So, Hope flies out

into the world, a world that now has Envy, Crime, Hate, and Disease – and

Hope.

7. ‘Pandora's Box’

1. Clay (noun): brown substance which comes from the ground used to

make figures and pots.

2. Revenge (noun): vengence, to punish someone for something they

have done to you.

3. Steal (verb): take something which is not yours without asking.

4. Disease (noun): serious illness.

5. Sickness (noun): illness.

6. Envy (noun): jealousy, to want something that belongs to someone

else.

7. Slam (verb): close with a lot of force or violence.

8. Lid (noun): the top of a box which you open or close

Comenius Project

Greek National Day 2011-2012

Name: .........................................................

Level: ...... Date: ..........................................

8. ‘Perseus and Medusa’

On the island of Seriphos lives a young man called Perseus with

his mother.

The King of Seriphos loves Perseus Mother. He captures her

and gives Perseus a challenge: to bring him Medusa's head. Medusa is

a monster with hair made of serpents. Anyone who looks at her turns

to stone.

Athene, the goddess of war,

helps Perseus by giving him a very

shiny shield. Hermes, the messenger

god, gives him a sharp sword. They

tell him where to find Medusa.

When he arrives at the place

where Medusa lives some Nymphs

give him special shoes to escape

quickly and a special bag to put the head in.

Perseus creeps up to Medusa, looks at her reflection through

his shield and cuts her head off. He puts her head in the bag and

takes it back to the palace. As he pulls the head out of the bag he

turns all of the court to stone and frees his mother.

8. ‘Perseus and Medusa’. Vocabulary.

1. Challenge (noun): a task that is very difficult.

2. Shield (noun): large piece of metal used to protect you from

weapons.

3. Creeps up (verb): go towards very slowly and quietly so that no one

notices you.

4. Court (noun): The group of important people in a kingdom.

5. Frees (verb): liberate, release from imprisonment.

Comenius Project

Greek National Day

2011-2012

Thanks for teachers collaborators,

and, especially our language assistants.