NGA Classroom: Greco-Roman Origin Myths: Resources:

Resources

Select a resource:

http://www.mythweb.com/index.html
Mythweb is devoted to the heroes, gods, and monsters of Greek mythology. The Teachers link includes a Teaching Tips section with mythology lesson plans and activities in composition and letter writing, myth-making, game designing, and discussion topics on heroic values. Use for How Words Came to Be activity.

http://www.afro.com/children/index.html
Kids Zone, a link of Afro-Americ@, includes illustrated African myths and fables about how things came to be. Use for Myths from Other Cultures activity.

http://www.indians.org/welker/legend.htm
This site, a service of the American Indian Heritage Foundation, includes fifty-one creation, migration, and origin stories from Native American tribes. It also includes Gaelic myths and legends. Use for Myths from Other Cultures activity.

http://www.artsmia.org/world-myths/index.html
World Myths & Legends in Art, produced by The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Use for Myths from Other Cultures activity.

The number of books for children about Greco-Roman mythology is vast and growing. Listed here are three that focus on myth and art.

Amery, Heather. (Illustrated by Linda Edwards.) Greek Myths for Young Children.
London: Usborne Publishers, 1999.
This collection includes myths related to Pandora’s Box and the Chariot of the Sun. The illustrated text uses simple and concise language.

Barber, Antonia. Apollo and Daphne: Masterpieces of Greek Mythology.
Malibu, Calif.: J. Paul Getty Museum Publications, 1999.
This book pairs fifteen Greek and Roman myths with paintings that illustrate the stories.

Hoover, H. M., et al. The Whole Truth . . . and Other Myths: Retelling Ancient Tales.
Washington, D.C.: The Trustees of the National Gallery of Art, 1996.
This book recounts several Greek and Roman myths with works from the National Gallery of Art as illustrations. Also included are background information about artists, styles, and interesting trivia.

The following resources may be borrowed free of charge from the National Gallery of Art. Please visit http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/loanfinder/ for ordering information and a full online catalogue.

The Inquiring Eye: Classical Mythology in European Art
[Cat. #TP314, 20 slides, 5 study prints, and 2 text booklets] (60 min.)
The teacher’s booklet discusses Greek and Roman mythology as the source for themes in art from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Included in the packet is a book for young readers, H. M. Hoover et al., The Whole Truth . . . and Other Myths: Retelling Ancient Tales (see Books for Young People).