Perseus and the Gorgon

We haven't put any information gap activities on line even though they are quick to download, and prepare for
the classroom. This first one on line will help you with the difficult task of adapting Greeks to Year 3 as QCA
suggest, since it shares out the reading tasks. The trickiest bit of this activity is sorting the pairs and groups
so we have included a card set for thirty participants, which you can always pare down if you are fortunate
enough to be teaching fewer. You will also need to find a few pictures to enliven the text sheets. This activity
was first put together in 1995 by the Luton Ethnic Minority Achievement team. Last updated 17th December
2002. The webaddress for this activity is:
<http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf>
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING PROJECT
Project Director: Stuart Scott
Supporting a cooperative network of teaching professionals throughout the European Union to develop and disseminate accessible teaching materials in all subject areas and for all ages.

17, Barford Street, Islington, London N1 0QB UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7226 8885
Website: http://www.collaborativelearning.org

BRIEF SUMMARY OF BASIC PRINCIPLES BEHIND OUR TEACHING ACTIVITIES:

The project is a teacher network, and a non-profit making educational trust. Our main aim is to develop and disseminate classroom tested examples of effective group strategies across all phases
and subjects. We hope they will inspire you to use similar strategies in other topics and curriculum areas. We run teacher workshops, swapshops and conferences throughout the European Union.
The project publishes a catalogue of activities plus lists in selected subject areas, and a newsletter available by post or internet: “PAPERCLIP’.

*These activities were influenced by current thinking about the role of language in learning. They are designed to help children learn through talk and active learning in small groups. They work best
in mixed classes where children in need of language or learning support are integrated. They are well suited for the development of speaking and listening . They provide teachers opportunities for
assessment of speaking and listening and other formative assessment.

*They support differentiation by placing a high value on what children can offer to each other on a particular topic, and also give children the chance to respect each other’s views and formulate
shared opinions which they can disseminate to peers. By helping them to take ideas and abstract concepts, discuss, paraphrase and move them about physically, they help to develop thinking
skills.

*They give children the opportunity to participate in their own words and language in their own time without pressure. Many activities can be tried out in mother tongue and afterwards in English. A
growing number of activities are available in more than one language, not translated, but mixed, so that you may need more than one language to complete the activity.

*They encourage study skills in context, and should therefore be used with a range of appropriate information books which are preferably within reach in the classroom.

*They are generally adaptable over a wide age range because children can bring their own knowledge to an activity and refer to books at an appropriate level. The activities work like catalysts.

*All project activities were planned and developed by teachers working together, and the main reason they are disseminated is to encourage teachers to work effectively with each other inside and
outside the classroom. They have made it possible for mainstream and language and learning support teachers to share an equal role in curriculum delivery. They should be adapted to local
conditions. In order to help us keep pace with curriculum changes, please send any new or revised activities back to the project, so that we can add them to our lists of materials.

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
Perseus and the Gorgon
Collaborative Reading Materials with an information gap.

There are three versions of the text with a common question sheet. The principle of the materials lies in fact that readers will
be unable to complete the questions by simply using the information in their version, but will have to collaborate with other read-
ers, asking questions and eliciting information, possibly arguing and negotiating. There is also an opportunity to draw on their own
previous knowledge.

We have outlined the following procedure but you can reorganise things in a variety of ways. You can possibly arrange to pair
slower readers with faster ones etc. You could start with threes rather than pairs etc.

The class works first in pairs and partners have copies of the same text. Five pairs have Sheet A, five Sheet B etc. The card
activity is a simple way of organising pairs with a bit of extra learning thrown in, and if you want or select pairs you can always
deal the cards from the bottom of the pack. Pairs can read the text silently first and then to each other, and then work together
to answer as many questions as they can.

The pairs then split up and move into colour groups of six where two participants have Sheet A, two Sheet B etc. They can then
go on to complete the questions by interrogating each other.

They (or part of the class) could reform later to produce a composite text that includes all the information plus anything else they can cull
from other resources.

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
Perseus and the Gorgon Text A

The ancient Greeks has many stories about Gods and Goddesses; Kings and Queens;
Princes and Princesses. This story is about Perseus, who became King of Seriphos.

Perseus was the son of Danae, his mother, and Zeus, the chief of the Gods was his fa-
ther. Danae was captured by Polydectes, the evil king of the island of Seriphos.
Polydectes wanted to marry Danae, but she did not want to marry him. Perseus said he
would fight Polydectes, but Polydectes said he did not want to fight him. Polydectes said
he would not marry Danae if Perseus captured a Gorgon's head. This was very dangerous
because anyone who looked at the Gorgon's eyes would turn to stone. Perseus managed
to cut off a Gorgon's head and was able to use it to turn Polydectes to stone

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
Perseus and the Gorgon Text B

The ancient Greeks has many stories about Gods and Goddesses; Kings and Queens;
Princes and Princesses. This story is about Perseus, who became King of Seriphos.

Perseus was the son of Zeus, the chief of all the Gods. Perseus asked Zeus for help in
capturing a Gorgon's head. Gorgons were monsters who would kill any person. Zeus asked
Hermes and Athena to help Perseus. Hermes was the messenger of the Gods and Athena
was the goddess of wisdom. They gave Perseus five presents to help him capture a
Gorgon's head. They gave him a cap, to make him invisible; winged sandals, to make him
fly; a bright shield to protect him and use as a mirror; a curved knife called a sickle, to
cut through anything; and a shoulder bag, to carry anything he wanted to. Perseus later
became king of Seriphos and thanked the gods for his presents.

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
Perseus and the Gorgon Text C

The ancient Greeks has many stories about Gods and Goddesses; Kings and Queens;
Princes and Princesses. This story is about Perseus, who became King of Seriphos.

Perseus flew to the Gorgons' island. Gorgons were monsters with snakes in their hair. If
anyone looked in a Gorgon's eyes they turned to stone. Perseus found a Gorgon called
Medusa.. Perseus put on his cap so that Medusa could not see him. He cut off Medusa's
head with his sickle, and put the head in his shoulder bag. Perseus was flying back to
Seriphos when he saw a young woman crying because she was chained to a rock near the
sea. The young woman's name was Andromeda. She had been chained to the rock by her
evil father. Perseus liked the look of Andromeda and said he would help her. Perseus cut
Andromeda free with his sickle. Suddenly a sea monster came to kill Andromeda.
Perseus took Medusa's head out of his bag and pointed it at the sea monster. The mon-
ster turned to stone. Perseus took Andromeda back to Seriphos and married her and
then she became queen.

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
Perseus and the Gorgon - Question sheet with space for answers.
1. Who was Perseus' mother and 2. What is a Gorgon? 3. What presents did Perseus
4. Who was the evil king?
father? receive?

5. What happened if you looked into 6. Who gave Perseus the presents 7. Why was Andromeda crying? 8. How did Perseus kill the sea
a Gorgon's eyes. and why? monster?

9. What was the name of the 10. What happened to Polydectes in 11. What happened to Andromeda at 12. What present was the most
Gorgon that Perseus killed? the end? the end. useful and why?

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
Perseus and the Gorgon

under over Mickey Minnie

A RED A YELLOW B RED B YELLOW

right shoe left shoe train track

A GREEN A BLUE B GREEN B BLUE

pick mix tea cakes

A ORANGE A RED B ORANGE B RED

mad hatter March hare thunder lightning

A BLUE A YELLOW B BLUE B YELLOW

milk cereal sun moon

A GREEN A ORANGE B GREEN B ORANGE

http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf
 Jigsawing with a class of thirty??!
ice cream jelly
These cards will make your life a lot easier when organ-
C RED C YELLOW ising pairs into sixes. Each child has a card and everyone
finds their partner. If you think any pair is difficult,
why not substitute from the list below or invent your
sugar spice own. You can always develop thematic Greek pairs for
this activity. Pairs collect the information sheet with
the letter that corresponds to the one on their card.
C GREEN C BLUE Although they work together they will each need a copy,
since when they go into colour groups of six, their part-
ners are in a different group.
fingers thumbs

C ORANGE C RED strawberries/cream

cheese/biscuits
sweet sour fish/chips
knife/fork
smoke/fire
C BLUE C YELLOW bed/breadfast
dog/bone
jeans/jumper
tweedledum tweedledee naughty/nice
push/pull
fizzy/still
C GREEN C ORANGE
http://www.collaborativelearning.org/perseusandgorgon.pdf