***+Resource+4


 * The Gods and Goddess of Ancient Greek Mythology on the steps of Olympus**




 * __Explanation of the Resource: __**

   This visual is an animated illustration of the twelve prominent Gods and Goddesses in Ancient Greek mythology as they rest on the steps of Mount Olympus, the dwelling place of these Olympians. The animated nature of the picture allows the exploration of key attributes associated with each God or Goddess in an easier manner as it is more closely related to the ‘cartoon-world’ children regularly ‘enter’ (for example, Hermes is the Messenger of the Gods is easily recognised through the symbolic image of the herald’s staff). Furthermore, the visual provides clear teaching opportunities towards the purpose of images in creating meaning and adding a further dimension beyond what is offered by text alone.

__**Relevance to the Focus Outcome:**__ As this unit of work on Greek mythology focuses on addressing and meeting the learning anticipated within the cultures strand of the K-6 HSIE Syllabus, the above visual would be pertinent in the exploration of myths and legends and the ways in which they form a significant part of the Greek belief system, ultimately allowing students to examine how “different cultures and traditions contribute to Australian and community identity” (Board of Studies, 2006, p. 17). In doing so, students learn how to be accepting of cultural perspectives other than their own, and facilitate them understanding how to be ethical individuals in a multicultural society. The type of attire portrayed in the image would enable students to not only reflect on the culture being represented but also allow students to consider the differences certain time periods have on the way of living of people in that particular culture. **__Aspect of Literacy Explored:__** Visual literacy is a key element for building on one’s knowledge and engagement with literature (Johnston, 2006, p. 519, 522). The explicit analysis of the above image acts as a vehicle towards developing the skills necessary in understanding multimodal texts and emphasise to students the significance of being ‘multiliterate’. Furthermore, through the teaching of visual grammar, children will be introduced to the illustrative techniques that are employed in order to create an effective image in terms of achieving the intention. The overall simplicity of the image makes the discussion of certain aspects of visual literacy – for example, the structure, the layout, the modality and the placement – much easier. When examining this image, certain aspects of visual grammar will be explored, eventually raising an awareness of the three kinds of meanings that contribute to the interpretation of an image – namely the structures of representational, interactive and compositional elements (Unsworth, 2001, p. 72). In viewing the image, students may comment on how the placement of each God or Goddess is done so strategically in order to convey the apparent hierarchical structure that exists within Greek Mythology. Further links can be drawn between the organisation of the deities and the use of vectors in directing our gaze towards to the most significant part of the image – in this case, Zeus being King of the Gods. This also allows students to learn about how salience is created through the contrast of light and dark areas, and how this is assisted by the framing within the image. Like with grammatical language, the power of symbolism can be explored through the illustrator’s representations of the Gods and Goddesses; that is, the gestures and stance they bear, along with any symbolic objects possessed. Therefore, the examination of images in this manner facilitates the cultivation of children’s discourse in visual literacy, which is pertinent to the learning that occurs in other areas.

__**References: **__


 * Board of Studies NSW (2007). //Human society and its environment K-6 Syllabus.// Sydney: Author.
 * Johnston, R. R. (2006). Visual literacy: Reading the world of signs. In G. Winch, R.R. Johnston, P. March, L. Ljungdahl & M. Holliday, //Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature (3rd edition)// (pp. 516-536)//.// South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
 * Unsworth, L. (2001). //Teaching multiliteracies across the curriculum: Changing contexts of text and image in classroom practice.// Buckingham, England: Open University.
 * //Link to access the image//: [|http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.herricks.org/webpages/sresearchprogra/photos/olympus.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.herricks.org/webpages/sresearchprogra/fifthproj.cfm%3Fsubpage%3D6567&usg=__h9eO_W1TyYbXSz6OJuRQIAWHrwY=&h=300&w=478&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=5FcNfNiakZahJM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=204&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgreek%2Bmythology%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-au:IE-SearchBox%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D823%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=203&ei=9jegTNuaGI2WcbLKub4J&oei=9jegTNuaGI2WcbLKub4J&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=159&ty=65]


 * Cecilia Tran**