Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.3, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.6

Learning objective

Students will read a play based on a Greek myth and make inferences about the plot and characters.

Key Skills

inference, text features, vocabulary, genre, plot, character, cause and effect, interpreting text, critical thinking, making connections, narrative writing

Complexity Factors

Levels of Meaning: The play touches on themes of self-discipline, curiosity, and teamwork.

Structure: The story is chronological. The Greek chorus helps summarize and clarify the main events in each scene. 

Language: The language is conversational.

Knowledge Demands: Some knowledge of Greek mythology is helpful but not required.

Levels

Guided Reading Level: U 

DRA Level: 50

Lesson Plan: Pandora’s Box

Essential Questions

  • Is curiosity a good thing?
  • How can hope help us through difficult situations? 

Literature Connection

  • Graphic novel: Olympians—Zeus—King of the Gods by George O’Connor

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the story. Then preview text features with the following prompts:

  • Read the play’s title and the text beneath it. Have you heard the phrase “Pandora’s box” before? If so, what does it mean to you? Students may say that they’ve heard the phrase before to refer to a problem that becomes hard to contain once unleashed, not unlike a “can of worms.”
  • Look at the illustration of the young woman opening the box. Describe what you see coming out of the box. Why might it have been a bad idea to open the box? Bats and creepy creatures with mean-looking faces are coming out of the box. They are surrounded by a dark cloud. It was probably a bad idea to open the box because harmful-looking things came out, and it doesn’t look like all those bad things can possibly be put back in the box. 

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Direct students’ attention to the vocabulary box. Read the words (slither, harness, curiosity, dire, misery) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

  • Before students start to read, set a purpose for reading by Explain that making an inference means using clues from the text to figure out something that isn’t stated. 
  • Point out the activity at the end of the play. Tell students they will complete it after reading.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

  • Assign roles to students and read the play aloud as a class. Stop after each scene and ask students to summarize what happened.
  • After reading, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • In Scene 1, what does Zeus want Pro and Epi to do? Why? (plot) He wants Pro and Epi to make animals and humans because he thinks Earth is boring without living things.
  • In Scene 2, why is Pro upset with Epi? (character) Epi gave the animals the long necks, fangs, and fur that Pro’s humans need.
  • In Scene 3, what does Zeus do to get revenge after Pro steals his fire? (cause and effect) To punish Pro and the humans, Zeus creates Pandora. He has a plan that will cause Pandora to unleash horrors into the world.
  • In Scene 4, why does Pro warn Epi and Pandora not to trust Zeus? (inference) He knows that Zeus is angry about humans learning to use fire and is probably going to trick them.
  • In Scene 5, why does Zeus’s note say that Pandora should never, ever open the mysterious golden box? (inference) Zeus knows that Pandora is curious and that telling her not to open the box will make her want to open it and look inside even more.
  • At the end of Scene 6, why does the Greek Chorus say “We’re just happy that [Pandora] knew to let hope out the window too.” (interpreting text) They know that hope is the only thing that can fight all the evils that Pandora has accidentally unleashed upon the world.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • In the myth, Pandora gives in to her curiosity, opens the box, and unleashes evils upon the world. Is curiosity always a bad thing? Are there times when it can be good? Explain your answer. (critical thinking) Sample answer: Curiosity can be a good thing; for instance, it can drive us to explore new places and discover new interests. But it can be bad when it leads us to behave in ways that might do harm, like doing a dangerous experiment or not respecting someone’s privacy. That’s why it’s important to think carefully before acting on your curiosity.
  • One of the takeaways from the myth is that hope can fight evil forces. Can you think of an example from your life, from other works of fiction, or from a nonfiction story that you’ve read in Action, that supports this statement? (making connections) Answers will vary. Students may give examples from stories in Action. For instance, this issue’s nonfiction story describes how the people of Joplin, Missouri, helped each other in the aftermath of a powerful tornado. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Play a Role

Playing the role of a fictional character can help you understand how that character thinks and feels. 

Choose a character from “Pandora’s Box” that you’re going to play. Imagine that your character is being interviewed for a news story about the Pandora’s Box Disaster, in which hatred and disease entered the world. Then make a video of yourself acting as that character.

Start your video by saying, “Hi, I’m ______.” Then answer these questions:

  • Who do you think is to blame for the disaster?
  • Is there anything you could have done to prevent the disaster?
  • What can humans do to protect themselves from the horrors that came from the box?
  • What do you think humans should learn from the disaster?

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Increase fluency with common idioms from Greek mythology.

When people learn English, idioms can be a real roadblock. Out of context, they seem to make no sense. You can help your students make sense of some idioms by showing where they come from.

After reading the play, watch our fun video “Myth Talk: Figures of Speech.” Discuss the four figures of speech in the video. Then write these sentence starters on the board. Ask students to finish each sentence with an idiom from the video.

  • I’m getting straight A’s in every class except French. Languages are my ______.” (Achilles’ heel)
  • Tara  has started three businesses, and they’re all making money. She has ______. (the Midas touch)
  • My mom says I have to clean the whole house before my party, but that’s a ______. (Herculean task)
  • I’ve been keeping a lot of secrets from my sister. If we talk about them now, we’ll be ______. (opening a Pandora’s box)

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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