KS2/KS3 Comprehension Greek myths and legends Sword of Damocles & teaching ideas drama discussion

A comprehension activity based on a retelling of the ancient Greek legend “The Sword of Damocles”, with plenty of teaching ideas to extend it into a small unit of learning. Ideal for Upper KS2 or KS3. This includes the story, a series of questions that can be answered on the sheets or in books, and a sheet with a selection of teaching ideas, including art, drama, discussion and writing. This would also work as homework or home learning for confident readers.

This is a complex text, with high-level vocabulary and ideas for KS2/KS3. I’d recommend reading and discussing it with a class first, so that you can explain the vocabulary and ideas, and ensure students understand as you go along.

There are questions embedded in the text, which can be answered as they read, or at the end. Alternatively, you could move the questions to the end, so that they do not interrupt the flow of reading.

This would make a nice one-off reading comprehension for confident readers in upper KS2 or lower KS3. It would also make an interesting component of a unit on legends, or on power, governance and inequality.

The last sheet is a series of teaching ideas, which could be used to plan a week long or so unit on this text. It includes drama activities, writing activities, discussion ideas, and art activities.

With an engaged and able class, this is a great way into discussions of power, and who has the right to wield it. It is also a great way to think about assumptions in storytelling - what assumptions has the author made about what power looks like? Is it right to have a monarch? Is it right that the monarch has ALL of this power and wealth? Are there not alternative ways to govern that don’t involve such concentrations of power? How is wealth linked to power? Is this what a society we’d like to live in looks like?