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RSRT Y5 L4 Mythologica

Literacy Counts

Created on February 13, 2026

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Transcript

Ready Steady Read Together

Mythologica: Non-Fiction Lesson 4

What do you think you know?

What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?

Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.

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What do you know and think?

Even the gods got involved this time – all fighting to win this battle that had raged for years.

How might this extract link to the illustration?

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From: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Today's Question(s)

A) Put these events from The Trojan War in the correct order.

B) Which three goddesses claimed the golden apple was theirs?

C) How many ships did Agamemnon gather for the Greek army?

D) Who returned Helen to King Menelaus after the war?

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Let me read today's text

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The Trojan War was fought when Greece’s mightiest warriors battled for ten years against Troy’s awesome fighters to win back the most beautiful woman who ever lived. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn’t been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests. The apple had the words “for the fairest” written on it, and Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed that the prize should be theirs. To put an end to their squabbles, Zeus ordered Hermes to take them to the Trojan prince Paris, who would have to decide. Aphrodite promised to give Paris the most beautiful woman on Earth, Helen, if he chose her. He did – and when he stole Helen from her husband, King Menelaus, and took her to Troy, this caused the Trojan War. King Menelaus’s brother Agamemnon put together a Greek army of 1,106 ships to get her back from Paris. Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to get favourable wins for his army of ships. The battle raged for years and years, and in the tenth year, Agamemnon had a huge row with Achilles over some captured girls. Because of this row, Achilles stormed off to his tent in a heroic sulk and refused to fight.

Adapted from: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not share.

Achilles’s temper tantrum gave Troy’s greatest warrior Hector time to take his ferocious onslaught right into the Greek camp. Achilles’s best friend, Patroclus, borrowed his fabulous armour and led his troops to save the ships from this attack, but he was no match for Hector, who killed him in a ferocious battle. Achilles was distraught at the news that his friend had died. His mother, Thetis, and his horse Xanthus – who could see into the future – both told him that he would die almost immediately if he took revenge on Hector, but he ignored them both. He got some incredible new armour, ended his feud with Agamemnon, and rejoined the battle. Even the gods got involved this time – all fighting to win this battle that had raged for years. The Trojans were driven inside the city, except for Hector. He tried to run for safety, but “swift-footed” Achilles chased him around Troy’s walls three times before killing him in single combat. After his victory over Hector, Achilles returned to the fray, but was killed by Paris, who shot an arrow at him that struck his heel. With their finest fighter lost, the Greeks needed Odysseus to get possession of a statue of Athena called the Palladium. While it was inside the walls, Troy could not be captured. Odysseus came up with a clever plan: the Greeks built a huge wooden horse and hid their soldiers inside. They left it outside Troy as a ‘gift’ and pretended to sail away. The Trojans, thinking the war was over, brought the horse inside the city walls. At night, the Greek soldiers crept out, opened the gates, and let the army in. Troy was finally destroyed, and the war ended. Helen was returned to King Menelaus, and the surviving heroes sailed home, leaving the once-great city of Troy in flames behind them.

Adapted from: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not share.

Vocabulary

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Hover for definitions!

sacrifice

heroic sulk

battle raged

ferocious onslaught

distraught

ended his feud

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From: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

I will model the first.

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

sacrifice

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Find Read Talk

King Menelaus’s brother Agamemnon put together a Greek army of 1,106 ships to get her back from Paris. Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to get favourable wins for his army of ships. The battle raged for years and years, and in the tenth year, Agamemnon had a huge row with Achilles over some captured girls. Because of this row, Achilles stormed off to his tent in a heroic sulk and refused to fight.

Reveal Vocabulary

Adapted from: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not share.

sacrifice

Your turn

battle raged

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

heroic sulk

ferocious onslaught

distraught

ended his feud

Use your text

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Vocabulary Check & Re-read

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Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Reveal Vocabulary

The Trojan War was fought when Greece’s mightiest warriors battled for ten years against Troy’s awesome fighters to win back the most beautiful woman who ever lived. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn’t been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests. The apple had the words “for the fairest” written on it, and Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed that the prize should be theirs. To put an end to their squabbles, Zeus ordered Hermes to take them to the Trojan prince Paris, who would have to decide. Aphrodite promised to give Paris the most beautiful woman on Earth, Helen, if he chose her. He did – and when he stole Helen from her husband, King Menelaus, and took her to Troy, this caused the Trojan War. King Menelaus’s brother Agamemnon put together a Greek army of 1,106 ships to get her back from Paris. Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to get favourable wins for his army of ships. The battle raged for years and years, and in the tenth year, Agamemnon had a huge row with Achilles over some captured girls. Because of this row, Achilles stormed off to his tent in a heroic sulk and refused to fight.

Adapted from: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not share.

Reveal Vocabulary

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Achilles’s temper tantrum gave Troy’s greatest warrior Hector time to take his ferocious onslaught right into the Greek camp. Achilles’s best friend, Patroclus, borrowed his fabulous armour and led his troops to save the ships from this attack, but he was no match for Hector, who killed him in a ferocious battle. Achilles was distraught at the news that his friend had died. His mother, Thetis, and his horse Xanthus – who could see into the future – both told him that he would die almost immediately if he took revenge on Hector, but he ignored them both. He got some incredible new armour, ended his feud with Agamemnon, and rejoined the battle. Even the gods got involved this time – all fighting to win this battle that had raged for years. The Trojans were driven inside the city, except for Hector. He tried to run for safety, but “swift-footed” Achilles chased him around Troy’s walls three times before killing him in single combat. After his victory over Hector, Achilles returned to the fray, but was killed by Paris, who shot an arrow at him that struck his heel. With their finest fighter lost, the Greeks needed Odysseus to get possession of a statue of Athena called the Palladium. While it was inside the walls, Troy could not be captured. Odysseus came up with a clever plan: the Greeks built a huge wooden horse and hid their soldiers inside. They left it outside Troy as a ‘gift’ and pretended to sail away. The Trojans, thinking the war was over, brought the horse inside the city walls. At night, the Greek soldiers crept out, opened the gates, and let the army in. Troy was finally destroyed, and the war ended. Helen was returned to King Menelaus, and the surviving heroes sailed home, leaving the once-great city of Troy in flames behind them.

Adapted from: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not share.

Fluency

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Let me use my reader's voice...

At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn’t been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests. The apple had the words “for the fairest” written on it, and Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed that the prize should be theirs. To put an end to their squabbles, Zeus ordered Hermes to take them to the Trojan prince Paris, who would have to decide.

What did you notice?

Volume

Pace

Smoothness

Phrasing

Expression

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From: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

My Turn
Your Turn

Echo Read

At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn’t been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests.

The apple had the words “for the fairest” written on it,

and Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed that the prize should be theirs.

To put an end to their squabbles, Zeus ordered Hermes to take them to the Trojan prince Paris, who would have to decide.

Explore

From: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Sound like a reader!
Stand up!

Choral Read

At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn’t been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests. The apple had the words “for the fairest” written on it, and Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed that the prize should be theirs. To put an end to their squabbles, Zeus ordered Hermes to take them to the Trojan prince Paris, who would have to decide.

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From: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Focus

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Strategy: Look Around & Find and Take

Be a word thief and steal what you've been asked to find...

A) Put these events from The Trojan War in the correct order.

What's the question asking? Now, what are you looking for?

Let me show you

Reveal Text Marks

At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn’t been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests. The apple had the words “for the fairest” written on it, and Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed that the prize should be theirs.

Reveal Events

A) Put these events from The Trojan War in the correct order.

Reveal Explainer

When I look back at the beginning of the text, I notice that the very first important event mentioned is Eris throwing the golden apple at the wedding. The sentence says, ‘At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris (Strife), who hadn't been invited, threw a golden apple among the guests.’ This happens before Helen is promised, before she is taken, and long before any fighting begins. That tells me this is the event that sets everything else in motion, so it must come first in the sequence.

Teach

From: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Stop

What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?

Teach

Your Turn

A) Achilles kills Hector in single combat. B) Eris throws a golden apple marked “for the fairest.” C) The Greeks build a huge wooden horse and hide inside it. D) Zeus sends the goddesses to Paris to decide who is ‘the fairest’. E) Achilles is killed by Paris’s arrow.

A) Put these events from The Trojan War in the correct order.

C) How many ships did Agamemnon gather for the Greek army?

B) Which three goddesses claimed the golden apple was theirs?

D) Who returned Helen to King Menelaus after the war?

Find the answers
Text mark

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Acceptable Answers

B) Eris throws the golden apple.

D) Zeus sends the goddesses to Paris to decide who is ‘the fairest’.

A) Put these events from The Trojan War in the correct order.

A) Achilles kills Hector.

E) Achilles is killed by Paris.

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

C) The Greeks build the wooden horse.

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence Hera

B) Which three goddesses claimed the golden apple was theirs?

Text Mark Evidence Athena

Text Mark Evidence Aphrodite

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

C) How many ships did Agamemnon gather for the Greek army?

Click to reveal...

Text Mark Evidence 1,106 ships

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

D) Who returned Helen to King Menelaus after the war?

Text Mark Evidence Helen was returned to King Menelaus, and the surviving heroes sailed home

the surviving Greek heroes

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Quiz Time

Start

Picture Me

Which image is the best match for ‘distraught’?

Which One's Right?

Why did the Greeks build the wooden horse?

B) To frighten the Trojans

A) To protect themselves from attack

C) To trick the Trojans into letting them inside the city

D) To honour Athena

Match Me

Match the word to its meaning:

4) onslaught

1) feud

3) distraught

2) ferocious

C) extremely upset

B) a long-lasting disagreement

A) a very angry attack

D) fierce or savage

Click if correct
Check

Fill the Gaps

sacrifice
heroic sulk
huge row

King Menelaus’s brother Agamemnon put together a Greek army of 1,106 ships to get her back from Paris. Agamemnon had to his daughter Iphigenia to get favourable wins for his army of ships. The battle raged for years and years, and in the tenth year, Agamemnon had a with Achilles over some captured girls. Because of this row, Achilles stormed off to his tent in a and refused to fight.

Click if correct
Discuss then check

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

join a book club.

Reveal

Talk to others about books you've read to get new perspectives.

Copyright Notice

This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced and adapted for accessibility from: Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw © 2019 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.

sacrifice
huge row
heroic sulk

A) Achilles kills Hector in single combat. B) Eris throws a golden apple marked “for the fairest.” C) The Greeks build a huge wooden horse and hide inside it. D) Zeus sends the goddesses to Paris to decide who is ‘the fairest’. E) Achilles is killed by Paris’s arrow.