If you like these history lessons, you may enjoy my science curriculum as well! An e-copy for 1 full year of the Glory of Kings science curriculum is only $10! You can check out some free science lesson plans by visiting this site: Silver Lining Press.
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Week 3: Viking Gods
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Read K – 2: The Adventures of Thor the Thunder God by Lise Lunge-Larsen (pgs 1 – 34)
3 – 6: The Adventures of Thor the Thunder God by Lise Lunge-Larsen (entire book)
7 – 8: Odin’s Family: Myths of the Vikings by Neil Philip (entire book; be sure to also read afterward on page 119)
Discuss:
- T/F The Vikings had many gods. (True)
- T/F The Viking gods never sinned. (False)
- Which god was the Viking’s favorite? (Thor)
- Where does word “Thursday” come from? (Thor’s day)
- What was Thor’s greatest weapon? (his hammer)
- What could Thor’s hammer do in the sky? (make lightning & thunder)
- What pulled Thor’s carriage? (two goats)
- What were the jotuns? (giants)
- Who was chief of the gods? (Odin)
- What trickster caused many problems for Thor and his family? (Loki)
- Why was Loki unusual? (he was a jotun (a giant) but he was small – the size of Odin & Thor; he was also smart and handsome)
- T/F Thor had a bad temper. (true)
- What did Loki do to Thor’s wife? (cut off her beautiful hair)
- How did he get her new hair? (tricked dwarves into making her new hair of spun gold)
- What was the best gift the gods ever received? (Thor’s hammer)
- How did Loki avoid getting his head cut off? (said they couldn’t have his neck)
- From the stories you’ve read about the Viking Gods, what things do you think were important to them as a people? (hammers for working, watching the sky, being clever, strong, tricky)
Questions for Grades 3 – 8: - Describe the contest each of the Viking gods had with the giants and who they were really competing against.
- Loki (eating contest, competing with wild fire)
- Tjalvi (running contest, running against a thought)
- Thor (drinking contest, drank part of the ocean)
- Thor (lifting a cat, sea serpent that wraps itself around the earth)
- Thor (old woman, fighting against old age)
- How did Thor get his hammer back after it was stolen? (pretended to be Freya to marry the giant – dressed in a dress & bridal veil)
Questions for Grades 7 & 8: - Where does the word “Wednesday” come from? (Woden, or Odin’s day)
Activities: K – 2: Thor coloring page: http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring.php?id=11788
3 – 6: Viking Mythology Worksheet. Click here to get worksheet: Viking Mythology worksheet (doc) OR Viking Mythology worksheet (pdf)
7 – 8: Choose one of the following essay topics:
- Write an essay comparing and contrasting Loki to the devil.
- The Viking Age ended at about 1066 A.D. At this time the Vikings became more and more a part of mainland Europe and many converted to Christianity. Discuss the reasons why a Viking would want to leave his gods and embrace Christianity.
- How did Thor represent the ideal Viking man? Write a 5 paragraph, 3 proof essay.
Copyright June 27th, 2014 by Gwen Fredette