Gilgamesh: He Who Saw All.

The historical Gilgamesh was a Sumarian king of Uruk around 2700 B.C. Sumarian fragments of the legend that grew up around him have been found dating back to about 2000 B.C. These lesson plans on Gilgamesh were developed during the Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) summer institute on history through literature, in which 6th and 7th grade teachers shared resources and sketched plans for introducing epic heroes and villains from the ancient and medieval worlds. A bibliography of basic books on the Ancient Near East was supplied for the lessons by Dr. John Hayes. The first lesson, "Gilgamesh Lives" (Deborah Petranek), was developed for the sixth grade and needs three to four weeks for completion. The lesson plan sets out a procedure, suggests a project extension, lists materials needed, gives student activities, outlines assignments, and furnishes a 10-step project development process. The second lesson, "Gilgamesh the Hero" (Johanna Rauhala), lists materials needed, presents 11 activities, and gives some extension activities. The third lesson, "Gilgamesh the Hero" (Sheryl Hott), lists materials needed, suggests 11 activities, offers follow-up activities, and cites three Web resources. (BT)