Y4 > English > Humanities > History > Riddles – Greek Myth – Oedipus and the Sphinx

Lesson by A Jones

Learning Intentions:

  • To be able to write a riddle.
  • To read and respond to a piece of text.

 

Step 1: Activity overview for parent, carers and pupils

This activity has a one page document with a short story for your child to read.

The main activity can be completed offline.

Step 2: Introduction to the activity and additional information

Let’s start by reading the story of Oedipus (EED-ee-puss) and the Sphinx (sfinks). This is a story from Greek Mythology.

Oedipus-and-the-Sphinx-story

 

What did the Sphinx look like?

Can you remember what the riddle was that the Sphinx asked Oedipus?

What answer did Oedipus give?

What did the Sphinx do if someone couldn’t answer her riddle?

What did the Sphinx do when Oedipus gave the right answer?

Riddles are like a mini quiz. See if you can answer the following riddles.

 

  1. Riddle me, riddle me, what is that

Over the head, and under the hat?

What am I?

  1. Higher than a house, higher than a tree,

Oh, what can it be?

What am I?

  1. A hill full, a hole full,

Yet you cannot catch a bowl full.

What am I?

  1. Thirty white horses upon a red hill,

Now they tramp, now they chomp,

Now they stand still.

What am I?

Find the answers in Step 5.

 

Step 3: Tasks to carry out for this activity

Activity 1

You are going to write your own riddles.

  • Think of an object.
  • Write down some words or phrases to describe your object.
  • Now use those words or phrases to write a riddle.
  • Read your riddle to someone in your family. Did they guess the answer?
  • Think about what makes a riddle easy to answer; can you make one of your riddles simpler for a younger child to answer?
  • What makes a riddle more challenging to answer; can you write a challenging riddle for someone older to answer?
  • Do you think your teacher will be able to work out your riddle? You might want to send them the answer to help them.

Once you have completed the task you can email anything you create (photos, documents, screenshots etc.) directly to your teacher or directly upload it to any of the available places in Step 6.

 

Step 4: Look over the success criteria for this activity:

Success criteria #1:  I can write my own riddle.

Success criteria #2:  I can remember key information from a text I have read.

 

Step 5: Extension and follow on activities/challenges (optional)

Answers to the Quiz1 – Hair

2 – A star

3 – Fog, mist or smoke

4 – Teeth

Step 6: Click on the relevant link below if you have any work to upload to your online areas

 J2e   Google Drive   OneDrive   Seesaw