Newsroom Slides The Olympus Gazette
NEUTRAL NEWSROOM
Reporting the Facts, Just the Facts.
Today's Assignment
"I can write a summary of the Prometheus myth that is distinct from my personal opinions."
Standard RI.6.2
The Summary
Neutral and objective
Focuses on key events
Tells WHO, WHAT, and WHY
"Prometheus took fire from Zeus."
The Opinion
Subjective and personal
Uses "judgment" words
Shares feelings or beliefs
"Zeus was mean and unfair."
Opinion Detective
Which of these is a FACT suitable for a summary?
A) Prometheus is the greatest hero ever known.
B) Zeus made a terrible mistake by hiding fire.
C) Prometheus traveled to Olympus and stole fire.
D) It was totally awesome when humans got fire.
The Neutral Reporter Challenge
Your job is to report the theft of fire for the Olympus Gazette.
But there's a catch: The Editor has BANNED all "judgment words."
Editor's Rule:
If your reader can tell whose side you're on, you've failed the assignment!
The Forbidden List
Do NOT use these words in your report:
Good
Bad
Mean
Hero
Villain
Cruel
Unfair
Wonderful
Stupid
Instead, stick to the actions. What exactly happened?
Press Pass Checklist
1
Catchy (but neutral) Headline
2
The Who, What, and Why of the event
3
ZERO forbidden opinion words
4
Clear, summary-style reporting
Prometheus Myth Text Volume XII, No. 4 Olympus Historical Archives Date: Ancient Era
The Theft of Fire
A Primary Record of the Titan Prometheus
In the earliest days of the world, after the great war between the Gods and the Titans, the Titan Prometheus was given the task of creating mankind. He shaped humans out of clay and water, and he grew to care deeply for his creations.
At that time, Zeus, the King of the Gods, kept the secret of fire to himself. Without fire, humans lived in darkness and cold, shivering in caves and eating raw meat. Prometheus begged Zeus to share the gift of fire with humanity, but Zeus refused.
"Fire is for the gods alone," Zeus declared. "If humans had fire, they would become too powerful. They would eventually challenge our authority on Mount Olympus."
Prometheus could not bear to see the humans suffer. One night, he traveled to Mount Olympus in secret. He reached the chariot of the Sun and touched a hollow stalk of fennel to the flames. The tip of the stalk glowed with a hidden spark.
Prometheus carried the glowing stalk back down to earth and showed the humans how to nurture the flame. Soon, fires were burning in every village. Humans learned to cook food, forge tools, and stay warm during the winter.
From his throne on high, Zeus looked down and saw the smoke rising from the earth. He was furious that his commands had been ignored. He knew immediately that Prometheus was responsible for the theft.
As punishment for his defiance, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to a jagged rock in the Caucasus Mountains. Every day, a giant eagle would fly down and eat Prometheus's liver. Because he was an immortal Titan, his liver would grow back every night, only to be eaten again the next morning.
Despite his agony, Prometheus never regretted his choice. He remained chained to the rock for thousands of years until he was eventually rescued by the hero Heracles.
Archive Note: This text is intended for the Neutral Reporter Challenge. Focus on observable actions rather than the motivations or "goodness" of the characters.
Reporter Activity Worksheet The Olympus Gazette
Official Press Pass: Student Edition
Name:
Date:
Part 1: The Evidence Filter
Before you report, sort the information. List three objective FACTS from the text and three personal OPINIONS people might have about this story.
Objective Facts
Subjective Opinions
The Forbidden Words List
If any of these words appear in your report, your editor will reject it!
Good Bad Mean Hero Villain Cruel Unfair Wonderful Stupid
Part 2: The Neutral Reporter Challenge
Headline (Must be neutral):
Report Body:
Neutral Newsroom Teacher Guide Neutral Newsroom
Teacher Guide
Unit: Mythology & Summary
Lesson: Day 4 - Summary vs. Opinion
Standard: RI.6.2 (Central Idea/Summary)
Duration: 45-60 Minutes
Lesson Overview
This lesson challenges students to separate objective summary from subjective opinion. Using the myth of Prometheus as their subject, students act as "Neutral Reporters" for the Olympus Gazette . They must report the facts of the fire theft without using "judgment words" that signal a personal bias toward Prometheus or Zeus.
Learning Target
"I can write a summary of the Prometheus myth that is distinct from my personal opinions."
Materials
Newsroom Slides
Prometheus Text
Activity Worksheet
Lesson Procedure
1
The Hook: Welcome to the Gazette (5-10m)
Use Slides 1-2 . Introduce the persona: students are no longer just students; they are junior reporters. Discuss why news reporters try to be neutral.
Prompt: "If a reporter tells you how to feel about a story, can you trust them to give you just the facts?"
2
Direct Instruction: Summary vs. Opinion (10-15m)
Use Slides 3-4 . Define a summary as objective (observable facts) and an opinion as subjective (personal judgment). Play the "Opinion Detective" game on Slide 4 to practice identifying neutral statements.
3
Guided Practice: Filtering Facts (10m)
Distribute the Prometheus Text and Worksheet . Read the text aloud or in pairs. As a class, find one fact and one opinion for the T-chart on the worksheet.
Note: Clarify that while the story itself is a myth, within the context of the story, we can find objective facts (e.g., "Zeus hid fire").
4
Independent Practice: Neutral Reporter (20m)
Students complete the "Neutral Reporter Challenge." They must write a news report on Prometheus stealing fire using ZERO forbidden words from the list.
Teaching Tips
Watch for "Sneaky" Opinions: Words like "cruel" or "brave" are opinions. Encourage students to describe the action instead (e.g., "He defied the order" instead of "He was brave").Headlines: Remind students that headlines often contain bias. Their goal is a "boring but accurate" headline.
Differentiation
Neutral Newsroom Answer Key Neutral Newsroom
Answer Key & Exemplar
Teacher Reference for the Prometheus Neutral Reporter Challenge
Part 1: The Evidence Filter (Sample Answers)
Objective Facts
• Prometheus was a Titan who created humans.
• Zeus refused to share fire with humanity.
• Prometheus took a spark from the Sun's chariot.
• Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock in the Caucasus.
Subjective Opinions
• Prometheus was a hero for helping humans.
• Zeus was cruel and unfair.
• Stealing fire was a wonderful thing to do.
• The humans were stupid for not finding fire themselves.
Part 2: The Neutral Report (Exemplar)
PASSES REVIEW
Headline:
Titan Removes Fire from Olympus; Zeus Issues Sentence
Mount Olympus reports that the Titan Prometheus has successfully brought fire to the human population. According to records, Prometheus gained access to the Sun's chariot in secret and transported a flame back to Earth using a hollow fennel stalk.
Prior to this event, Zeus, King of the Gods, had restricted the use of fire to Mount Olympus. Zeus cited concerns regarding human power as the reason for this restriction. Following the discovery of the fire on Earth, Zeus ordered Prometheus to be bound to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains.
Humans are now using the flame for heat and cooking. Prometheus remains in the mountains as part of his assigned sentence.
Why this passes:
No Forbidden Words: It avoids "hero," "villain," "cruel," or "unfair."
Balanced Perspectives: It mentions Zeus's reasoning (power concerns) without judging it.
Focus on Action: It describes what happened rather than how it felt .
Neutral Headline: Uses neutral verbs like "removes" and "issues" rather than "steals" or "attacks."
