Ancient Greek Gods: Free Printable Card Set for Year 5

Ancient Greek Gods is a free printable card set for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Meet the gods and what they ruled. It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, a growing library of free printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795.

It is two A4 pages. Page 1 is the activity for children. Page 2 is for the grown-up: it has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, and a stretch idea. Print it at home or in the classroom. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

This card set includes cards to cut out and use.

A look at what children will meet:

• Zeus: king of the gods and ruler of the sky
• Athena: goddess of wisdom
• Apollo: god of music and the sun
• Poseidon: god of the sea
• Hades: god of the underworld
• Ares: god of war
• Aphrodite: goddess of love
• Hermes: messenger of the gods
• Artemis: goddess of the hunt

Who this is for

Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) in Key Stage 2.

Key Stage 2 covers Years 3 to 6, ages 7 to 11. Children are widening what they know and getting better at explaining their thinking, so activities that ask them to reason, not only recall, are especially useful. Use it at home, in class, on a rainy afternoon or at a family gathering.

What children practise

• Reading
• History
• Matching facts

Children learn the names of some Ancient Greek gods and what each one was known for.

Learning focus and curriculum link

Subject: History. Key stage: Key Stage 2. It supports the subject at this level through short, focused practice.

This sheet is a practice and play activity. It supports classroom learning and is not a replacement for it.

How to use it

1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
2. One to four children, about 20 minutes. The Greeks told stories about their gods. These cards are about stories from long ago.
3. Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice.
4. Check against the notes on page 2.
5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

If it feels too hard

Read the cards aloud together.

To stretch confident children

Pick one god and write three more facts from a book.

Make it a game

Mix the cards and play a memory pairs game with a friend.

Tips for parents and teachers

• Print on plain A4 paper. Black and white printing works too.
• Work through it together the first time, then let children try alone.
• Praise effort and thinking, not only correct answers.

A screen-free history activity for Year 5

Children spend a lot of time on screens. This is a screen-free history activity that needs only paper and a pencil. It works as quiet time after school, a rainy day activity, a holiday boredom buster or a calm moment before bed. Screen-free learning gives eyes a rest and gets children talking, thinking and writing by hand.

Free history resources for teachers

Teachers can use this card set as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a supply teacher resource, a homework task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The learning focus and skills are listed above so you can match it to your planning, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

History ideas for parents at home

You do not need to be a teacher to use this. Read the sheet through, sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Short bursts of ten to fifteen minutes work better than long sessions. If you are looking for free history worksheets for Year 5, or simple home learning for the weekend or school holidays, this is a good place to start.

Home education and tutoring

Home educators and tutors can print this as part of a wider history plan. It pairs well with books, outdoor play and everyday talk. Because the sheet is free and printable, you can use it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.

Why it helps children learn

Hands-on, paper based activities slow learning down in a good way. Children read carefully, think before they answer and see their own progress on the page. Games and challenges add a reason to keep going. That mix of play and practice is why printable activities like this are popular with parents, teachers and home educators.

Curriculum links for teachers

This sheet supports the areas below. It is matched to the published England frameworks. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework	Subject or area	Strand	Year
National Curriculum (England)	History	Ancient Greece	Year 5

What children will be able to do

• I can name some Ancient Greek gods.
• I can say what each god was known for.
• I can explain why the Greeks told stories about gods.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

1. Which god would you ask for help with the sea, and why?
2. Why do you think people told these stories?
3. What is the same and different about two of the gods?

More like this

• Ancient Olympics
• Greek Alphabet Card
• History of Christmas Timeline
• Spartans and Athenians

Same subject, one year down: History Timeline Card Sort

Why the Ancient Greek gods matter

The ancient Greeks told stories about their gods and goddesses for centuries, and those stories are still told today. Year 5 children often meet them in history, and they are a good way into a much bigger subject: how people in the past understood the world around them.

We treat these stories with respect. For the ancient Greeks, the gods were part of religion, and religion was part of daily life. For children today, the stories are ancient myths and a way of learning about another culture. The British Museum's teacher resources take this approach, and so do we. This card set is about knowing who the main gods were and what they were known for, and about asking how we know.

One idea from the British Museum is worth saying at the start. Their teacher background notes say that a simple table of gods and their main jobs can disguise the complicated and subtle ways in which the gods worked. They suggest it is better to get children familiar with lots of myths and to let them gain a gradual understanding of each god from what that god does in the stories. The cards are a starting point, and the stories are where the gods come alive.

What the research says children find hard

We did not find classroom research on how children learn the names of Greek gods, so we will not pretend otherwise. What we can offer comes from museum guidance for teachers. It points to some real hurdles for Year 5.

• Many gods, many names. The British Museum says the Greeks believed in a number of major gods who were thought to live on Mount Olympus, often called the Olympian gods. There were also many other lesser deities and very minor spirits, such as nymphs that lived in streams and even in individual trees and mountains. It is easy for children to feel swamped.
• One god, several jobs. Zeus was a sky god, whose main weapon, the thunderbolt, was connected with thunder and lightning. He was also the god with responsibility for justice and order. A card that says only "king of the gods" cannot hold all of that.
• Telling gods apart in pictures. The museum notes that most Olympian gods are recognisable in vase paintings and sculptures from the objects they carry, the clothes they wear or their poses and actions. For example, Poseidon carries a trident and Hermes has winged sandals. Looking for these clues is a good way to remember who is who.
• Myths are not one fixed story. The museum's resource on myths says we should not assume all Greeks believed the stories in a straightforward way or that there was a fixed version for every story. Greek pottery shows that several versions of a myth could be in circulation at the same time. So if a child's book tells it differently from yours, both may be fine.
• Religion was local and varied. The museum says there was a great deal of variety in the ways the ancient Greeks believed in their gods. We should be careful not to make "the Greeks" sound like one single group with one set of beliefs.

None of this means your child is behind if they mix up two gods. Even adults do. Short, repeated practice with pictures and stories is a sensible response.

What Year 5 children are expected to learn

The national curriculum for England, in its history programme of study for Key Stage 2, says pupils should be taught about:

• Ancient Greece: a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world

The national curriculum gives no further list of examples for that item, so schools choose how to teach it. Many include the gods, and the British Museum produces Key Stage 2 resources on gods and goddesses and on myths and legends. The history aims in the curriculum also say pupils should know and understand "the nature of ancient civilisations", and should understand how evidence is used to make historical claims. Learning about the gods through objects, such as vases and statues, fits that aim well. This card set practises the first step: naming nine gods and saying what each was known for.

Why a game or activity can help

Matching and memory games suit this topic because there are a lot of names to learn and each needs to be connected to a fact. There are two kinds of evidence worth knowing, and it is fair to be clear about what each one shows.

First, research on memory. In experiments by Roediger and Karpicke, published in Psychological Science in 2006, the abstract reports that prior testing produced substantially greater retention than studying alone, on tests given two days and a week later. The participants were not primary children, and the material was not history. Even so, a memory pairs game asks a child to recall which fact belongs to which god, which is a form of testing yourself.

Second, a study of games. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that low-income preschoolers who played a numerical board game for four 15-minute sessions improved their counting, number recognition, number comparison and number line estimation, and all of the gains remained nine weeks later. Children who played a similar game with colours instead of numbers showed no improvement. That was a US study of young children and numbers, so it says nothing direct about Year 5 and Greek gods. We mention it only as encouragement that short, structured games can be worth the time.

We have not found research on printed card sets for Greek mythology. So we make a modest claim. The cards give repeated, active recall, and the stories and pictures around them are what make it meaningful.

How to get the most out of the Ancient Greek Gods cards

1. Start with a story. Before you cut out the cards, read or tell one myth. Ask the children which god they think is most important and why.
2. Read the cards aloud. The sheet suggests this for children who find reading hard. Take turns to read a card and guess which god it describes.
3. Match facts to gods. One to four children can play. Spread the cards out, then match each fact to its god. Do the first run together and talk through each choice.
4. Look for clues in pictures. Use the British Museum's clues. Athena wears a helmet and carries a spear. Poseidon carries a trident. Hermes has winged sandals and a traveller's hat. Zeus carries thunderbolts. Apollo carries a musical instrument. Artemis carries a bow.
5. Write three more facts. The stretch task asks children to add three extra facts about one god. Encourage them to check a book, not to guess.
6. Play memory pairs. Shuffle the cards face down and turn two at a time to find a god and its match.
7. Come back to it. Try again a few days later and see how many the children still remember.

Common mistakes, and what to say

• "Each god had only one job." Zeus was a sky god and also the god responsible for justice and order, according to the British Museum. Say: gods could have more than one role, and the cards show only one.
• "All Greeks believed the same thing." Say: there was a great deal of variety in how people believed, and stories could have several versions.
• "They prayed inside the temple." The museum says worship actually took place outside the temple, and that temples were not like churches in that respect. Ask: where do you think people gathered?
• "The gods were just made-up stories, so they did not matter." Say: these stories were part of a belief system for the ancient Greeks. The museum says myths had an important purpose and most myths explain or justify things, such as the creation of the world or the cycle of the seasons.
• Treating myths as a joke. It is fine to enjoy the stories. Encourage children to be respectful when they talk about what people believed.

Why teachers matter to us

We are a games company, and we have been making games since 1795. We do not think a printable replaces a teacher, and history is a subject where a good teacher makes all the difference: choosing the right story, showing the right object, asking the question that makes a class think. A 2011 report for the Sutton Trust looked at how much teachers affect pupil achievement. It found that for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year's learning. History was not the subject studied, so we cite it as a general point about teaching quality.

The same report found that paper qualifications and personal characteristics tell us very little about how good a teacher will be. It says factors such as teaching experience, the university attended and advanced degrees explain less than 8% of teacher quality. A study of English pupils by the University of Bristol also found considerable variability in teacher effectiveness. We take that as a reason to thank the teachers who do the job well. So these sheets are free for teachers.

A caution on the Sutton Trust figures: the report draws on US studies as well as English ones. The figure that paper credentials explain less than 8% of teacher quality comes from US research. We use them as pointers, not as a promise about any one child.

Why education matters to us

History helps children see that the world was once different, and that people long ago were as clever and curious as we are. Education widens a child's options, and stories are one of the oldest ways to learn. Jaques of London has made games for families since 1795. The Mini Minds Hub aims to carry that on: free, screen-free, and simple enough for a parent at the kitchen table or a teacher in a busy classroom.

Ancient Greek Gods: 20 questions and answers

1. Who were the Olympian gods?

The British Museum says the Greeks believed in a number of major gods who were thought to live on Mount Olympus. These are often called the Olympian gods.

2. Were there other gods besides the Olympians?

Yes. The museum says there were many other lesser deities and also very minor spirits, such as the nymphs that lived in streams and even in individual trees and mountains.

3. What was Zeus known for?

According to the British Museum, Zeus was a sky god whose main weapon, the thunderbolt, was connected with thunder and lightning. He was also responsible for justice and order, and the sheet calls him the king of the gods.

4. What was Athena known for?

The museum's activity sheet calls her the goddess of war and wisdom. It says she is the only female who wears armour and a helmet and carries a spear.

5. What was Apollo known for?

The museum's sheet calls him the god of music, and says that during times of peace he carried a musical instrument.

6. What was Poseidon known for?

He was the god of the sea. In pictures he carries a trident, a three-pronged spear, and sometimes has a sea creature near him.

7. What was Hermes known for?

The museum calls Hermes the god of travellers and the messenger for the gods. He wears a traveller's hat and has winged sandals.

8. What about Aphrodite?

The British Museum's gods resource opens with a white-ground cup, Greek, around 460 BC, showing Aphrodite riding on a goose. The sources we opened give no further detail, so check the card and a trusted book.

9. What about Artemis?

The museum's resource describes a vase scene in which Artemis is carrying her bow and wearing a dress. Her fuller story is one to read from a trusted book.

10. What about Hades and Ares?

The cards cover both. The sources we opened for this page do not describe them, so we have not written facts we could not check. Read the cards together and look in a children's book from the library.

11. How do we know what the Greeks believed?

Partly from objects such as vase paintings and sculptures. The British Museum says most Olympian gods can be recognised on them from the objects they carry, the clothes they wear or their poses and actions.

12. Where did the Greeks worship?

In formal sanctuaries, which usually had a temple in which the god was thought to live, and also in shrines, at home and in the countryside. The museum says worship actually took place outside the temple.

13. Did the Greeks believe the myths literally?

It varied. The museum says we should not assume all Greeks believed them in a straightforward way. Some writers made up their own versions or poked fun at characters.

14. Were there different versions of the same myth?

Yes. The museum says there is evidence from Greek pottery painting that several variants of a myth could be in circulation at once.

15. Why did the Greeks tell myths?

The museum says myths had an important purpose and formed part of the belief system. Most explain or justify things, such as the creation of the world, the cycle of the seasons or the origins of a city.

16. What does the national curriculum say about Ancient Greece?

Key Stage 2 pupils should be taught about Ancient Greece: a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.

17. How can I make the cards easier?

Read the cards aloud, and start with just three gods that have clear clues, such as Poseidon with his trident and Hermes with his winged sandals.

18. How can I make them harder?

Ask each child to write three extra facts about one god, checked against a book. Or play memory pairs with the cards mixed up.

19. Do games really help children learn?

Games give many quick repeats and make recall active. A study of preschoolers found that four 15-minute sessions with a number board game improved number skills, and the gains lasted nine weeks. That study was about whole numbers in the US, so it is suggestive for history, not proof. The 2006 Roediger and Karpicke abstract also reports that prior testing produced substantially greater retention than studying alone.

20. Where can I find more Year 5 history sheets?

See the More like this section below, or browse all Year 5 history printables in the Mini Minds Hub.

Sources

1. British Museum, Ancient Greece: Gods and goddesses, visit resource for teachers, Key Stage 2: britishmuseum.org.
2. British Museum, Ancient Greece: Myths and legends, visit resource for teachers, Key Stage 2: britishmuseum.org.
3. Department for Education, National curriculum in England: history programmes of study: gov.uk.
4. Roediger and Karpicke, Psychological Science (2006): psychologicalscience.org.
5. Ramani and Siegler, Child Development (2008), reported by ScienceDaily: sciencedaily.com.
6. Sutton Trust, Improving the impact of teachers on pupil achievement in the UK, interim findings (2011): dera.ioe.ac.uk.
7. Slater, Davies and Burgess, University of Bristol CMPO Working Paper 09/212 (2009): bristol.ac.uk.

Frequently asked questions

What age is Ancient Greek Gods for?

It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2.

What will children practise?

Children learn the names of some Ancient Greek gods and what each one was known for.

How do I use it?

One to four children, about 20 minutes. The Greeks told stories about their gods. These cards are about stories from long ago.

What if it feels too hard?

Read the cards aloud together.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use.

Is Ancient Greek Gods suitable for teachers to use in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing.

Is this a screen-free activity?

Yes. It is a screen-free printable that needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.

Can I use it for home education?

Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider plan. It is free to print again for brothers, sisters or revision.

How long does it take?

Most children finish page 1 in 10 to 20 minutes. The notes on page 2 suggest ways to make it shorter or longer.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.

More free printables

More for Key Stage 2 | More history printables | Free printable games | All Mini Minds Hub resources