Historical fiction novelist Mary Renault was born in 1905.

Mary Renault was born in London, and from an early age, she was determined to become a writer. She was one of the earliest women to be admitted to and study at Oxford University, where she favored medieval history. After Oxford, she studied nursing and served in World War II. Though her early successes in novel-writing used contemporary themes, she is best known for her reconstructions of ancient Greek life in historical fiction. Renault used her background in medieval studies, combined with extensive travels in Greece, to develop historically accurate reconstructions of mythological and historical figures. Some of her best-known works are The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea, which retell the myth of Theseus, and The Alexander Trilogy, a three-book series on Alexander the Great.

Xpeditions
The Xpeditions Activity Ancient Greece (K–12) is designed to help a wide range of age groups study different elements of this ancient civilization. Students design a new subway station in Athens to include a museum of ancient artifacts, artworks and ruins. For background information, they examine a map and an article about an actual Metro Museum in Athens.

EDSITEment
In Live from Antiquity! (9–12), students gain an appreciation for Greek drama through study of a play by Sophocles, explore the cultural and historical context of Greek drama and its role in Greek society, reconstruct the experience of seeing a Greek drama performed and share that experience in an imaginative report.

ARTSEDGE
Elements of Myths (5–8) helps students learn about the literary elements of mythology. Students examine the historical role of creation myths and explanatory myths. As individuals, they write a scientific, research-based report and a mythological story to explain a physical phenomenon of their choosing. In groups, students then dramatize and perform a chosen myth for the class.

In another lesson from the unit, A World of Myths (5–8), students read myths from Greek, Hawaiian and African cultures. They examine the historical role of myths and "pourquoi" tales in explaining why certain elements and processes occur in life and the universe. Students compare and contrast the versions of creation myths and explanatory myths from ancient cultures and use the writing process to present their findings. Finally, students work in groups on a collaborative painting or drawing that depicts one of the myths read in class.

ReadWriteThink

In Looking for the History in Historical Fiction: An Epidemic for Reading (3–5), students read historical fiction on a particular topic, and then research nonfiction information on the same topic. They apply that information from nonfiction in their literary analyses of fictional material, compare and cross-reference fiction and nonfiction texts on the specific topic or theme and construct a reflection paper on their topic.

Students are encouraged to explore historical fiction, myths and other genres of reading in Book Clubs: Reading for Fun (3–5). This resource serves as a guide for teachers to help students develop informal or formal book clubs and take on responsibility for their literacy learning.