Theseus And The Minotaur | Exploring Greek Mythology
11 Video Views·Mar 29, 2025
Fun History for kids! Learn all about Ancient Greece in this history learning video for kids! You will learn all about the Ancient Greek Myths and some really fascinating facts about this incredible civilisation!
If you would like more Ancient Greek Myths, click the link for this Mythology Playlist:
• Greek Mythology For Kids
When a half man, half bull creature, known as a Minotaur, was born, it's father The King was so ashamed that he locked him at the centre of a huge labyrinth. The myth of the Minotaur tells the story of an enraged beast forever wandering the corridors of a damp labyrinth, until one man comes to defeat the beast.
Years later and a man named Theseus ventured into the labyrinth to defeat the Minotaur, but does he ever make it out of the maze alive?
Your Learners get to create their own Labyrinths, then using the mathematical principals of position and orientation, they try to escape. Suitable for ages 7 - 11, KS1 and KS2.
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Galimera Learners and welcome to another Greek myth lesson video.
Today we're going to be hearing the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
We will be using this story as a maths activity, all about position and orientation.
So, let's go find the Minotaur.
King Minos was the ruler of Crete and many other Greek islands.
Many people looked towards him for guidance.
His wife, Queen Pasiphae, gave birth to a half-man, half-bull called a Minotaur.
King Minos was ashamed by this half-creature, but he did not want to kill it.
His solution was to lock him up in a labyrinth that was underneath his village.
This labyrinth was made to be very difficult to find a way out, so the Minotaur always stayed there.
King Minos had many enemies, most of them being from Athens.
He took lots of them as prisoners, and instead of putting them in a prison cell, he took them and put them in the labyrinth.
None of them ever came back.
After three years of the Minotaur being kept in the labyrinth,
a man named Theseus went to Crete to stop the people being thrown to the Minotaur.
He was going to slay the Minotaur to save future lives of his people.
Many people tried to make him change his mind, but he was determined.
King Minos let him go into the labyrinth because he knew that even if he slayed the Minotaur,
there was no way he would find his way out.
Little did King Minos know was that his daughter was helping Theseus because she did not want him lost.
She gave him a thread that would unravel as he went further and further into the labyrinth.
If he defeated the Minotaur, he could find his way free.
Theseus was victorious over the Minotaur, and he saved many people from a future gruesome death.
He took the thread and found his way back to the opening of the labyrinth.
Then, him and the princess sailed back to Athens.
What a great tale of bravery!
Tell the person next to you if you would have been brave enough to go into the labyrinth and defeat the beast.
I don't know if I would have.
Today we're going to be using that myth as inspiration for our maths activity.
It's going to be all about position and orientation, meaning where you are and where you are facing.
We're going to be going through our own labyrinth,
and some of you might even be making and drawing your own labyrinth yourself.
But we need to know the mathematical terms when we're going to be guiding people through these labyrinths.
These are north, east, south and west,
and a quarter turn, and then back to the front,
and then a half turn, and then back to the front.
Okay, on the screen are your different directions to remember.
What we're going to do is all face the screen, and we're going to use this as north.
So make sure that everyone is facing the screen right now.
Alright, you're at north.
I want you to turn one quarter to face east.
Have a look around, are you all facing the same way?
Okay, now I want you to do a half turn to face west.
Okay, did everyone go the same way?
Right, now I want you to do a quarter turn to face south.
If anyone's facing me, you're facing the wrong way.
Alright, and now I want you to do a half turn to turn all the way back to north.
Hello, you're back again. Wave at me if you're facing.
Oh no, I have been trapped on one side of this labyrinth,
and on the other side is my adorable cat called Jasper.
Using the correct mathematical words, can you please help me get to Jasper?
Yay, you helped me find him. Thank you very much.
So now that you've had some practice, and you all know the correct mathematical terms for position and orientation,
it is your time to make your own labyrinth.
Here are some of the activities that you could do.
Okay, there are two different activities that you can choose to do.
Number one, using the already made labyrinth, guide a buddy through the labyrinth and out the other side.
The rule is that your partner will only move if you use the correct terms.
When you have successfully gone through this labyrinth once,
swap partners, make sure you write your instructions down using the correct terms.
Activity two, you can choose to create your own labyrinth.
You can draw the labyrinth on gridded paper first.
Then you need to write down all the instructions on how to get the minotaur through to the other side.
When you have drawn and written your instructions,
you can swap labyrinths with a partner and follow the instructions to get out.
If you get confused or lost, you may need to check that the instructions are correct.
Good luck.
Good luck and have fun with that activity.
When you have finished with them, see if you can take a photo of the labyrinth and send it my way.
I'll see if I can find my way out.
Now remember, do not get lost.
I'll see you guys next time.
I didn't bring any thread with me and I'm kind of lost and I don't know how to get back.
I might see you next time.
Thanks for watching.
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Happy travels.