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Gaia Facts & Worksheets

Gaia was known to be the representation of Earth and was known to be one of the Greek primordial deities.

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Gaia was known to be the representation of Earth and was known to be one of the Greek primordial deities.

See the fact file below for more information on the Gaia or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Gaia worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

INTRODUCTION

  • Gaia, also spelled Gaea, was the primordial Earth goddess, and she was also known to be one of the deities who governed the universe before the Titans existed.
  • Gaia, along with the other primordial deities (Tartarus, Eros, Erebus, Hemera, and Nyx), was one of the first gods and goddesses born from the void of Chaos.
  • In Greek mythology, Chaos was known to have existed before everything else. Chaos was made of void, mass, and darkness in confusion.
  • According to Greek historian Hesiod, the union of Gaia and Chaos created Uranus.
  • After that, the union of Gaia and Uranus gave birth to the Giants, the Titans, Oceanus, and the rest of the world.
  • Gaia’s equivalent in the Roman pantheon was Terra.

OFFSPRINGS

  • Gaia’s union with Chaos gave birth to Uranus.
  • However, Pontus, who is also Gaia’s son, has no identified father.
  • Gaia’s union with Uranus gave birth to the Titans (including Oceanus, Theia, Rhea, and Cronus), to the Cyclopes (including Arges and Brontes), to the Hecatoncheires (including Cottus and Gyes), to the Giants, and to the Telchines.
  • Some other offspring of Gaia include Typhon, Echidna, Ceto, Nereus, Thaumas, Antaeus, Charybdis, Agdistis, Manes, Alpos, Tityos, and Kreousa.

MYTHS

  • According to some myths, Cronus used a sickle that was created by his mother to attack and castrate Uranus. The blood then fell from him and onto Gaia (the Earth), which became the seeds of Erinyes (the spirits of punishments), the Giants, and the Melian nymphs.
  • On the other hand, according to some myths, Cronus threw the organs of Uranus into the ocean, which allowed the mixture of blood and sea foam that gave birth to Aphrodite.
  • Some other myths have said that the allegiance of Gaia switched from Cronus to Zeus due to the cruelty of the former. Cronus, who had imprisoned his sons, got furious at Gaia for the betrayal, so he swallowed each of his children except Zeus, who was hiding well. However, when Zeus grew up, he returned to Cronus and forced him to spit out his siblings.
  • Zeus, together with his other siblings, overthrew Cronus, which marked the end of the age of the Titans.
  • There were other myths saying that Gaia was the great mother of all creation and that the heavenly gods were descendants of her union with Uranus, who was the sky.
  • However, Gaia found out that Zeus had banished her Titan children to the pit, so she went to Tartarus where she gave birth to a new set of offspring, the Gigantes.
  • Each one of the Gigantes was born to oppose a specific god.
  • However, the Gigantes were defeated during the First Giant War, which was waged between the Gigantes and the Olympians.
  • As a final act of defiance, Gaia created Typhon or Typhoeus – her monstrous son whom she sent to attack Olympus.
  • Typhon was defeated by Zeus after a long battle, and Zeus imprisoned Typhon under Mount Etna.
  • After the defeat of Typhon, Gaia admitted defeat and went back to her slumber.
  • When Zeus and Hera got married, Gaia gifted them with a magnificent apple tree that bore golden apples.
  • While in slumber, Gaia gave birth to a type of Centaurs called the Cyprian Centaurs. According to some myths, they were the result of Zeus accidentally impregnating her during his failed attempt to seduce Aphrodite.

DEPICTIONS

  • In Greek vase painting, Gaia was often depicted as a buxom, matronly woman rising from the earth.
  • In mosaic art, Gaia often appears as a full-figured woman who is reclining on the earth, often clothed in green. Gaia was also often depicted as a woman accompanied by groups of Karpoi (Carpi, Fruits) and Horai (Horae, Seasons).
  • As Gaia was considered the the personification of “Mother Earth”, she was often associated with the earth, trees, and fruits.
  • In art, Gaia was often depicted as a plump maternal figure in the form of a woman who can not separate her body from the earth.

Gaia Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Gaia across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Gaia worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Gaia who was known to be the representation of Earth and was known to be one of the Greek primordial deities.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Gaia Facts
  • Sharing Time!
  • We Are
  • Letter Genius
  • Find Find!
  • Draw & Read
  • Who?
  • I Am!
  • Check Check
  • Color-mania!
  • Oh, My Version

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Link will appear as Gaia Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 5, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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