BrownUnitPLan

“Stories are a culture’s coin and currency.” – Jerome Bruner //Making Stories //

Mythology is a subject that is frequently covered in high school classrooms but the level of coverage is different for each teacher. Many students have read Homer’s The Odyssey or bits and pieces of other myths but most classes do not go outside the realm of the Greeks. However, the instruction of mythology should not be confined to one group or one culture. Mythology is a tool that we can use to learn about almost every culture that as ever existed on this earth. The earliest civilizations had myths to explain the world around them. Most myths introduce those culture’s religious beliefs as well. So in fact beyond a literary perspective these stories take on an anthropological purpose by revealing secrets about the cultures that created them. Many students might wonder why these stories are important to them. But don’t these students have myths of their own? Don't these stories inform others how those students live or what they believe in? Well mythology of the past does the same thing. Also, myths are generally told to teach a lesson to someone and these lessons are universal and can still hold meaning in today’s world.

For my unit I will include more than one book because I plan on using myths from all over the world. We will read excerpts from //The Odyssey// and a book called //Mythology// by Edith Hamilton. These two readings will provide a good overview of the Greek mythic tradition. These stories in particular are prevalent in today's society. Then a selection of Irish myths from the Cycles of Irish Mythology from a book called //The Names Upon the Harp// by Marie Heaney. Irish myths are not generally taught in schools and yet these stories have crept up in the mythology of other cultures and in modern day retelling.The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight will be an example of an early English poem. Then the creation stories of several Native American tribes from North and South America will be read so that we can compare them and discuss their origins. We will finish by focusing on some myths from the Shinto religion of Japan. These works will give the class an overview of world mythology. We will attempt to answer the following questions: What is a Hero? How do these stories explain the natural world that their people lived in? How have these stories shaped the history of the nations that they represented? Students will develop a comprehensive knowledge of deities and how they are representative of humanity. Students will read mythological/folklore texts from various parts of the world and explore how those texts illustrate the values of those cultures as well as universal values. For each myth the students will be required to keep a journal to record their first thoughts, questions, and other observations. This will be a way to check that they are doing the required reading but also an opportunity for students to sort out their thoughts before coming to class so that they will be ready for class discussion. At the end in addition to a cumulative test, there will be a project that each student must complete. They will have five choices to choose from for their project. There will be quizzes throughout to make sure that the students are comprehending throughout. By using these methods and other activities in class, the students will have a well rounded overview of world mythology. It will also help them gain a better understanding of interpreting literature in general since these stories may be quite different from other stories they have read in the past. Myths are rich in symbolism and poetic elements that repeat over and over in literature even to this day. By examining old stories they can better appreciate those that are created right here in their own time period.

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