Look in the Mythic Mirror

Week 7: The Cultural Connection

Essential Questions ]|[ Standards ]|[ Objectives for this Lesson ]|[ Instructional Plan ]|[ Assessment

OVERVIEW

This lesson gives students the opportunity to compare and contrast Western mythology with mythology from other cultures. Students will develop a more advanced understanding of the previous weeks' material. As they recognize archetypal patterns across cultures, students will note how mythology helps to define values of different cultures.

OBJECTIVES FOR THIS LESSON:

At the end of this week, students will be able to:

• Recognize similarities and differences in themes of western and non-western myths.
• Compare/contrast archetypal patterns, including the definition of "heroic" in non-western cultures.
• Define specific differences in patterns vs. non-pattern form in myths projected in literature, music, and visual arts.
• Recognize the impact of both non-western and western myths (theme and form) as sustained influences in American culture.
• Communicate ideas for culminating project in a story map and first draft.
• Recall a repertoire of non-Western myths
• Identify archetypal patterns in non-Western myths (characters; narrative patterns; themes)
• Project cultural values, attitudes, patterns of behavior, role models, etc. inherited in individual non-Western culture(s) from myths, including a delineation of what are considered to be "heroic" traits.
• Identify and duplicate non-patterned modes of expression in genres of non-Western literature, music, art, and dance.
• Recognize resonating themes and forms (non-patterned) in modern communication, TV, ads, music, sports)
• Construct a projected non-Western component for the final culminating project.

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN

1. Using African Odyssey Interactive as a starting point, have students search the Internet and/or print media for myths not covered in class. Each cooperative group is responsible for bringing to the large group one samples of a myth from a background other than Greek (Roman, Scandinavian/Norse, African, Eastern). If time permits, have students search for a piece of artwork that will complement the class' discussion of their myth.
2. Assign students to jigsaw groups (see Weeks 2-3 for description). One student from each cooperative group is responsible for reporting on what their team has discovered in its research. After the report, have the jigsaw groups discuss the Greek counterparts for each myth that has been presented. All members of the group should take notes, as one set of notes will be collected at random at the end of the reporting session.
3. Provide copies of the student-selected myths for each cooperative group.

Activities -- Students:

• Define archetypal patterns evident in the collection of non-Western myths (behavioral roles, narrative patterns, etc.).
• Identify heroic figures and delineate the nature of heroic traits evident in the narratives of non-Western myths.
• Compare and contrast "hero" figures in different non-Western cultures.
• Compare and contrast hero figures in non-Western myths to those in Greek myths.
• Develop a list of "lessons" that emerge from the myths being studied.

2. Bring the large group to the study of art slides that include the mythology themes (possibly student-researched on the Internet), e.g., a 14th c painting of St. George and the dragon with a Chinese or Korean painting of a dragon; a classical sculpture of Athene and a representation of Hopi Spider Woman, etc. Using their knowledge of the myths they've reviewed in their cooperative groups, guide students to work in the larger group on comparisons of the artwork to the myths. While they are discussing the artwork, play music in the background that is representative of different cultures, preferably Asian, African, etc. and non-classical.

Activities - Students:

• Compare and contrast the artwork, as they did with the myths.
• Observe: Do the images tell a story? What is the relationship of the characters is to the whole work?
• Discuss: In what specific ways are the myths translated into this media? Give consideration to colors, images, light and dark, shapes, movement, etc.
• Listen closely now to the music that has been playing. How is it different than the music we have been studying in relation to the Greek mythological stories? (Use the questions we have used before to write your impressions in your journal.)

3. By now, students should be familiar with the juxtaposition of literature to music to artwork, and they are certainly familiar with the artist's role in sustaining myths and the tools the artist has for communicating stories. Use the introduction of myths from other cultures and the various means in which they are communicated through art and music to talk about how myths are reflected in culture. Ask students to consider: What purposes do these works have in their cultures? How do they reflect the culture? How might they shape culture?
4. Though this unit does not allow time for a full study of poetry, pass out several examples of haiku, cinquain, and diamante poetry. Ask students to take time to read it, choose three favorites, one of each type, and respond to the following questions in their journal about their poems. We will briefly discuss this poetry in the coming week.

Questions for Students:

• How is this poetry different in rhythm and composition than the classical poetry we studied alongside Greek myths?
• Does this poetry tell a story? If so, what do you think it is?
• How is this poetry similar to the non-western music and artwork we studied?
• What is the structure of each of the poems? Provide any insights you can about the structure, the word choices, etc.

5. Have students work on completion of components for their culminating project.

Activities - Students:

• Work with a partner from your group. Each pair must complete one image that helps to better define the society your group is creating.
• Work with your group online to develop a myth that tells the story of your mythological society. Use a round robin online writing activity to collaboratively build your story.
• Turn in your first draft and story map to your own classroom teacher.

For detail on all of these activities, see the culminating project Story Development Stages, specifically assignments due Weeks 7 and 8.

• Internet research: myths [and artwork]
• Discussion: analysis of art prints and music
• Journal entries: poetry analysis
• Final projects: Drawing of temple, recording, or artwork sample turned in; representative of understanding of the archetype upon which mythological society will be based

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