The Power of Myth

One of my absolute favorite units as a middle school student was mythology. Since we were learning about ancient civilizations in Social Studies, my Social Studies teacher and English teacher developed the unit together. Although we focused primarily on Greek mythology, we also touched briefly on mythological allusions in books such as The Lord of the Rings and in films such as Star Wars, and the role of the archetypal hero.

Mythology is a sublimely rich topic to explore with your students, and important to their future studies in history and literature. Students will encounter references to various myths throughout their academic careers, and in some feature films, artworks, and pleasure reading in their adult lives. Mythology is also an easy sell to most students: with the genre’s assortment of monsters and daring adventures, what’s not to love?

Exposing students to famous myths can start at any age, although many students first delve into mythology when studying the ancient Greeks or Romans. It’s easier for students to understand historical events and ancient people’s decisions once they learn the myths that influenced ancient cultures, and how these events in turn have shaped the modern world. Unfortunately, mythology is one of those topics that can fall through the cracks in the curriculum. Some schools no longer teach it due to time constraints, or because of religious concerns. That’s a shame, because learning about various myths and being able to identify mythological references deeply enriches students’ understanding and appreciation for both literature and art. Mythological motifs are very prevalent in western art and literature, and students who lack knowledge in basic mythology are likely to completely miss the themes of many of these works. Learning to identify mythological allusions, and to relate them to larger issues and themes, not only requires higher-level thinking skills, but helps students to become educated individuals.

This week I’ve featured three resources from the Gateway’s extensive collection of mythology-related lessons and activities. We’ll also be featuring many more lessons on myths and mythology all week long on our Gateway Twitter and Facebook pages. Many of the highlighted resources apply to more than one subject area, so be sure to check those sites often. Also, please read Peggy’s companion column (linked below) for additional teaching ideas.

Greek Mythology and the Forms of Energy
Subjects: Physical Science, English Language Arts
Grade: 3-5 regular and gifted
This unit integrates literature and science, and captures student interest by reading mythological explanations for phenomena we recognize as forms of energy. I especially like the cross-curricular nature of this unit, particularly since it handily weds the two seemly disparate subject areas of mythology and physical science. Brilliant! This unit is offered by the NEED Project, which offers education materials and resources for teachers, and encourages students to explore, experiment, and engage in projects and activities to learn more about all kinds of energy.

Learning Myths, Writing Myths
Subjects: English Language Arts
Grade: 6-8
In this unit, students will investigate mythology as an exploration of universal themes. Students will begin by studying different myths and finish by demonstrating academic growth through creating an original myth that conforms to the standard guidelines. This resource would be a great supplement to a social studies unit on ancient Greece, or as a standalone unit in English Language Arts. This unit was produced by Scholastic, the children’s publishing, education, and media company.

Point of View and Myth
Subjects: English Language Arts
Grade: 9-12
Why do ancient myths still resonate in today’s world? In this lesson, students explore how point of view influences a narrative, and will write an original poem or piece of fiction that re-interprets a myth for a contemporary audience. I like how this resource focuses on the relevance of ancient myths in current times, and how students are required to think critically how different points of view can radically alter a narrative, and one’s perceptions of events. This lesson was produced by the PBS show Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason, on which Moyers conducted interviews with notable authors about their thoughts on faith and reason.