mythology

Many of our recent discussions on the Gateway have centered on a multi-disciplinary or “whole child” approach to teaching and learning. Resources that look at one topic through the lens of many different subject areas are very useful to elementary school teachers and to secondary teachers who are working with colleagues to unite learning across different subjects. Creating a successful set of lessons that stresses these connections is a time consuming process. Using quality online resources will allow you to spend your valuable time being a teacher and a mediator.

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.

The past is never dead. It’s not even past.
- William Faulkner

The above quotation by William Faulkner was trotted out one year by one of my high school history teachers. Someone in class had been muttering about the “uselessness” of learning ancient history, and Mr. Short’s head snapped around to stare at the offending student. Mr. Short then quoted Faulkner to the class, and asked us what we thought it meant.

Over the past 100 years or so, stars seem to have disappeared from daily life. Our ancestors didn’t take the stars for granted; for them, the night sky often served as compass, clock, calendar, and a rich source of inspiration for tales of mystery and wonder. Skyscrapers and light pollution have dimmed the brilliance of the night sky for many of us in the 21st century, but for those who happen to stop for a bit and look upward, the sky’s glittering patterns are still there for the gazing.