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"IN THE BEGINNING...": A STUDY OF CREATION MYTHOLOGY

(A collaborative, integrated lesson taught by the classroom teacher and the librarian)

Siri Anderson, Librarian

Zennie Sawyer, 6th grade teacher

Adaptable for Grades 4-6

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Content Standards:

SOCIAL STUDIES

Geography

1.  World in Spatial Terms:  Students use geographic representation to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments.

(6-8) Interpret and construct geographic representations to explain human and physical distributions and patterns.

The students will:

1. Construct a map that includes collected geographic data.

2. Explain the meanings, patterns, and relationships found in geographic data.

Cultural Anthropology

1.  Cultural Systems:  Students understand culture as a system of beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by a group.

(4-5)  Explain how language, stories, music, dance, artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and behaviors are elements of culture and contribute to preservation of cultures.

The students will:

1. Identify values and beliefs of ancient cultures through their myths.

2. Develop an appreciation for differences and similarities among world cultures.

3. Explain how myths are reflective of cultures.

4. Theorize about common elements and differences in the myths of diverse cultures.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading

6.  Diversity:  Interact thoughtfully  with texts that represent diversity in language, perspective, and/or culture.

(4-5) Interact thoughtfully with each other about texts that represent diverse perspectives.

(6-8) Identify cultural values and multiple perspectives in texts. 

The students will:

1. Recognize and appreciate the diversity found in comparative mythology.

2. Understand that myths perpetuate cultural values.

Writing

6.  Diversity:  Understand diversity in language, perspective and culture in order to craft texts that represent diverse thinking and expression.

(6-8)  Write from perspective of culture that go beyond the visible markers of difference -- speech, dress, food, customs, -- to deeper analysis of similarities and differences.

The students will:

1. Create an original myth that is reflective of a distinct culture and is consistent with its environment.

Understandings:  Students will understand that...

• Geographic representations show organization of collected data.

• Geographic representations can help meanings, patterns, and relationships found in stories from diverse cultures become visible.

• Similarities and differences exist among world cultures as illustrated through their stories.

• Cultures create stories to interpret their origins.

• Myths reflect and serve to preserve cultural values, ideas, traditions.

Essential Questions:

• How do different cultures explain how the world begun?

• How do different different peoples explain how man was created?

• What are the similarities and differences in creation myths from around the world?

• What unique cultural traits are revealed in myths?

Students will know...

• cultures create myths to explain their origins

• all cultures utilize myths and stories to preserve and perpetuate values, beliefs, and traditions

• similarities in creation myths may suggest that stories travel with peoples (patterns, relationships and distribution)

• differences in creation myths reflect the uniqueness of each culture

Students will be able to:

• understand the difference between a myth, legend, and folktale

• use a variety of resources to acquire geographic information

• read and interpret myths from around the world

• matrix cultural data from myths

• plot geographic locations

• construct geographic representations and symbols

• ask geographic questions

  1. Why do myths different geographic locations have common elements?

  2. Why are explanations so vastly dissimilar?

  3. What unique values, beliefs, or traditions are embedded in the myths of various cultures?

• form theories about myths from discussions.

• present the findings through a variety of ways: maps, matrixes, oral presentations, murals, books

• create an original creation myth that is reflective of a particular culture and is consistent within its environment.

Stage 2 -- Assessment Evidence

Performance Task:

• Write an original creation myth.  Choose to explain one of the following:

  1. How the world came to be

  2. How a phenomenon or element of nature came to exist (light, oceans, sky thunder/lightening, etc.)

  3. How man was created

• Choose a specific geographic location.  Your myth must be based on accurate geographic information and understandings of location, environment, and culture.

• Embed at least on value, belief or tradition in your myth reflective of the culture

• Illustrate your myth

• Include a map and matrix with geographic information

Other Evidence:

• Discussion of differences between myths, legends, and folktales.

• Discussion of similarities and differences of myths from around the world

• Retelling/paraphrasing creation myths

• Create a map, plotting geographic locations of creation myths, including symbols representing common elements (e.g., turtles, eggs, "made from mud", "rib of man", etc.)

• Compare and contrast myths and original myths through a matrix.

Self Assessment:

• Self assess myth retell and original creation myth through peer conferencing

• Self assess artwork to reflect myth accurately

• Met/Not yet met criteria self assessment with reflection

• Use of rubric

Stage 3 -- Learning Plan

Pre-requisite knowledge:

Difference between myths, folktales, and legends -- all are part of the folklore genre and are part of the era where knowledge, history, and stories were originally orally communicated.

Elements in common: unknown authors, orally -- by word of mouth, traditional (generation to generation), heroes or heroines.

Differences:

Myths: 

• explains how things began or a phenomenon of nature

• involves gods or goddesses

• element of supernatural

Folktale:

• involves ordinary folk

• teaches a lesson or moral

• often has magic

• animals often talk

Legend:

• story based on a historic event, fact, or person

Geographic understandings -- latitude & longitude, hemispheres, regions of the world, 5 geography themes, and climate zones.

Cultural understandings -- every culture has common characteristics.  The World Cultures Model categorizes those elements into: (see appendix)

• Social -- family life, customs, class/caste, education, communication, roles, etc.

• Economic -- resources, transportation, production, division of labor, etc.

• Beliefs -- religion, myth, ritual, etc.

• Political -- citizenship, institutions, leadership, decision making, etc.

• Aesthetic -- art, literature, music, dance, leisure activities, etc.

Background:

Prehistoric (before a written language) peoples attempted to explain how the world began or the origin of different phenomenon in nature through stories called myths.  Myths from around the world reflect the culture of its people -- their values, beliefs, and traditions.  In the folkloric tradition, myths were handed down from generation to generation by word-of-mouth.  Myths from around the world explain creation often using the same or similar elements in their stories.  At the same time, myths from around the world often explain the same phenomenon in nature differently.  Why are there similarities?  Why are there differences?  What can myths teach us about the culture it represents?

Begin with the familiar -- "The Kumulipo ("Beginning-in-deep-darkness") is the sacred creation chant of a family of Hawaiian alii, or ruling chiefs. Its two thousand lines provide an extended genealogy proving the family's divine origin and tracing the family history from the beginning of the world."  (Beckwith, The Kumulipo)

Purpose: In this lesson students will:

• use various resources to explore historical and geographical context of creation myths

• develop an understanding and appreciation for similarities and differences among world cultures

• understand how myths are reflective of cultures

• theorize about commonalities and differences in the myths of diverse cultures

• interpret a myth through artwork

Materials & Resources Needed:

• Kumulipo myth -- Use Fire in the Sea selected by Sue Cowing, In the Night. Still Dark by Richard Lewis, and The Kumulipo: An Hawaiian Creation Myth by Lili`uokalani of Hawaii to introduce students to Hawaiian creation myth.

• Creation myths from around the world

  • In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

  • The Illustrated Book of Myths retold by Neil Philip

  • Myths and Legends from Around the World by Sandy Shepherd

  • D'Aularies' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri & Edgar d'Aularies

  • Pacific Island Legends by Bo Flood, et. al.

• globes, maps, atlases

• graphic organizers -- Comparison Matrix, Creation Myth Matrix

• classroom supplies -- chart paper, marking pens, poster board, binding materials

• art supplies -- fluorescent/neon/bright crayons, Crayola watercolors, drawing or painting paper

• rubrics

Learning Activities:

Introduction: (in library)

1.  Kumulipo lesson to familiarize with a Hawaiian creation myth:

1. Read aloud In the Night. Still Dark.  Discuss and interpret with students

2. Choral reading of "Birth of Sea and Land Life".  Students select verses to interpret and illustrate.

3. Students research flora and fauna referred to in Kumulipo.

4. Illustrate verses using crayon resist technique.

5. Students share their artistic representation and verses.

6. Create mural.

(in class/library)

1.  Have students skim and scan through creation myth resources.  Each student chooses one to retell in written form.  Students plot the location of their myth on a classroom world map and do geographic research on the country.  Students also plot the location of their myth on a small scale world map to be included later alongside their written retell.

2.  Graphic symbols and representations of myths will be created on an ongoing basis to be placed later on a classroom map.  Upon completion of myth retell, students create an illustration representing the myth using the crayon resist art form.

3.  Students share myths and illustrations with the class.  Geographic locations are identified on the world map and symbols are placed on the map.

4.  Break into 2 smaller groups (with resource teachers).  Discuss and fill out Creation Myth on chart paper.  Students also record information on their own individual matrix.

5.  In pairs, students identify commonalities by using color coded circling on their individual matrix.  Using graphic organizer (Comparison Matrix), similarities and differences in myths will be identified.  Observations will be made about geographical distributions and patterns on maps.  Students will create generalizations about recurrent themes (values, beliefs, traditions) and theorize about movement of stories and peoples.

6.  As whole group, share and justify theories and generalizations.

7.  Compile myths and illustrations into class book.

Extensions:

1.  Have students do creative dramatization of Kumulipo and/or creation myths.

2.  Create an in-depth story map of myths.

3.  Have students develop storytelling expression and techniques to share myths with other classes (lower grades).

4.  Create a geographical game (Jeopardy, GeoMyth Bee, etc.) based on myths.

5.  Dress in character and maintain identity at student-created culminating function.

6.  Students pick a known natural landmark (locally, nationally, worldwide) and explain mythologically how it came to be.

7.  Continue literary study on other myths from your country.

8.  Create a web using yarn, visually connecting common themes, symbols, characters, etc. on classroom map.

9.  Take a myth and find counterparts from other cultures.

10. Look for examples of how artists have used myths for their subject matter.

11. Plan a film script based on a personal encounter with a mythological god.

12. Limericks are short five line poems with a specific meter and rhyme schemes.  Compose some myth limericks based on your reading.

13.  Draw a topographic map for a mythological culture.  Explain what type of myth one would expect to find in that region.

Appendix:

Kumulipo - "Birth of Sea and Life"

Sample Myths

World Cultures Model

Creation Myth Matrix

Comparison Matrix

Original Myth Self-Assessment

Original Myth Rubric

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