Thursday, August 1, 2019

Thursday, January 3, 2019



Announcements and Reminders for Thursday, January 3, 2019:

 This is Mythology Class and I am Ms. Dorsey.  If you are in the wrong class, now is the time to stand up and head to your correct class.  It’s an easy mistake, and I don’t want you stuck here forever and ever because of a simple mistake.
                         
 

Find your seat on the seating chart. 
Pick up a supplies handout.

Make sure you bring a composition book ASAP. 


     Cavetime today will be in your second-period classes to review cavetime and emergency procedures. 
     In case of an evacuation, remember that you should find your A1 teacher -- me. 
     Cavetime tomorrow will be based on your Term 2 grades. 


Targets for Today:
I can agree on a working definition of "mythology" for the purposes of this class.
I can show what I already know about mythology.
I can learn more about -- and/or be reminded of -- creation myths.


Today’s  Agenda:
To start off, for at least a few days we are going to have an attendance question.  
This is so that I can mark you as present and so that we can all get to know each other better.

  • Today’s question is --What is your favorite mythological creature?
  • Everyone will answer this question.  I’ll give you a minute to think of your answer.
    • Any creature from any mythology that does not exist in the real world
    • but it would be cool or terrifying if they did.
    • Talk with your new neighbor.  Learn their name. And brainstorm some creatures together.
  • We’re going to go around the room.  Tell me your name and your favorite mythological creature.
  • Mine is a dragon.


Mrs. Dorsey -- A Bit About Me

____________________________________________

 Throughout the semester, when I need your attention, I will use a variety of attentions getters.
One is the chimes. When I ring them, by the time they stop ringing I need your eyeballs looking at me,
I need your ears facing me, your mouth closed, and the rest of your body still.
Practice: Pets.
_____________________________________________


What is "Mythology"?  
      How would you define it?   What could be our working definition for this class? 
            1)  Create an individual definition. 
            2)  Create a group definition. -- Create a poster.   
                        Write large enough to be easily read. 
                        Divide your poster into four quadrants.  
                        Each person's definition goes in one corner.  
                        Your group definition goes in the center.  
                        Add examples.
                        You may illustrate your poster.

            3)  Class discussion 





Someone called Mythology "a slurpee of knowledge." 

The line between myth and religion is blurry.

For the purpose of this class, let's eliminate the definition of myth 
as it is used to mean "not true."

mythos = story
-logy = study

A myth is a story, but it's a special kind of story that has two primary characteristics:
significance and staying power. 

Significance 
The subject matter is about important, something
about how the world works or how the world itself got going or 
how things came to be.  

Staying power
These are stories that have survived centuries, sometimes millennia, 
and this is testament to the deep meaning or functional importance 
of these stories to the people who hear and tell them.
the stories that stick around
and get told over and over again through generations
  • They may or may not be true.
  • George Washington is important to the mythology of the United States.  
Washington was a real person. Some stories are true (Delaware) 
some are not (cherry tree).  Those stories, these myths, 
matter and they stick around being told to each new generation,
  • Pioneer stories are important to Utah culture.  
Many stories told about the pioneers are true, 
and they make up the Utah mythology  
They tell us who we are and what our values are. 
These stories, these myths, are important to families 
here and so they keep getting told.



    5)  In the beginning. .  . .  with some warnings --  


        • Be advised.  Mythology is not always pretty.  
      • In fact, it’s usually messy. Mythology talks about sex and beheadings
      • and incest and blood and rape and cannibalism and all sorts of nasty things.  
      • These are significant parts of the human experiences, 
      • so they show up in mythology. Sometimes a lot. 
      • If that’s something that will bother you, you may want to choose a different elective. 
      • But I hope you’ll stick around because these are some really great stories.

        • The human body was revered by Greeks.  
      • They portrayed the human body in their art.  
      • We will sometimes use that art in class.  
      
    Creation myths from various cultures  

    ex nihilo  = out of nothingness  

    Chaos (according to some cultures) is what we have before a God or Gods create order. 

    Take notes -- just a few reminders of what you learned. 

    4:00 Guinea -4:4:58  [Guinea is a country in Western Africa.) 
    6:48   Mayan of Guatamala from the Popul Vu, The Book of the Community  to about 8:28 


    Egyptian:  Ra    

    Native American:  
























    If You Were Absent:

    See above for what we did. 


    Vocabulary:

    Myths:  the stories that stick around and get told over and over again through generations;
    stories with significance and staying power.


     Help and Enrichment 

    Native American Myths:  https://blackhawkmuseum.org/creationmyths/


    Next up? :
    10 creation myths:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdsQEfD98EE

    If extra time:
    Make up an origin myth (2 paragraphs) to explain:

    1--why it gets dark at night
    2--why cats and dogs don’t get along
    3--why it gets cold during winter
    4--where stars came from
    5--why snakes have no legs
    6--how the skunk got its stripes
    7--why humans have no tails
    8--why wolves howl
    9--why bears hibernate

    0--how the rose got its thorns


    Posted by at No comments:

    Monday, January 7, 2019


    Announcements and Reminders for Monday, January 7, 2019:
                             
    Where to find Ms. Dorsey in case of evacuation:

    Targets for Today:

    Today’s  Agenda for Monday, January 7, 2019:

    Choose your own seat again today.
    Just for fun --


    1.  Attendance question --  We are looking again today at how things began. How did you first become interested in mythology? 
    State your name and tell us how your interest in mythology began.  

    2.  Creation Myths -- one more for now -- The Big Bang


    The Biblical Creation "Myth"
    As with the stories of any living religion, we should show respect, and be considerate of the beliefs of others in the classroom.  

    Genesis 1 -- Judeo-Christian Traditions
    ex nihilo  -- out of nothingness 

    Genesis 1 King James Version (KJV)

    1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
    2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
    3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
    4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
    5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
    6 . . .  divide the waters from the waters. . . . Heaven (sky) 
    9  . . . dry land  . . . Earth and Seas 
    11  grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
    14   lights in the firmament of the heaven  -- sun, moon, stars
    20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
    24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
    26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
    31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

    3.  Receive  Disclosure Documents 
    Procedures and Places 

     ________________________________________________
    There are creation myths and origin myths.  
    We will use the terms this way:  
    Creation myths explain how everything started.
    Origin myths explain how a particular thing started. 

    4. Origin Myths 
    Let's look at two origin myths.  

    1) Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Coyote.  Not the animal, but the god.
    2) Raven-- Raven was a trickster god important to Native tribes in Alaska and islands off British Columbia.

    • What do these two myths have in common?  How are they different?


    • Write your own Origin Myth explaining how something in the natural world came to be.
    • If you have your composition book, turn to the second page to write it. 
    •     If not, use a half sheet of lined paper.
    • On your paper write the last digit of your phone number -- home or personal. 
    • If your number is _____ you will explain how (See the list below).  
      • (Or if you would like to write about something not on the list, check with me.)
    • Your job is to make up your own story.  You're not explaining scienctifically why these things happen or writing down a particular culture's myth to explain where these things came from.  You are creating your won origin myth. 
    • Write at least two paragraphs. 
    • Your handwriting must be legible.  




    Make up an origin myth (2 paragraphs) to explain:  

    1--why it gets dark at night

    2--why cats and dogs don’t get along

    3--why it gets cold during winter

    4--where stars came from

    5--why snakes have no legs

    6--how the skunk got its stripes

    7--why humans have no tails

    8--why wolves howl

    9--why bears hibernate

    0--how the rose got its thorns


    Share your origin myth with a partner.


    5. Campfire Stories, if there is more time.
    If there is extra time, you will individually read stories that you will share in a small group next time.


    For next time:
    Bring a notebook next time if you didn't this time!!  You’re going to need it. Put a reminder in your phone if that will help.

    If You Were Absent:
    See above for what we did.
    Write an origin myth.  Pick any of the subjects given above.
    Don't forget to bring a composition book.  

    Vocabulary:
    Mythology: A myth is a story, but it's a special kind of story that has two primary characteristics:    significance and staying power. 
    Significance 
    The subject matter is about important, something
    about how the world works or how the world itself got going or how things came to be.  
    Staying power

    These are stories that have survived centuries, sometimes millennia,and this istestament to the deep meaning or functional importance of these stories to the people who hear and tell them.-- the stories that stick around and get told over and over again through generations


     Help and Enrichment 
    Posted by at No comments:
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)