You have 5 minutes to complete this writing assignment starting when class starts!Answer in COMPLETE sentences and put thought into your answers.If you absolutely don’t know what to write after at least trying to figure it out, ask a neighbor, then ask me!

Native American Literature Warm-Up

2-10-12

Essential Questions

Why do people communicate?

How do people communicate?

How do audience and purpose determine style?

Objectives

By the completion of this lesson students will be able to:

To analyze the characteristics of a myth and evaluate how Native Americans used it.

To analyze the Western perspective of myths and myth making

So, what is a myth?•The word itself comes from the Greek “mythos” which originally meant “speech.” •It is a traditional story explaining how the world and the things in it came to be.

Myth

•A traditional story that deals with gods, goddesses, heroes, and/or supernatural forces. •A myth may explain a belief, custom, or a force of nature

Myths

• Contain supernatural elements • Often explain the unexplainable • Have also been told in order to

teach a moral lesson. • All cultures have myths, though

often do not see their stories as myth but as fact.

• reflect the culture of the people who create them

• Use metaphors

Native American Myths-

• The First Nation's Peoples had a value system. There were only four commandments from the Great Spirits:

• 1.Respect Mother Earth2.Respect the Great Spirit3.Respect our fellow man and woman4.Respect for individual freedom

Origin Myths

• Every origin myth is a story of creation: origin myths describe how some new reality came into existence

Oral tradition• Native American myths

originated as oral tradition: Stories passed down verbally

• Native American creating myths were not written down until just a few hundred years ago.

These Native American myths..• The World on the Turtle’s Back,

When Grizzlies Walked Upright, Navajo Origin Legend, The Sky Tree, Coyote Finishes His Work

• All offer explanations of where the people who inhabit the Earth came from.

• What other sources take on the challenge of explaining this phenomenon? - the Bible, geneticists

Alright, let’s get to it!• You will be divided into groups (we need 3)

each having a different myth to study and present. Just scoot next to your neighbors.

• Suggestion: Read the myth silently first and then read it aloud to emphasize the importance of the oral tradition

• Assign the following roles within your group: recorder, creativity director, teacher

• Then, complete the response sheet- one per group. Everyone should generate ideas but the note taker records.

• Then, discuss how best to present your myth- perform a skit, do an oral reading, create a picture- you must TEACH the myth to the class

• Finally, presentations!

Classwork/HomeworkClasswork1. Create your own mythic tale! This can be

about anything. What story will you tell your kids one day about how the world was created? Tossing out all that you know biblically, creatively come up with a new version. One page, single spaced, college ruled paper.

Homework2. This myth is part of the oral tradition of

stories being told in various ways- usually depending on beliefs and customs. Interview someone “older” to find a story that has been passed down from generation to generation. One page, single spaced, college ruled paper. Or two pages typed, double space, 12 pt font.

Due Monday, 2/13/12