Mr. McGuire
The
Development of Myths
Among
Ancient Peoples
A Ongoing WebQuest
Inclusive of
All Cultures
and Civilizations
“Ghosts were created when
the first man woke in the night.”
—J.M. Barrie
Introduction:
All ancient cultures faced the
unknown. For example, they had to deal
with the deaths of members of their family and their community. They all felt they wanted to help their recently
deceased loved ones, to try to keep them, perhaps, from descending eternally
into the underworld or from being completely forgotten. They also feared different astronomical and
natural phenomena, such as eclipses and comets, floods and earthquakes, over
which they had no control and about which they had no knowledge.
Under these circumstances, ancient man
and woman looked for control over their lives and their environment. They would, for example, connect the idea
that unusual events in the heavens portended unusual events on earth, and
especially in their own communities. Supernatural
events (which were, to them, comets, meteor showers, configurations of the
planets, constellations, etc.) foreshadowed supernatural beings, and stories
told about them.
Task:
You, a member of an early agricultural
community, dream a lot at night. People
hear you talking about your dreams, and you seem able to interpret the meaning
of their dreams in a way that makes sense to them. Gradually, you are regarded as someone who
has special knowledge. People from the
community begin bringing you fruit and grain so that you have time to interpret
unknown things. The community begins to
regard you as someone special—a priest or priestess.
Your task, as a priest or priestess,
is (Part 1) to dramatize an ancient myth, and write a short review describing
each group’s presentation (Part 2) create and dramatize a new myth that
explains an astronomical or natural phenomenon (even one already explained by science),
and (Part 3) write a 2-3-page research report describing a myth involving a
tradition with which you are familiar.
For the third part you will use the five-step Public Policy Analyst.
Process:
Part 1. You
will be working in a small group. Your
group will choose an ancient myth and will turn it into a short (maximum of ten
minutes) performance. The presentation
should include a cast of characters, a setting (time and place), a plot
(beginning, middle, end), and a theme or moral (which should answer the myth’s
principal question).
Part 2. There are many modern myths and
prejudices. From current news events,
dramatize a short (no longer than five-minute) news story involving prejudice
(e.g., violence against women, old people, young people, cultures, races,
etc.).
Part 3. You
will use the five-step Public Policy Analyst to help you in your research
report:
1.
Define the problem using Worksheet #1.
2.
Gather evidence of the problem using Worksheet #2.
3.
Identify causes of the problem using Worksheet #3.
4.
Evaluate a public policy solution using Worksheet #4.
5.
Do a comparative analysis using Worksheet #5.
Resources:
You may use the
following websites to help you in your research:
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM
(for a Gilgamesh summary)
http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/eng251/gilgameshstudy.htm#gilgamesh
(a Gilgamesh study guide)
(AOL search results for Gilgamesh)
(Creation myths:
Old Indian
and Eurasian Creation Myths: Seminar
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~indst206/tool/wwwlinks/
(Creation myths: Old
Creation myths
from Central Asia to Anatolia
http://www.cangoknil.com/english/essays/creation.html
Ancient
Religions
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/ancient_religions.htm
Of Mud and the
Divine: Creation Myths of the Middle East: Part Two
http://www.worldandi.com/public/1994/march/cl4.cfm
(more “Of Mud and the
Divine)
Egyptian Creation Myths
http://members.aol.com/egyptart/crea.html
(Creation myths:
Chandra :: Photo Album :: Constellation Draco
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/draco.html
Creation
Myths - Greek Cosmogonies
http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa010698.htm
Evaluation:
To get receive a
grade of A:
The
performance (of the ancient myth and the original myth) must have:
character: well-defined characters (actors must stay
in the roles they are representing)
setting: clearly identified place (geographical,
topographical) and time
plot: a chronological series of events, with a
beginning, a middle, and a problem-solving end (the end will reveal the meaning
of the supernatural omen)
The
review of each group’s performance must have:
a short paragraph fulfilling the requirements of
characterization, setting, plot development, and theme or moral (Did the
dramatization address the central question of the myth?)
The
2-3-page research report must:
have a clearly written thesis statement and conclusion
address each step of the five-step Public Policy Analyst
Grades
of B, C, D, or F will be given depending upon how many of the above
requirements are omitted or unsatisfactory.
Rewrites must be submitted in a timely fashion.
Conclusion:
You have now begun to see common
threads and themes in every culture and civilization from ancient through
modern times. We express our humanity
and needs in similar storytelling and explanations of the unknown. A future generation will examine stories we tell
today. Which of today’s stories are our
myths?