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1.
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Introduce unit by discussing order and chaos. Why do people place value on order? Who are the people who have created order (scientists, doctors, politicians, auto mechanics)? Is a person’s value based on how much order he brings to society? Why do people reject chaos? Who creates chaos in our society? Why do we condemn them?
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2.
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Myths deal with order and chaos: what purpose do creation myths play in this conflict? Does the formation of these myths parallel a need in our own life?
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3.
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Compare the behavior of gods with human beings. How does the likeness give shape to our own view of the world?
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4.
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Students can make their own collections of creation myths. They can be presented to the class as prepared reading or dramatizations. Let students use their imaginations to create myths that are either serious or humorous.
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5.
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Have students try to depict visually in drawings or in words or dramatizations what the original chaos looked like. Compare to what chaos looks like to them today.
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6.
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Students can be asked to find god-like characters in TV commercials and advertisements. Have students make up a list of our contemporary “gods,” and what they say is good for us. Is their power over us still magical? Do we accept what they say because they are larger than life? What role do the media play in their transformation? How can we counter the influence of these “gods” and what they promise us?
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7.
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Discuss the reasons why we don’t create gods and heroes of the same stature today. Ask students whether we immortalize famous people. (Christ, Mao, the Kennedys, Lincoln, King, Gandhi, Einstein, etc.) Discuss just what actions lead to a person’s immortalization. Introduce concept of “Euhemerism.” Refer to the Prometheus myth. What “gifts” did these heroes bring to mankind? How did they help remove the chaos and create order?
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8.
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How does man impose order on the animal, vegetable, and mineral world (zoos, parks, gardens, city plans, dams, fountains, etc)? Why does he do this?
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