Copy and have the class read “The Mark of the Rabbit” that is included in this unit. Be sure to show students a photograph of the moon so they can see the rabbit markings for themselves.
Discuss and define the term creation myth in the context of this myth and any other myths the class may have read previously.
Ask students to individually list the questions about nature and the world around the Aztecs that were being answered in this myth. As a group, list student responses on the board. Some examples of appropriate responses are:
What are the marks that we see on the moon?
How did the marks get there? How did the sun and moon come to be?
Why is the sun brighter than the moon? How did the jaguar get its spots How did the stars come to be?
Once these responses have been listed, ask students to choose one or two questions and write their own myth that answers them.
Other myths with which to use this same questioning technique are “Possum Steals Fire” in
World Myths and Legends II
and “Quetzalcoatl and the Creation of Man” which is included in this unit.
