One of the main goals and objectives in writing this unit is the integration of the district’s content standards in the areas of language arts, social studies, science, and social development through the study of mythology. The literary connections in the curriculum between the subject of mythology and language arts are obvious. This unit’s attempt to integrate the social studies, science, and social development curriculum may not be as clear, yet an important focus of the unit that I hope to get across to the reader.
I focus on four content standards in my aim to create an integrated unit of study on mythology. Though it may be too broad as a goal, many other standards that are not here listed will be required, introduced, used, or touched upon. I have chosen at least one of the standards on reading, writing, social studies and library media, and technology as the core of the unit.
Although the unit can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse learners, I write it with the content standards in mind for social studies and language arts specific in the second grade. The following is a list of the content standards that this unit aims to cover in its duration and the tasks the child should be able to perform.
Social studies performance standards
use a computer to access information compare traits found in family and neighborhoods from another time or place with those of the students identify mountains, lakes, and rivers on a map or a globe locate the seven continents and four oceans
Language arts performance standards for grades K-4
read at least 5 books on the topic of mythology
listen to stories about many different topics and cultures
retell stories in order and in detail
make a special project requiring oral both and written presentation through the use of the writing process (first draft, conference, revision, edit, and final draft)
participate in technology for reading and writing
Social development performance standards for grades K-4
Because the main topic is mythology, what was and continues to be the basis of morality, governance and identity ADDIN ENRef (Bierlein, p.5), the social development standards are at the heart of the unit. Performance standards:
acquire good listening skills
learn about people’s similarities and differences
learn to define and look ahead at consequences.
practice good decision-making skills
suggest laws and the consequences of not obeying them.
Science
Identify different properties that can be used for classification.
Explore living things of long ago
Classify the animal kingdom
Mathematics
Use different representations of the same number.( the children could learn how to write and draw the numbers in the Aztec calendar using the animal symbol associated with each number)
Library Media and Technology
retell materials heard
create a product related to the material heard, viewed and/or read
use a self-assessment tool prepared by the teacher/student
Through the unit there will be many opportunities to hear telling and retelling of myths with a morality lesson where the focus of the story can be used as the focus of that particular telling. At other times listening as well as oral skills will be specially targeted as a precursor to improved writing skills. The children will learn about people’s similarities and differences, and they will practice through role playing good decision-making skills.
Even though I have not included listening standards, they are at the very core of the unit for they will represent the continuum from beginning to end of the unit. The children will do retellings based on their reactions to the stories. Later, they will read selections and will develop their own presentations.
With the selection of these content standards I intend to inform and teach children about the universal theme of mythology. The question we seek to answer is, what role do animals play in the mythical stories read and told at story time?
In the Shangaan tradition, located in what is now called Mozambique, the story teller is the grandmother or elder woman of the family who is the respected transmitter of the old stories. The old woman, called Garingani, or narrator, begins her storytelling by declaiming “Garingani, n’wana wa Garingani!” - “I am Narrator, daughter of Narrator!” after which the crowd cheers “Garingani”. The crowd chants her name after each line of the story (Courlander, p. 404). I would like to incorporate this formula to start each of the storytelling sessions that are part of the unit.
Students will create representations (visual, written, technological, musical, artistic, etc.) that reflect upon selections read, tell a story, provide information, have a point of view, or demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of our multicultural heritage (content standard 1.6e).
The work habits that the unit will focus on will be attending to details and accuracy . This will be accomplished through questioning techniques, retellings, reports, games. The thinking skills that will be focused on the area of initial understanding will be to sequence, and list different mythical stories. As a way of developing an interpretation, and making connections, the children will contrast and compare certain elements of diverse myths appropriate to their age level.
The children will be provided with many opportunities to hear many different stories with opportunities to take a critical stance in judging orally, through writing, by making special projects, movement, etc.
As the unit progresses, broadening the scope of the questions and making connections among the different stories will be the focus. These stories will be introduced during story time and there will be a period to respond to them. At times it will be done individually, in pairs or small groups. The overall objective is to bring alive some of those mythological stories that are part of the human race consciousness to begin to have a better understanding of all that surrounds us.