Consider the following:

Every culture, religion, group or people have a story; a tale about where they come from, how they got there and where they are going.

Reflect:

Why do you think that it is important for a culture to have this legacy? Certainly there are many differences, but are there any common threads?

Writer’s NotebookWriter’s NotebookI

f there could only be one story about yourself that you could pass down to your children or family after you, what would it be? Tell the story in as much detail as possible.

Why did you choose this story?

English III

What is a myth?

Simply a story – whether true or false – traditionally used to refer to some type of creation event, in a contemporary sense it refers to any traditional story

Where do they take place?

Typically, someplace that doesn’t exist yet or has not yet been fully created

Who are the characters?

Gods, or some other supernatural being (hero or otherwise)W

hat is the purpose of myth? Provide Role Models Instill Values Bring people together Connect people with the divine

A. Strong, powerful, honorable

B. Dark, mysteriousC. Protective, caringD. Loner, secretiveE. Fun, outgoing,

womanizingF. Two-faced,

manipulativeG. Playful and fun-

loving, a trend setter

1. Mother2. Bad Boy3. Free Spirit4. Hero5. Back Stabber6. Villain7. Charmer

Connect the traits on the left with the figure on the right

Belief in the universality of characters, settings, themes or plots.

Arrives out of Jungian theory (Carl Jung) of the collective unconscious

Myths provide characters to model ourselves after or to watch out for

Consider our previous list

Read the handouts (Native American Voices)

They are a collection of excerpts from Native American myths The first is an excerpt from the creation of the Seneca

Indians of western New York The second is a myth of the Cherokee Indians of North

Carolina The third is a myth of the Yakima Indians of the Pacific

NorthwestA

fter reading the stories, answer the questions on the organizer .

With the remaining time you have left in class, begin to write your personal myth or tale. It does not have to be long, but keep in mind the things we read today and to our class discussion.

Before you begin, consider the following questions:

Do you consider yourself a hero or villain? Where does it take place? What details can you add?

We will draw inspiration from this writing assignment when working on your Personal Narrative portfolio piece.

1. Where do myths typically take place?

2. What are two of the four purposes of myths?

3. Write an example of an archetypical character.

4. What are the 2 types of connections you were asked to make in today’s assignment?

You’ll turn in your writing assignment as you leave.