Myth Study vs. Myth Creation

Mythology. I have been reading mythology since the 1st grade-- since Mrs. Atlas read us the story of Hercules; and I've loved it ever since. But enjoying the stories and studying their essential components are two very different things. I cannot say which came first, the chicken or the egg- I'm not sure if my study of myths enhanced my own myth or if my myth enhanced my understanding of myths in general, but I'm sure that the learning process was not linear-- quite the opposite, in fact.

In viewing the Power Point presentations that the various groups in the class created I began to see the patterns that myths follow, the trickster character who often serves to teach the reader a moral lesson, the importance of and difference between mythical and sacred landscapes, the mountains and rivers that act as symbols, or focal points to different peoples or civilizations, and it was in these patterns that I was able to imagine my own myth. But this knowledge meant very little to me until I began my own story, a creation myth which explains that appearance of the stars. In working my way through the different settings in which I could place my myth, the different landmarks which I should include, I was able to grasp the importance of what was discussed during the Power Point lectures and found the information to engrained in my mind the more I worked.

I find this to be a very valuable teaching technique (teaching a concept and then asking students to synthesize that knowledge—which incidentally complies with Bloom’s Taxonomy, as the second highest form of knowledge assessment, and is thus something that Master Teachers, University Field Supervisors and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, all love) and it is the way that I strive to teach in my classes. This method also allows for tons of assessments, both formative and summative, so you are assured to have several grades/grading period!