This unit was developed for use with gifted third grade students.

Content Standards:

• The student understands the importance of the experiences of groups of people.
• The student describes various cultures by studying dance, music, folklore, and arts of various cultures around the world.
• The student analyzes historical materials to trace development of an idea or trend across space or over a prolonged period of time to explain patterns of historical continuity and change

• Reading/Writing - The proficient reader comprehends whole pieces of narration , exposition, persuasion, and technical writing
• The students understand basic message of text/retell reading material with accurate sequence
• The students write notes and journals to record information.
• A proficient writer uses ideas that are well developed, clear and interesting.
• The students choose an idea about which to write/organize a writing piece around one idea
• Learners demonstrate knowledge of literature from a variety of cultures, genres and time periods.
• The proficient reader demonstrates knowledge of the effects of cultures on literature.
• The students recognize customs as expressed in literature from a variety of cultures/relate literature from a variety of cultures to personal experiences/compare and contrast customs and ideas within literature from a variety of cultures.
• The proficient reader demonstrates knowledge of the effects of time periods on literature/distinguish between past and present settings

Enduring Understandings

• Students should understand that mythology is not unique to one culture, but is common to nearly all cultures if not all.
• Students should recognize that myths are a way of explaining the unexplainable; that some are based on fantastic beings, but some are based on known people and events; that mythology has had and still is having a significant impact and influence on our lives today.
• Students should understand that there are popular ways of viewing myths—as eternal truths, exaggerations of true stories, and symbolic descriptions of natural processes
• Members of a group all have important roles to play in completing a task.

Assessment

The final assessment will be on a rubric based on participation (process), content, and quality of the final multimedia presentation.

Real World Connections

• Reflection of how myths affect our lives today through literature, history, and language.
• Searching for examples of modern "myths" in our own culture today.

Multimedia

• Students will complete a PowerPoint slide show to present their final information.
• Slide shows should include suitable graphics, text and sound.
• Presentations will be assessed on content as well as visual appeal.
• Students' presentations should demonstrate an understanding of copyright standards and fair use.

Collaboration and Decision Making

• The students will first share as a group what they already know about mythology. The class will discuss the fact that many different cultures and countries have created their own mythology, but they all share some common characteristics.
• Students will form small groups to explore a particular country's mythology using Internet and hard copy resources.
• We will then meet again as a large group to again discuss findings. At this time we'll focus the direction of our PowerPoint presentations with input from the student groups. Will we focus only on creation myths, hero myths?
• The class will help develop their own rubric
• At the end, students will evaluate themselves and their group's efforts on the generated rubric.

Teacher choices:

• Main topic
• Possible categories for rubric

• Storyboard template

Student Choices/Input:

• some choices on which mythology to study and grouping

• input in generating project rubric

• input into direction and focus of presentations

• graphics, sounds and other MM decision in PowerPoint presentation

• assignment of roles within the group

• self evaluation