Myths of Oceania

Name of Lesson: Myths of Oceania

Class: Pacific Island Studies

Purpose: This lesson is intended to introduce students to some of the indigenous stories of the Pacific Islands. Students will learn the reasons for the creation of myths. Students will also compare the similarities and differences between stories in different parts of the world.

Hawaii State Standards and Benchmarks:

Standard 2: Historical Understanding: INQUIRY, EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE- Use the tools and methods of inquiry, perspective, and empathy to explain historical events with multiple interpretations and judge the past on its own terms.

Standard 6: Cultural Anthropology: SYSTEMS, DYNAMICS, AND INQUIRY-Understand culture as a system of beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by a group and understand how cultural systems change over time.

General Learner Outcomes:

Complex Thinker
Demonstrates critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Quality Producer
Recognizes and understands quality performances and products.

Effective Communicator
Listens to, interprets and uses information effectively.

Self-Directed Learner
The ability to be responsible for one’s own learning.

IEP Goals and Objectives:

1) Student will be able to utilize a graphic organizer to compare and contrast a story.

2) Student will be able write a story that creates a logical sequence of events.

3) Student will be able to construct sentences with appropriate conventions – spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Student Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the lesson, students will be familiar with several of the myths of Maui from several Pacific Islands (Hawai’i and New Zealand). Students will be able to compare and contrast stories that explain similar events (island creation) from different world viewpoints (Oceania and Greece). Students will be able to author a short myth.

Assessments:

Formative assessment will occur at each step of the lesson to be sure students are understanding the concepts presented. Re-teaching and review will be done as necessary to assure student understanding.

The culminating activity will have the students create their own myth.

Materials/Set-Up/Safety:

Myth PowerPoint
Copies of myths for students
Video clips of myths
Student worksheets
SmartBoard
Projector
Computer

Procedures-

Introduction:

Students will be introduced to the background regarding myths through a short PowerPoint presentation on myths.

Developing:

Students will first compare two myths about the demi-god Maui, one from New Zealand and one from Hawai’i. We will read the myth from Hawai’i about how Maui pulled up the Hawaiian Islands with his fishhook. We will then view the New Zealand version of the story in a video clip. We will discuss as a class how many cultures have very similar stories to explain events.

Next we will compare the story of Maui and the creation of the Hawaiian Islands with the Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus. Some versions of the Icarus story contain references to Icarus becoming an island when he falls into the sea.

We will watch a short video clip with a basic version of the Icarus story. We will then read a more expansive written version. We will use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two versions of island formation (Maui and the Fishhook, Icarus).

Concluding:

As a concluding activity, students will construct their own myth. Students will select from one of three given ideas (e.g., lightning, creation, animals) to explain in a non-scientific way. Students will be provided with a checklist rubric and a template.

As time permits, students will share their stories with the class.