Intro to Mythology course--suggestions?

[RobinL in Canada]

I'm considering teaching an intro to mythology course next year in our local high school co-op, hanving discovered that our Christian kids know their BIble well, but virtually nothing about classical mythology! I have, and love, ELizabeth Vandiver's Classical Mythology lecture series, but I'm wondering if anyne can suggest both a basic text of classical myths and some sort of guide to running a course on the subject so that I don't have to reinvent the wheel :) I don't own it but have heard that Edith Hamilton's Mythology might be a decent (sanitized) version--I'm okay with the unbowdlerized myths but many of the co-op parents may not be--and I came across Prestwick House's Mythology activity pack/ guide, but it doesn't go into much depth.

 

Would anyone have some specific ideas re what to use to teach a twelve-week (i 1/1 hr class per week) course on classical mythology? Suggestions for assignments would also be appreciated.

[Dmmetler]

Have you looked at the syllabus for the Medusa Mythology Exam? I did a class this year using the National Mythology Exam syllabus as a starting point for elementary/middle schoolers, and the topics list worked pretty well.

[RobinL in Canada]

Would that syllabus be appropraite for high school students?

[Chris in PA]

I am currently doing a classical mythology course using the Vandiver lectures plus the book Classical Mythology and More with dd. She is a senior and is also reading several classical works such as Metamorphoses, The Oedipus Trilogy, and Theogeny. I have had her write several papers with the course. It is going well and she really enjoys it. The teacher manual for Classical Mythology and More has some nice ideas for assignments.

[mumto2]

I have frequently seen Classical Mythology and More.......by Colakis recommended. I have never seen it nor do I own it but I do think about it often! I wish there was more time!

[Dmmetler]

The Medusa exam is the one that's usually done by older students. High school students can do the National Mythology Exam, but it's more focused on middle grades, and adds additional mythology areas for older students.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I found this at a booksale and it is one of my favorite resources.

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Myths-That-Live-Today/dp/B000867LI0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364128212&sr=8-2&keywords=classical+myths+that+live+today

[swimmermom3]

I'm considering teaching an intro to mythology course next year in our local high school co-op, hanving discovered that our Christian kids know their BIble well, but virtually nothing about classical mythology! I have, and love, ELizabeth Vandiver's Classical Mythology lecture series, but I'm wondering if anyne can suggest both a basic text of classical myths and some sort of guide to running a course on the subject so that I don't have to reinvent the wheel :) I don't own it but have heard that Edith Hamilton's Mythology might be a decent (sanitized) version--I'm okay with the unbowdlerized myths but many of the co-op parents may not be--and I came across Prestwick House's Mythology activity pack/ guide, but it doesn't go into much depth.

 

Would anyone have some specific ideas re what to use to teach a twelve-week (i 1/1 hr class per week) course on classical mythology? Suggestions for assignments would also be appreciated.

 

First, Vandiver does give you suggestions of works to read with her lectures. I found that Classical Mythology by Morford and Lenardon matched up well with many of her lectures and it is a very accessible text. I think I paid $5 including postage for mine. If you did not want to purchase volumes like The Library of Greek Mythology to go with the course, you could probably get by with the references in the book. If you are interested, I can dig out my notes and give you an example of what you could do.

[RobinL in Canada]

First, Vandiver does give you suggestions of works to read with her lectures. I found that Classical Mythology by Morford and Lenardon matched up well with many of her lectures and it is a very accessible text. I think I paid $5 including postage for mine. If you did not want to purchase volumes like The Library of Greek Mythology to go with the course, you could probably get by with the references in the book. If you are interested, I can dig out my notes and give you an example of what you could do.

 

Thank you--I would appreciate any notes or ideas.

[KarenNC]

I'd love any notes or ideas as well. I'm in the middle of the Vandiver Classical Mythology dvds right now :001_wub: and it looks like I will either be teaching a co-op class next year in conjunction with the NME and Medusa or just coordinating the exams and giving study suggestions with the goal of offering a class the following year (we'll be new to this co-op).

 

For those who've taught a class with an eye toward the Medusa Exam, it's my understanding that they don't release the theme until September. Is this correct, and, if so, how did you set up your course materials? If I'm doing the co-op class, it will start in September, but signups will be in May/June. I've got experience with prepping my daughter for the NME, but the Medusa will be new to us.

 

BTW, I'm in the reverse position of the OP---my daughter is well-versed in her Classical mythology but doesn't know Biblical references. I'm thinking of doing The Bible and Its Influence followed by Windows to the World to fill those holes.

[missesd]

Do you use Mythology as History or an elective?

[KarenNC]

Do you use Mythology as History or an elective?

 

 

I know we're not in high school yet, but I would consider it to be literature or an elective, personally. I'm considering the whole she-bang we're doing over the next 18 months or so to be part of our literature studies, capped with Windows to the World for lit analysis next spring. I've (probably ambitiously) planned Classical mythology (we're in the middle of the Vandiver lectures now), comparative mythology from other cultures using material from Georgia Virtual Learning in a more cursory way (http://www.gavirtual...dMythology.aspx), and "The Bible and Its Influence" from The Bible LIteracy Project. The overall goal is to plaster any holes in understanding the cultural referents of Western art and lit before we hit high school lit and art history, which is why I'm only going to hit the highlights of the Georgia material and may end up leaving it out this go round. She already has a basic familiarity with a lot of world myth.

 

I'm considering another course later that will address more global cultural referents using the sacred stories of Eastern cultures. My daughter is heavily into manga and anime, so I'd really like to give her a background for the religious cultural referents there. I'm looking at "The Story of the Qu'ran: Its history and place in Muslim life" by Mattson, "Islamic Art, Literature and Culture" by Kuiper, "Darsan: seeing the divine image in India" by Eck, and I like the looks of "Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime and Religion in Contemporary Japan" by Thomas. I haven't seen any materials that will pull even parts of this together for me, unfortunately, but I'm very open to suggestions :001_smile: .

[laughing lioness]

Perhaps this is too simplistic, but I remember Joyce Herzog saying years ago that when she went to write an "adult" book, she started wtih the kids section. With that in mind you could use D'Aulaire's books as a quick, fun overview of things and then you could dig deeper from there? Greek Myths is on CD now.

Also, Logos Academy used to have myths in Play form- we did a couple with our co-op. Very simple and FUN and the kids will really remember the stories.

[Dmmetler]

Scholastic has some Greek Mythology readers theater scripts too-they're designed for middle school, I think. I've gotten several of them on the $1 e-book sale. We did the Iliad with our kids this year as part of NME prep for the older ones who needed speciality tests.

[RobinL in Canada]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I would be teaching Classical Mythology in the co-op as an enrichment courses (as are all our courses, since they are only once a week for 12 weeks). Depending on what my own student might be covering while studying Mythology, I would likely count it as lit.

 

I would prefer a text or study guide that has the students reading some myths each week and preparing for disucssion with questions that go beyond sinple recall; then I would need to give them some home writing assignments as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

BTW, I did look up Mythology and More on Bolchazy.come, but the shipping is extraordinarily expensive to Canada--too much to make it worth purchasing at this point.

[PeterPan]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I would be teaching Classical Mythology in the co-op as an enrichment courses (as are all our courses, since they are only once a week for 12 weeks). Depending on what my own student might be covering while studying Mythology, I would likely count it as lit.

 

I would prefer a text or study guide that has the students reading some myths each week and preparing for disucssion with questions that go beyond sinple recall; then I would need to give them some home writing assignments as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

BTW, I did look up Mythology and More on Bolchazy.come, but the shipping is extraordinarily expensive to Canada--too much to make it worth purchasing at this point.

 

 

You can buy it as an ebook.

 

http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=latin&id=5734

[RobinL in Canada]

 

You can buy it as an ebook.

 

http://www.bolchazy....t=latin&id=5734

 

Is the teacher's guide available as an ebook?

[RobinL in Canada]

Hmmm--I just checked the link for the ebook and it seems the book actually is not currently for sale :(

[KarenNC]

Hmmm--I just checked the link for the ebook and it seems the book actually is not currently for sale :(

 

 

Check this link https://play.google....o3Lr2Swz8sC#v�� I had to click the "Google ebooks" link under the prices for the paperback books on the Bolchazy website.

 

ETA: sorry, looks like this is just the workbook, not the teacher's guide.

[PeterPan]

I emailed them, and they don't have the tm for sale as ebook. It's a shame, because that would be a really nice way to have it. The student text came and we really like it. I just wonder what the tm adds. Their website says hands-on, history background, and tests/quizzes. I'm wondering how good those hands-on are. I would have paid the ebook price for the tm, but $39 plus shipping seems really steep, ouch.

[quark]

I emailed them, and they don't have the tm for sale as ebook. It's a shame, because that would be a really nice way to have it. The student text came and we really like it. I just wonder what the tm adds. Their website says hands-on, history background, and tests/quizzes. I'm wondering how good those hands-on are. I would have paid the ebook price for the tm, but $39 plus shipping seems really steep, ouch.

 

 

There are some additional print and web source lists by chapter as well as project suggestions.

E.g. A suggestion in Chapter 3: "You may want to assign students to write to a company named for a mythological character or whose product has a mythological name and have them ask how the name was chosen." (They have included a reference to a list of company/ product names provided in another chapter)

[PeterPan]

Thanks for the info Quark. That's not my idea of hands-on. I did order the tm, so hopefully I'm not going to be disappointed. By hands-on, I thought they meant sculpt, build, or otherwise create. That would fit my dc. But we'll see I guess.

[quark]

I haven't used the book with my DS yet OhE so I may be missing something really hands on in there...I was just browsing the TE when I saw this thread. I'm in my hoarding phase right now and am purchasing about 2-3 years worth of stuff and the TM for Classical Mythology and More was one of them lol.

 

There's a section in every chapter called Probings and that's where the meat of the "hands on" suggestions seem to be...I can see us tweaking them to include more of the actual build/ sculpt things if my DS is interested so it might not be a waste to buy the TM for an interested DC.