Mythology, Folklore, and the Hero's Journey

|Arthurian Legend| |Beowulf| |Classical Mythology| |Creation Stories| |Fairy Tales and Folktales| |The Archetypal Hero's Journey| |Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey|

Aesop's Fables
Lesson plans and other teaching resources for the fables.

An African Folktale: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema
Designed for lower elementary students, this five-day series of lessons includes map study, vocabulary words, and reading skills.

The Age of Fable by Bulfinch
This 36-page document addresses 248 vocaublary words drawn from the text. Access requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or compatible application.

American Folklore
Folksy retellings of a variety of tales: Native American myths and legends, weather folklore, ghost stories, and tall tales of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and others.

Arthurian Legend Teaching Resources
Lesson plans and classroom activities for teaching about King Arthur.

Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales
By studying Beatrix Potter's childhood and her artwork, students gain insight into the unusual, solitary world of Victorian childhood and can compare/contrast it with their own world to understand why Potter wrote such simple stories and why she wrote about animals rather than people. This site includes lots of support links and includes art activities.

Beowulf Teaching Resources
Lesson plans and classroom activities for teaching Beowulf.

Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Students investigate tall tales prior to writing one. This lesson is designed for grades 3-5.

Classical Mythology Teaching Resources
Lesson plans and classroom activities for teaching about Greek and Roman mythology.

Common Visions, Common Voices
These lessons use art and trickster stories to help students understand that people in various cultures are more alike than different.

Coyote and Anansi
As a result of this activity, students in grades 3-5 will produce a folktale that mimics or is inspired by the themes, characters and messages of folktales previously heard and discussed, and will generate and discuss ideas about how to function in their own and other people's cultures.

Creation Stories
Collections of creation stories from a variety of cultures.

Description of a Familiar Object using Mythology
Students describe the throne they would have if they were a deity.

Dramatizing Folktales, Legends, and Myths
Elementary students work together to research, select, and dramatize a Native American myth or legend.

Erose and Psyche, Part I and Eros and Psyche, Part II
A Reader's Theater script of the story, written by a teacher for classroom use.

An Etymological Dictionary of Classical Mythology
English words with origins in Greek and Roman mythology.

Fairy Tales & Folktales
Lesson plans and classroom activities for teaching fairy tales and folktales, including Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Some sites include variations of the tale from around the world.

Folklore and Mythology
A remarkable collection of links to stories from around the world.

The Folktale, Fable, and Parable
Students analyze and interpret a folktale that comments on a social attitude. They then write a true story illustrating the same attitude and explain how the true story relates to the folktale.

Gilgamesh: he who saw all
Lesson plans for introducing the epic to 6th and 7th graders.

Gods, Heroes, and Myth
Links to stories from several cultures.

A Graphic Scene
Students use graphic organizers to compare and contrast Hercules and Perseus. This lesson includes printable graphic organizers and links to stories. It is designed for middle schoolers.

Greek Mythology and the Forms of Energy
This lesson for elementary students integrates mythology and science.

Hamilton's Mythology Study Guides
Chapter-by-chapter study questions to accompany Edith Hamilton's classic introduction to Greek mythology.

Helpful Animals and Compassionate Humans in Folklore
Through examining several examples of helpful animal tales from around the world, students will learn about humans living in cooperation with the land and sea and with the beasts that inhabit them.

Hercules the hero: understanding the myth
Background information, summary of the 12 Labors, pronunciation guide, and lesson plans, including critical consideration of the Disney video.

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
Lesson plans, background information, and classroom activities.

How have the qualities of heroes changed over time?
In this WebQuest, students compare the qualities of ancient Greek heroes with modern heroes.

Introduction to Greek Mythology
Students investigate a character from Greek mythology and report to the class. This standards-based activity includes downloadable handout and rubric.

Jason and the Golden Fleece
Students work in small groups to compare the ancient story with modern ones.

The Journey of the Hero
Lesson plans and teaching resources for the archetype of the hero's journey or quest, sometimes called the monomyth.

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