Modern day film makers have decided that Norse mythology is not as well-known as it should be and have decided to make a movie about one of the myths, gods, or creatures that we have discussed during our unit. What or who should their movie be about? Why do you think people today would want to go see it? Are there any actors or actresses that you would want to play the parts?

Today’s bell ringer consists of two parts: 1. You have discovered a time machine! Which time period would you go back to visit (Greek, Egyptian, Arthur/Old English, Robin Hood/England, Norse/Viking, etc.)? Who would you want to meet? Be sure to explain your answer. 2. If you could transport one person or god back to the year 2010 with you, who would your bring and why? Be sure to explain your answer.

Have you ever had a goal or challenge to complete that you knew going in that you would more than likely fail or not be able to complete it? If so why did you do it? If not, why did you back out? Why are risks important to take?

 What happened to Balder?  How did this affect the gods?  What was the role of Hod, Loki, Frigg, and Hermod?  Who was punished?  Why is this myth important to the Norse culture?

 Why were the gods angry with Fenrir?  How was he bound?  How did Fenrir trick the gods?  What is Tyr’s role in the myth?  Why is this myth important to the Norse culture?

 How was Loki released from captivity?  Why were the apples important to the Norse gods and what happened when they were lost?  How was Idunn rescued?  Why is this myth important to the Norse culture?

 What was Mjollnir?  How is the hammer lost and what must be done to get it back?  What is Hemdall’s plan and who helps out?  What happens to Thyrm?  Why is this myth important to the Norse culture?

 What were contributions of the dwarves?  How were dwarves created?  Who was Alviss and what did he do?  What is the difference between dark and light elves?  Why were these creatures important to the Norse culture?

Although some of the content may be a little too graphic for children, consider what you make today as a “young adult” book. Each group will be assigned to one of the following myths:  The Death of Balder  Binding of the Wolf Fenrir  Loki Recaptures the Golden Apples  Thor Loses his Hammer  Light Elves, Dark Elves, and Dwarves Your group will be responsible for creating a short children’s book version of the myth.

 Content/Information – Does your book tell the story, myth accurately? Are all details included?  Visuals – How can pictures, captions, and dialogue help explain the myth?  Creativity – Did you put effort and time into creating your children’s book? Once all groups are finished, we will share them as a class using the document camera.

Old English/Norse God Analysis

 Choose ONE character from our unit (although I would like for you to focus on one of the Norse gods, you may choose a character for Robin Hood, King Arthur, or Sir Gawain myths as well)  Write a description including everything you know about that character (who they are, what they look like, personality, etc.)  Make a timeline of events that affect your character

Using your collected information, create a mock Facebook/MySpace page for your character:  About Me section (likes/dislikes, relationship status, etc.)  Status updates (use your timeline for this)  Friends list  Wall with posts from friends  Pictures with comments  Applications, etc., they might add

 Content/Information – Does your page accurately describe your character using updates, lists, posts, etc. Think about conflicts, motivations, characteristics, etc.  Visuals – Use pictures, captions, emoticons to make your page look real.  Creativity – Did you put effort and time into creating your page?  Written Explanation – After you are finished, be sure to explain your various facebook page descriptions to show what you have learned about your character/god.

Task One: Drinking water out of the horn Task Two: Lifting the paw of the giant cat Task Three: Fighting an old woman Why does he do it? What does each task symbolize? Does he succeed? What does he learn?

As we have learned throughout our study of Thor and the other mythological gods, often times challenges or tests were set to test the courage, strength, or endurance of the gods… or sometimes merely to show that even the strongest are not able to resist the powers of nature or fate. Today’s assignments asks you to pick a god or character that we have recently studied and decided on a challenge or task that will teach him or her a lesson. Your task should have at least three parts. Be sure to explain the value or lesson learned from each as well as the specific rules and guidelines involved. Helpful Hint: Think about what each event or task symbolizes!