1. Early Native American Myths
“The Earth on Turtle’s Back”
“When Grizzlies Walked Upright”
“The Navajo Origin Legend”

2. What, then, is an origin myth? What is a theme?
What is a myth?
What, then, is an origin myth?
What is a theme?
How can I identify a theme in text?
What is an archetype?
Use this slide to see how much reteaching needs to be done for the students. A slide has been included to generally reteach each term, and this information can be found in the text on page 18. However, if students know the material, there is no reason to spend the class time on the reteaching slides.

3. What is an origin myth? A traditional story to explain
How life began
How a feature of the world was formed
How customs came to be
Often passed down by oral tradition through generations

4. What is a theme?
Insight about the human condition or state of the world’s affairs
Layers of universal truth about life
Often more than one present in a text

5. What is an archetype?
Technique for revealing theme in which symbols, patterns, or characters repeat across cultures and texts
Ask students to provide an example of an archetype they recognize easily. For example, say, “To identify archetypes in literature, I look for familiar situations and character types as I read. As I think about the text, I try to think of other stories with a similar element or intertextuality in which characters or situations are the same. When I recognize something I know, I can relate it to what I know and help increase my understanding of the text.

6. Take the origin myths you have been given and silently read that text.
Have groups assigned to help in transitions. However, do not tell students which group they are in until after the first reading. This should help with arguing over group assignments because they will have already completed the first chunk of the assignment. Also, for individual accountability, have students turn in their initial thoughts of the text on a post it or notecard.

7. Recap and Reflect Individually, on a piece of paper do the following:
Create a Facebook status or Tweet based on each story.
Write a hypothetical note to an absent classmate to explain the learning for the day.
What is the text mostly about? What is it trying to explain?
What is a possible theme of this text? Why do you think this?

8. Comparing Literary Works
Details
Turtle’s Back
Grizzlies
Navajo
Patterns
Symbols
Characters
Ponder: What common themes do these archetypes help express? How does this reflect the culture?

9. After reading, discuss.
In which origin myth is the creation accidental? Intentional?
What features of land does the Modoc myth explain? What does this say about the role of place?
Which myths portray the spirits or gods as generous and kind? As vengeful?
In which myth is creation a result of cooperation?
What similarities and differences do you see in the cultural attitudes expressed in these three myths?

10. Constructed Response
Constructed response: What common themes do these archetypes help express? How does this reflect the culture?
What is this asking you to do? Explain my question.
Find text evidence to support the themes you chose.

11. Challenge Question:
Do the stories we tell today through film, TV, or books say something about who we are as a people? What do they say about our society and culture?
Think. No talking.

12. Structured Pair & Share
Do the stories we tell today through film, TV, or books say something about who we are as a people? What do they say about our society and culture?
A – Has the earlier birthday in the year. A responds first for one minute. B CANNOT talk.
B – Start with, “What it sounds like you are saying is… One thing I like about what you said is… I think…” A CANNOT talk.
A – Respond to your partner. “What it sounds like you are saying is… One thing I like about what you said is…”