1. http://www.npr.org/templates/story /story.php?storyId=6562915
Bell Ringer

2. Why do you think the woman on the streetcar began to cry?
Why might this event have been life changing for Smith?
Drawing Conclusions

3. Folktales Things Fall Apart
Page 53
Page 75
Page 96
Page 140

4. To do: Identify the myth, or folktale, on the assigned page
Summarize the tale
Discuss and note the importance of the tale:
Is there a lesson?
Is this a moral tale?
Is this a cautionary tale?
Consider your tale within the novel’s context:
Why is this tale appropriate for the novel?
Is this tale appropriately placed in the novel?
Does the tale refer to a specific character?

5. Myths and Legends

6. Myths are traditional stories rooted in a particular culture that are religious in nature.
A myth reveals the ideals and values of the society that tells the story.
Though they often have supernatural powers, the heroes in myths are recognizable human. In a typical hero myth, a young man is sent on a quest.
Myth

7. Folktales are are similar to myths, but they are not religious
Folktales are are similar to myths, but they are not religious. They are stories that have been handed down from generation to generation and are used to teach lessons and entertain.
Folktale

8. A legend is a story about extraordinary deeds based on a real historical event or person.
Since legends are told and retold, they tend to take on fantastic, even supernatural, elements.
Legend

9. In myths and legends, a hero (or a heroine) is a character, often descended from a god, who faces a seemingly impossible task that he or she accepts with courage, ingenuity, and often superhuman strength.
Hero/Heroine

10. Myths and legends of heroes often involve a quest, which is a journey or a test to find something of great significance.
Quest

11. Norse myths are the traditional stories of the people of ancient Scandinavia and Germany.
Norse mythology includes hero tales, called sagas, which are part of an oral storytelling tradition.
Unlike the Greek myths, the Norse myths foretell a day of doom when the entire world will be consumed by fire and all life will end.
Norse Myths

12. Arthurian legends are stories about King Arthur and the brave, powerful, and adventurous Knights of the Round Table.
Arthurian legend emerged gradually over centuries as storytellers told and retold popular tales about a great chief who mysteriously disappeared but promised to return when his people needed him.
Arthurian Legend

13. An archetype is a plot pattern, image, or character type that appears throughout literature.
Archetypes often reflect universal characters or themes.
One archetypal story tells about the Golden Age when the world was filled with happiness and prosperity. Other archetypal stories recount a tale of a journey or quest in which the hero faces a series of ordeals before returning home.
Archetypes

14. REFLECTION CHOICES 1. What makes someone a hero?
2. What qualities can help a hero
succeed in a quest?
3. How do myths help people
explain their world?
REFLECTION
CHOICES