Who
are we?Where do we come from? And the rivers? And the blue rain? And
those stars shining just beyond me? Just questions of a child? Or questions of all eternity? Our human history is rich with the myths and stories created to answer just these questions and no where is it richer than in Native American myth. In this lesson, students will read examples of myths that focus on the origins of things or focus on natural elements in the world, such as Why The North Star Stands Still, and they will be invited to write their own myths about the birth of the river or rain.
To begin their myths, your students will identify and describe general characteristics of the Native American myth that they find in the examples they read, and discuss the significance of myth in Native American culture. Choosing one myth, students will then analyze the myth in their journals, creating a list of what they think should be included in their myths. You will then share with them the characteristics of a prose poem and offer them an example. Before starting their own myths, students will explore the scientific explanation of where rivers and rain came from. Students will then write their own myths about the river or rain as prose poems.
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