Week+2

=Week 2 Tues Jan 18 and Thurs Jan 20, 2011= = Theme: Mythology = media type="custom" key="8070690"

Topic: Mythology
This week and next week we will explore how Humanities scholarship has studied myths – the pervasive stories that all human societies tell. We will watch two videos and read some essays to try to understand what myth is, how we should study it, and what it tells us about being human. We will see that there are different ways of exploring what myth is and isn't. These **differences** of opinion, argument, perspective are the basis for much humanities research, and are important for your understanding of how humanities work is done: weighing differences, evaluating sources, making a reasoned argument to explain something and its connections to other things. In order to learn how myth can be studied, we will then try our hand at studying myth by examining an Ancient Mayan myth that has been translated into English. This is your first webquest. To help you, we will watch a video of the myth and read the myth itself. You should then decide which of the different readings we have completed most appeal to you and your idea of what myth is. When you have decided an appropriate theoretical perspective (primitive mind, subconconscious mind, mental/linguistic structures) try to use these ideas to study the Mayan myth. Daily Schedule Tues 18 Jan In Class Activities: Vi ew Joseph Campbell video in class and discuss EE Evans-Prichard's review of the Primitive Mind (a book by Lucien Levy Bruhl). Homework Activities: V iew the remainder of the video, taking notes so that you can describe Joseph Campbell's ideas about mythology. You can also research [|Joseph Campbell] or his book – [|**The Hero with a 1000 faces.**] Read Robert Graves article - we'll discuss in class Thurs

Thurs Jan 20 In Class Activities: Discuss Joseph Campbell's and Robert Graves ideas of myth as psychological archetypes. Homework Activities: Read Web quest 1. Start r eading Claude Levi-Strauss article (hand out in class in Week 1).

Next week, Week 3, we will study the Mayan myth. Also Mexican mythology the [|History of the Mexicans through their paintings] To prepare, you can watch this video on Maya Civilization at home to familiarize yourself with: (1) Mayan Civilization and (2) how archaeologists use myth to explain their discoveries. Overview of Mayan Culture, History and Civilization [|__http://www.authenticmaya.com/ancient_guatemala.htm__] Readings - links to these are provided on the mythology web quest #1 page, here =media type="custom" key="8000574"=