Mythology Circles

We're doing some work with the sixth graders over the course of the next five weeks. Twice a week, we meet in groups of three. Each group comprises one student each from sixth, seventh and eighth graders (except one, which has one six and two sevens). The six groups are reading mythology from Australia, Brazil, Britain, China, Ghana, and Mesoamerica (modern-day Mexico, Guatemala and Belize).

Between now and May 23, the groups will read aloud together, compose and respond to three writing prompts, and plan a final project which will be on display at a public gathering on the afternoon of Friday, May 23. The seventh graders, who are facilitating each trio's work, will take a few minutes to present those projects and to take questions.

Below is the table of contents from the Mythology coursepack. The Brazilian readings are on pages 6-32; Mesoamerica, pp 33-45; Ghana, pp 46-74; Australia, pp 75-97; China, pp 98-129; Britain, pp 131-180. 

MYTHOLOGY
Map of the World	Public Domain	1
What Is a Myth?	Marcia Worth-Baker	2
The Angel with Bent Legs	Alex Bellos	6
Pele the Malandro	Simon Kuper	20
Tales of the Amazon	Daniel Munduruku	25
America's First People	Larry Gonick	33
Mayan Hieroglyphs	Duiker & Spielvogel	36
Popul Vuh	Goetz & Morley	37
Ball Game	Larry Gonick	42
A Deadly Sport	David Rodriguez	43
Zero	Charles Siefe	44
How Spider Became . . . . .	Peter Eric Adotey Addo	46
"We Oppose President Stomach!"	Dorliae & Wangboje	61
The Ghana Empire	Lisa Klobuchar	72
Ghana Rises	Larry Gonick	73
Dreamtime	John Haywood	75
Uluru	Roff Martin Smith	77
Art, Magic & Sorcery	John Haywood	80
Dreamtime	Oodgeroo	84
The Ch'i-lin Purse	Fang & Lee	98
Following the Dao	Jennifer Oldstone-Moore	117
Speechless	Lao-Tzu	119
Seven Meditations	Lao-Tzu	121
The Dragon's Tale	Demi	129
St George and the Dragon	James Muirden	130
King Arthur	Roger Lancelyn Green	131