Part 1: How the Lesson Was Structured
The training session followed a clear, rigorous 90-Minute Roadmap to Teaching
Myth Literature as detailed in image_e7ce05.jpg. It balances explicit framework
instruction with interactive, student-centered critical thinking.
The 4-Stage Instructional Flow:
1.
The Hook & First Contact (00:00 - 00:25):
2.
1.
Step 1: Lead-in (10 Mins ): Activating prior knowledge using an
interactive "Speed Chat" where students form rows and discuss
familiar Greek gods or monsters in 60-second bursts
1-what gods do you know ?
what supernatural things you know about the Greek gods ? .
Step 2: First Contact (5 Mins): A brief, independent silent read for
plot, followed by a 3-minute pair discussion for initial impressions.
1- What did you like about the story ?
2- things you didn’t like ?
3- check if you have the same answers ?
Layered Analysis (00:25 - 00:50):
Step 3: Finding Genre Features (10 Mins): Students use a genre checklist in small
groups to identify elements unique to myths versus legends.
1- give them a checklist that has the features of the genre and then they check the
right ones ?
Step 4: Close Reading & Literature Analysis (15 Mins): A whole-
class deep dive into plot structure, character development, and
symbolism.
Critical Thinking & Evaluation (00:50 - 01:15):
Step 5: Respond to the Text (10 Mins): Independent writing addressing high-order
cultural value questions, shared with a partner.
Step 6: Critical Evaluation (10 Mins): Group discussions analyzing the author's
purpose, word choice, and the myth's relevance to modern society.
Creation & Review (01:15 - 01:40):
1.
Step 7: Creative Production (15 Mins): Collaborative groups write a
short mythological story or skit that explains a natural phenomenon or
imparts a moral.
Step 8: Presentation & Feedback (5 Mins): Brief group
presentations evaluated by peers and the teacher.
To teach this effectively, you need to master the analytical framework from the
session material (image_e7cd86.jpg). It uses a Step-by-Step Guide to Story Genres
to distinctly separate Myths from Legends.
When your students analyze a text, have them run it through this four-step diagnostic
process:
Diagnostic
MYTH Criteria LEGEND Criteria
Step
Explains the unexplainable Focuses on a human
1. Identify (cosmic/world origins, hero's deeds within an
Core Purpose seasons, natural exaggerated historical
phenomena). context.
Diagnostic
MYTH Criteria LEGEND Criteria
Step
Features human heroes,
2. Analyze Features gods, goddesses,
often based on real
Protagonists and supernatural agents.
historical figures.
Takes place in "The Time Anchored to a specific,
3. Pinpoint
Before Time" (timeless, recognizable historical
Timeline
cosmic origins). time and place.
Sacred and universal;
4. Examine Builds national identity
designed to transmit deep
Cultural through celebrated
cultural values and
Impact deeds of valor.
symbolic meaning.
Part 3: Applying the Framework to "The
Flight of Icarus"
Your textbook excerpt provides the perfect piece of literature to model this approach.
Here is how you apply the exact steps and pedagogical prompts from
image_e7cd86.jpg and image_e7ce05.jpg to The Flight of Icarus:
1. Genre Feature Check (Step 3 of the Lesson Plan)
Core Purpose: It explains a natural feature (the naming of the Icarian Sea
where Icarus fell).
Protagonists: While Daedalus and Icarus are humans, they display
supernatural-like abilities by creating wings to fly like birds, and onlookers
mistake them for gods.
Timeline: Set in ancient, mythic Greece (King Minos's Crete and the
Labyrinth).
2. Close Reading & "Words of the Wiser" Signpost
(Step 4)
The materials emphasize a crucial reading signpost: Words of the Wiser. This occurs
when a older, wiser character gives life advice to the protagonist.
The Textual Evidence: In paragraph 5, Daedalus explicitly warns his son:
"Keep at a moderate height, for if you fly too low, the fog and spray will clog
your wings, and if you fly too high, the heat will melt the wax...".
The Internal Conflict & Theme: Recognizing this signpost helps students
realize that the conflict isn't just about escaping an island; it's about
moderation versus reckless freedom.
3. Determining Theme (Step 5 & 6)
Following the "Finding a Myth's Theme" matrix in the text, we look at the characters'
actions and downfalls:
What the character wants: Escape and ultimate freedom.
What they do: Icarus becomes "bewitched by a sense of freedom" and throws
caution to the wind, flying too close to the sun.
The Result: The wax melts, his wings fail, and he falls into the sea.
The Core Theme: Moderation is essential to survival. Reckless arrogance
or disregarding wise counsel leads to destruction. As paragraph 9 notes,
Daedalus mourned his son who "had thrown caution to the winds in the
exaltation of his freedom".
Part 4: How You Can Teach This (Your
Modern Teacher Persona)
To deliver this like a highly qualified international school teacher, lean into
differentiated instruction and scaffolds shown in the margins of your lesson sheet:
Differentiate with Scaffolding: Notice how paragraph 5 includes tailored prompts
for different student levels:
Group A (Emerging): Simple binary or retrieval questions ("Does
Daedalus tell Icarus to fly at a moderate height?").
Group B (Developing): Sentence frames to support expression
("Daedalus tells Icarus to fly at a...").
Group C (Advanced): Open-ended analytical questions requiring
textual proof ("What does he say could happen if Icarus doesn't fly at a
moderate height?").
Incorporate Total Physical Response (TPR) & Quick Transitions: Use the
60-second "Speed Chat" format to keep physical energy high before settling
into intense text analysis.
End with Production: Don't just analyze the text. Ensure you leave the final
20 minutes for students to collaborate and write/act out their own mini-myth
that explains something in nature (e.g., Why the Camel Has a Hump or How
Thunder Was Created).
Would you like to design a complete student handout or slide deck script based on
this specific layout to use with your class?