Cultural Values in Creation Myths: Gender Roles

Context:
Course name: Honors Language Arts
Grade level: 9th grade
Length of lesson: approx. 60 min (picture day)
Description of setting, students, and curriculum—and any other important contextual
characteristics: This lesson will be taught to a 9th grade honors class at Western Albemarle
High School during the first block of the day (roughly 9:00-10:20 with a break at 9:20 for
pictures). The class is mostly white with two students of color. All students are at or above grade
level. The students in this class are beginning to develop a level of comfort in their classroom
community. They aren’t afraid to put their ideas out for the class to discuss—with some
prompting. They are currently seated in base groups of 4-5 students.

Students are in the middle of a unit on myths. They’ve covered creation myths from different
cultures (Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, Zulu, Norse, and Iriquois). Students are now learning
about motifs and archetypes, as well as the cultural structures/values revealed in these myths.

In the period before this lesson, students read the Prometheus myth, and watched videos about
Anansi the Spider and Loki. The lesson was framed by the cultural evaluation technique—
GRAPES—and the A in that technique (Achievements) was the frame for this lesson. Students
developed a definition for technology, discussed the role it plays in society, and then connected
that with the role tricksters play in society after working together to brainstorm chracteristics of a
trickster. For homework, I assigned them “Pandora’s Box” and provided some questions to
guide their reading. I’ll be collecting these questions to serve as an assessment for motifs,
archetypes, and their summarizing ability.

Objectives

Know:
1. Students will know that society affects gender roles.
2. Students will know the definition of gender roles.
Understand:
1. Students will understand that a culture’s social structure is reflected in its literature.
Do:
1. Students will be able to identify motifs in a text.
2. Students will be able to identify character archetypes in a text.
3. Students will be able to identify creation myth characteristics in a text.
4. Students will be able to verbally support their ideas with textual evidence.
SOL’s:

9.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze a variety of literary texts including
narratives, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
b. Summary text relating supporting details.
c. Use literary terms in describing and analyzing selections.
g. Analyze the cultural or social function of a literary text.
i. Explain the influence of historical context on the form, style, and point of view of written
work.
l. Make predicitions, inferences, draw conclusions, and connect prior knowledge to
support reading comprehension.

Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic Formative

Title of assessment tool: Formative #1:

Discussion and Brainstorm about gender
roles.
Students will demonstrate what they
already know about gender roles through a
discussion about what they are.
Criteria: Students will be able to explain
what gender roles are and contribute to
future discussions about them.
Title of assessment tool:
Pandora and Genesis Discussions and
Homework
Students will show their progress toward
being able to identify creation myth
characteristics, motifs and archtypes through
discussion and the Pandora Questions they
turn in for homework.

How data will be used: To determine how Criteria: Students should be able to identify
much I need to identify and explain gender archtypes and motifs in the myths we read
roles in Pandora’s Box and Genesis. and support their choices with evidence.

How students will receive feedback: How data will be used: To determine which
Students will receive verbal feedback via aspects of the above material need to be
whole class discussion. covered further or in different ways.

(K1, K2) How students will receive feedback: Students

will receive a grade and written feedback.

(D1, D2, D3)

Differentiated Instruction:

Journal Option: students will be asked to journal before talking to neighbors if they seem
reticent or have difficult grasping the concepts. This will help them formulate clearer thoughts.

Lack of Cold Calling: In their interest surveys, students have expressed stress regarding cold
calling. I will give them the opportunity to volunteer or give them a warning if I want them to
share an interesting thought I overhear.

Procedures/Instructional Strategies

Beginning Room Arrangement: Student sit in pods of 4-5 students at desks or tables, all
oriented in such a way that they only need to turn their heads to see the whiteboard at the front
of the room. There are whiteboards along the entire front wall of the room, and another
whiteboard along one wall. The teacher’s desk is at the front of the classroom near windows into
the hall and near the whiteboard where the projector is. Some of the tables at the back of the
classroom can be raised to become standing desks. As students enter, the Do Now will be on
the board.

1. [5 mins.] Welcome/greeting/announcements

Take attendance and listen to the school announcements.

Do Now:
Take out Pandora’s Box and turn in your questions from last night to the bin on the cart.
Pick up a copy of The Bible as in Literature
Turn and Talk: What is the difference between biological sex and gender?

Hi guys! Happy to see you today, even with this rain we’re getting. Please take a look at the Do
Now that is on the board. Make sure you and your table have enough books for each person to
have their own. They are on the counter. I’ll be coming around to eavesdrop as you discuss the
Do Now question I’ve posed.

After a few minutes of circulating and listening: Okay, my lambs! Let’s come together and
discuss. What did you all talk about?

Listen to student response, and encourage others to respond to what students say rather than
responding myself. This will help encourage students to practice active listening and talking to
each other.

You guys all had some interesting theories. Let’s delve into this a little further.

2. [20 mins.] Gender Philosophical Chairs

We’re going to do an activity called Philosophical Chairs. I’ve written Men on one side of the
room, and Women on the other. I’m going to put a statement up on the board, and you’re going
to move to the side of the room you think best fits the statement I put up. Be careful though, I’m
going to ask you to share your rationale for why you’re standing on the side you’re on! That will
start a small discussion about the statement. Please alternate sides. So, if you’re on the man
side, let the woman side respond to a point raised by someone on your side before adding your
own thoughts. Let’s make sure we’re all listening to what our classmates have to say—I should
only hear one voice at a time.

Put statements on the board and allow students the chance to discuss each one. Do not let
them choose “both” as an option. The directions are to choose the one that fits the statement
“best.”

Perfect! Return to your seats and we’ll chat a little more.

Give students a minute to return to their seats and get settled.

So what did you guys notice about the sides you took in response to the statements on the
board?

Expect responses about how most students were always on the same side. Push for the use of
the word stereotype, and discuss the fact that these stereotypes originated well before present
day, and that they’re specific to gender: gender roles.

Perfect. What sorts of gender roles or stereotypes can you think of?

Remind them about the damsel in distress/innocent archetype if they need prompting. Or about
dumb blondes, stupid boy jocks, etc.

3. [15 mins.] Pandora’s Box Recap

Alright, let’s turn to your reading from last night to explore these gender roles further. Will
someone read their summary for me?

Choose a student volunteer.

Thank you! That about covers it. Okay, now let’s talk about driving forces in this myth.

Choose a student volunteer. Expect answers like: greed, curiosity, revenge.

And now: what is being explained in this myth?

Choose a student volunteer. Expect answers like: the origin of disease, famine, poverty, etc.
Okay, lastly: what archetypes and motifs do you see in this myth?

Be prepared to support students on the difference between themes, symbols and motifs. It was
something they struggled with last lesson.

4. [10 mins.] Pandora and Gender Roles Discussion/Journal

Alright, now let’s return to question #2: what lesson(s) can be learned from this myth? Think
about broad statements, but also think about those gender roles we were talking about earlier.
Where do you see those here and what can we learn from them?

Take 1 minute: turn and talk with your table groups.

Alternatively: have students write down their thoughts if they’re struggling to participate in
discussion.

Excellent. So we see a lot of the gender roles we discussed. Both for the men and the women in
this story. Zeus is a powerful, strong bully, who feels the need to be the biggest, baddest guy
around. Pandora is helpless, innocent, and not incredibly smart or clever.

5. [2 min] Closing

Great discussion today, guys! Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe and dry. No homework, but come
on Monday ready to discuss Genesis!

Materials:

1. Powerpoint

Appendix:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vCxmsVKa2eIxl-
GmCMDa8OiGAmmtiRlkBl8hSNjprDI/edit?usp=sharing