Title of the resource
Title of the resource in english
Publisher
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
According to the publisher, "the webpage for the Curricular Resources of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute allows users to search for thousands of curriculum units in STEM and the humanities. These units were written by Institute Fellows in local seminars in New Haven led by Yale University faculty members between 1978, the year the Institute was founded, and 2019. These units are readily adaptable for use throughout pre-college grades.
Users can browse and search for these units using keywords, our topical index, and our listings of units by year and by volume. The topical index might be especially useful to audiences of your project interested in curriculum units about mythology, Ancient Greece, and other subjects related to Antiquity.
URL: https://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/
For similar content, see also the Yale National Initiative
URL: https://teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/search/start"
Links accessed on 17 June, 2020
Original language
Target and Age Group
Middle School, 11 - 15 year olds
Link to resource
https://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1983/2/83.02.04.x.html
Accessed on 17 June, 2020
Author of the Entry:
Ayelet Peer, Bar- Ilan University, ayelet.peer@biu.ac.il
Peer-reviewer of the Entry:
Lisa Maurice, Bar-Ilan University, lisa.maurice@biu.ac.il
Second Peer-reviewer of the Entry:
Susan Deacy, University of Roehampton, s.deacy@roehampton.ac.uk
Michael Conte, Jr.
Michael Conte, Jr. is part of a group of seventy-nine teachers from New Haven, who organised seminars on topics related to curriculum developments between March and August 1983, including one on The seminar entitled “Greek and Roman Mythology”, led by William G. Thalmann, Associate Professor of Classics from USC.
Contents & Purpose
This unit offers an introduction to Greek and Roman mythology, with the hope that the students will later continue exploring this subject on their own.
The students learn of the ancient myths via modern retelling. The purpose is also to strengthen the students’ language skills, by asking them to search words in a dictionary and give them writing assignments.
The unit offers three lesson plan samples, bibliography for teachers and students, filmstrips (from the Audio-Visual Department of Jackie Robinson Middle School) and suggested field trips to the Yale Art Gallery
The myths discussed in the unit refer to the following themes: creation of the world, Titanomachy, Olympian gods, Heroes (Heracles’ labours), Nature myths (Persephone), Gods’ relations with each other (Apple of discord), Gods’ punishment of humankind (treatment of Odysseus, Actaeon, Heracles’ suffering), Love (Pygmalion, Cupid and Psyche).
Further comments
The unit focuses on using the myths as an entertaining escapism for students, allowing them to explore far and mysterious worlds. As the creator explains, “through myths, we can help children escape reality for a short time, leave New Haven, and live through adventures with the heroes.”
The unit also aims to show the students how myths has influenced art and literature in the contemporary world. Reception (even if not identified as such), is a vital part of this (and the other) units in this volume. The reception aspect of the different units in this volume help to connect the modern students with the ancient texts and give them a sense of the continuing importance and influence of the Greek mythology.
