Chinese & Japanese Mythology

Essential Question:

How do belief systems in mythology reflect a particular culture or society, and how are they reflected and represented in a society’s literature and art? What are the common motifs present in various mythologies?

Portrait of a Graduate:

Global Citizenship: Analyzing pantheons and interpreting myths fosters an understanding of ancient cultural values, promoting a global perspective.

Critical Thinking: Interpreting stories and their cultural significance involves analyzing complex ideas and drawing informed conclusions.

Critical Thinking: Comparing heroes across cultures encourages detailed analysis and insight into cultural values and ideals.

Communication: Discussing the values and ideals embodied by heroes helps articulate complex ideas effectively.

Learner’s Mindset: Exploring themes of morality and justice reflects an openness to understanding diverse perspectives and lifelong learning.

Collaboration: Evaluating themes through group discussions leverages diverse viewpoints to refine understanding.

Inquiry Question:

How do the Chinese and Japanese pantheons reflect the beliefs and values of their ancient cultures or societies, and how do myths about them communicate those beliefs and values?

2. Inquiry Question:

How do heroes in Chinese and Japanese mythology reflect the specific cultures that celebrated them, and what values and ideals do they embody?

3. Inquiry Question:

How do themes of morality, justice, and human nature in Chinese and Japanese myths reflect the beliefs and values of their respective ancient cultures?

Student Outcomes:

Students will analyze and explain how the Chinese and Japanese pantheons reflect the beliefs and values of their ancient cultures and societies.

2. Student Outcomes:

Students will compare and contrast heroes in Chinese and Japanese mythology, identifying how they reflect the specific cultures that celebrated them, along with their values and ideals.

3. Student Outcomes:

Students will explore themes of morality, justice, and human nature in Chinese and Japanese myths, and they will evaluate how these themes reflect the beliefs and values of the respective ancient cultures.

Skills Demonstrated:

Critical Thinking: Analyzing myths to understand cultural values and beliefs. Comparing and contrasting different mythological heroes.
Research Skills: Conducting research on mythology and cultural contexts. Synthesizing information from various sources.
Communication: Discussing and presenting your findings clearly. Writing informative and explanatory texts.
Collaboration: Participating in group discussions and projects. Sharing insights and working together to deepen understanding.
Cultural Awareness: Gaining insights into Chinese and Japanese cultures. Understanding the global context of myths and stories.

Standards:

RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development.
RL.11-12.3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas.
W.11-12.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem.
SL.9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically.

Additional Skills:

Resources:

Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan/

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec/

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint /

Athena’s Child by Hannah Lyn/

A Spartan’s Sorrow by Hannah Lynn /

Daughter of Sparta by Claire Andrews

[Our Hidden Google Drive Resource link]

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