7- Literature

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Questions to consider when researching:

• Many folktales have similar characters and storylines. What does this fact say about cultures?

• Are fairy tales unique to only one culture? What types of stories are found all over the world and what types of changes are made to make the stories fit different cultures?

• Do you think folktales and folksongs spread from culture to culture?

• What methods other than writing and oral story telling are used to pass down myths, folktales, legends, and histories?

• What songs were used to tell stories?

• Does literature of other cultures impact our stories today?

• How have stories impacted cultures throughout time?

• What are the modern methods used to share stories, songs, and poems around the world?

Questions to get you thinking:

• What were the folktales, legends, myths and oral histories of the cultures?

• What influence on the cultures did literature have?

• What did you learn about the culture from the literature?

• Did the literature from your classical culture influence literature of another classical culture?

• How is the literature within a culture similar? Different?

• Did the literature from your classical culture influence the literature from any modern cultures?

Project Procedures

1. Choose two or more cultures to study.

2. Research the types of literature present in each culture.

3. Create a chart about the literature you read.

4. Include what genre of literature you studied and what you learned about the culture.

5. Compare and contrast the literature within a single culture.

6. Compare and contrast literature between cultures.

7. Compare the three cultures, how is their literature similar and/or different?

8. Use your research to make an educated guess as to why the similarities and differences exist.

Examples of Past Student Literature Projects

Gilgamesh vs. Hercules

Hercules vs. Harry Potter

Ancient Greek Characters compared to Characters in Modern

Literature (ex: Greek Gods/Monsters in Percy Jackson series)

Books/Movies based on Greek Myths

Cinderella Stories Across Cultures

Medieval Dragons vs. Chinese Dragons

Little Red Riding Hood vs. Lon Po Po

Egyptian Gods vs. Greek or Roman Gods

Myths Across Cultures (ex: Weather Myths, Underworld Myths, Creation Myths)

Literature Comparison

Graphic organizers help us organize our thinking. Select this link to access a Google Doc version of the chart below. Go to File> Make A Copy to make your own copy of the Doc. Save it to your GATP Google Drive folder. List each work of literature in the far left column to then add information requested for the other three columns.