Since the beginning of time, people have gathered around fires to tell stories of angry gods, harrowing journeys, cunning animals, horrible beasts, and the mighty heroes who vanquished them. Mythology and folklore have provided a way for these colorful stories to spring to life for thousands of years and helped humans make sense of the world. Explore how these compelling tales continue to shape society even today.
Prerequisites: None
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Examine the relationship between ancient mythology and modern storytelling
- Describe the definition of myths and describe their role in human culture
- Distinguish the different types of myths
- Compare folklore, legends, and folktales
- Identify the defining characteristics of fairy tales
- Define a warrior as exemplified by the mythical Greek Amazons
- Explain how real-world aboriginal warrior women mirror the mythical Amazons
- Describe the history of Boudica, the Celtic Warrior Queen, as well as the Celtic goddesses
- Describe warrior women and goddesses as well as Freydis Eiriksdotter, a real-world Viking
warrior woman, and compare the status of women in Norse and Celtic societies
- Compare warrior women across the Asian continent
- Distinguish the different types of hero tales found in every culture
- Explain the shared characteristics that define a hero
- Identify the seven archetypes common to the hero monomyth
- Trace the stages of a hero’s journey
- Describe the cultural and historical importance of heroes and heroines
- Analyze the importance of animals in mythology
- Explain the varied roles animals play in legends and mythology
- Identify creation stories where animals play an important role
- Describe the symbolic nature of animals as portrayed in myths and legends
- Trace transformation myths from around the globe and identify modern myths and legends involving animals
- Explain the communal importance of myths and legends
- Identify how myths and legends are used to explain the social world
- Examine how myths are the basis of cultural activities in a society
- Describe how myths provide meaning to everyday life
- Identify the use of myths and legends to establish guidelines for living
- Explain the role of religion for one of the oldest civilizations: Mesopotamia
- Evaluate the myths of the Aztecs and their religious practices, including human sacrifice
- Describe the universe as explained in Norse mythology
- Explain the connection of the myths of the Egyptians with their funerary practices
- Outline the Greek pantheon and creation myths
- Identify the purpose of comparative mythology
- Describe structural similarities across myths
- Interpret common symbols found in many myths
- Discuss the possible link between common mythological events like flooding
- Compare “lost cities” from different cultures
- Explain the purposes of urban legends in today’s society
- Identify the superstitions that are still around today
- Describe what cryptids are and their role in myths and legends
- Determine why some geographic locations have deadly reputations
- Identify the areas of the world that have legends associated with them
Course Outline:
Unit 1: Introduction to Mythology and Folklore
Unit 2: Goddesses and Warriors
Unit 3: The Heroic Monomyth in Mythology and Folklore
Unit 4: The Role of Animals
Unit 5: The Social Significance
Unit 6: Myths of the World
Unit 7: Comparative Mythology
Unit 8: Modern Myths and Legends
Resources Included: Online lesson instruction and activities, opportunities to engage with a certified, online instructor and classmates, when appropriate, and online assessments to measure student performance of course objectives and readiness for subsequent academic pursuits.
Additional Costs: None
Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. A final score out of total points earned will be submitted to your school mentor for conversion to their own letter grading system.
Time Commitment: Semester sessions are 18-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1 or more hours per day in the course to be successful. Summer sessions are 10 weeks long: Students must be able to spend a minimum of 2 or more hours per day, or about 90 hours during the summer, for the student to be successful in any course. Trimester sessions are 12-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1.5 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.
Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact the Customer Care Center by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Academic Support Available: In addition to access to a highly qualified, Michigan certified teacher, students have access to academic videos and outside resources verified by Michigan Virtual. For technical issues within the course, students can contact the Michigan Virtual Customer Care by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.
Technical Skills Needed: Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to:
- Download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
- Download and install software
- Use a messaging service similar to email
- Communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
- Open attachments shared in messages
- Create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
- Edit file share settings in cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- Save a file as a .pdf
- Copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
- Insert images or links into a file or html editor
- Search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
- Work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
- Activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
- Use presentation and graphics programs
- Follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
- Use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
- Create and maintain usernames and passwords
Additional Information: None