Student Name:
Parent Signature:
Exploratorium - Agenda for September 8th – 11th, 2015
Big Question: How do gifted learners develop the critical and creative thinking skills
required to successfully navigate the 21st century?
Words to Think About:
“If you understand the difference between ‘the world’ and ‘my world,’ you understand
the difference between logos and mythos. ‘The world’ is objective, logical, universal,
factual, scientific. ‘My world’ is subjective. It’s emotional. It’s perceptions, thoughts,
feelings dreams. It is the belief system we carry. It’s the myth that we live in.
‘The world’ tells how the world functions, how the sun rises, how we are born. ‘My world’
tells us why the sun rises, why we were born. Every culture comes up with its own
understanding of life, its own customized version of mythology.” Devdutt Pattanik
TED Talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/devdutt_pattanaik?language=en
Statements to think about and add to: *
A 21st century learner needs to be aware of the “myths that mystify.” Questioning
accepted beliefs, heroes, and narratives leads to a nuanced understanding of your
identity and a window into the identity of the other.”*
A 21st century learner needs to be self-aware.
The origins of an individual identity are complex.
Understanding and questioning your assumptions about truth, myth, heroism, and
story allows you a better understanding of the multiple perspectives existing in the
world of the 21st century. *
Question for the week:
How do we apply our knowledge and questions to connect our work to the wider world of thinking?
The Story So Far …
As we leave the world of story and myth and continue our “hero’s journey” into the 21st
century, we need to learn to synthesize and connect the activities, readings, discussions
and questions.
How do Greek myths, gods, and heroes connect to the works of Joseph Campbell and
Carl Jung? How do the stories we tell and are told enter our interpretations of culture?
Why does this matter? 7th and 8th graders can connect these questions to the big ideas of
the last two years in Exploratorium. We can all connect these musings to the world of the
future.
And Now:
Connect the dots, reflect and speak.
Questions for August and
September:
Week 1:
Story - We are shaped by the stories we tell and the stories we hear. Since recorded history and
probably since the beginning of man, story has been a defining characteristic of being a human.
Generate questions about the story of you.
Why do we need story?
Who tells the story of you?
How does media impact the message? What are some 21st century media that are both gifts and
curses in your story?
Week 2 and 3:
Myth: - By studying the myths of a culture, you can learn how people in that culture thought, lived
and expressed themselves.
Generate questions about both Greek myths and personal myths.
What is a myth?
How are stories and myths different?
What is a hero? What is “the hero’s journey?”
Week 4: This work will be completed the week of September 1 st – 4th
Individual Endeavor: Story, Myth and Identity - Go deeper. Find something you want to know
more about. Ask a question. Present your answer in class on Friday, September 4 th.** pending
TASKS:
1.
2.
3.
Vlog #1 – Create a two minute video-log in response to one of the statements
marked*.
Be sure your portfolio is complete.
Share your Genius Hour question.