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Exploratorium - Agenda for August 12th - 13th , 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:
“I liked myths. They weren't adult stories and they weren't children's stories. They were
better than that. They just were.”
Neil Gaiman
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a
mimicry, their passions a quotation.” Oscar Wilde
Statements to think about and add to:*
A 21st century learner needs to be self-aware.
The origins of an individual identity are complex.
Questions for August:
What is identity? What is myth? What are the
narratives and myths that influence your identity?
What can we learn from Greek mythology about the power of myth in shaping identity?
The Story So Far …
Questions are at the heart of identity. (They are the heart of most thinking) During the
next three weeks you may be on question overload. Big categories of questions often
arise as school begins. Topics like:
When is lunch? Where is the bathroom? and where should I sit? come first. Then
Who are my teachers? Who do I know in my classes? What do people expect of me? etc.
And Now:
We will begin the story of you and your school year that starts today, August 12th. Who
are you NOW? Who will you be when the school year ends?
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE for August:
This is a general overview. More data is coming.
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:
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 3:
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, August 28th.
TASKS: Complete all in class assignments.
DON’T PANIC!
1. Find examples of the stories you need. Use, “Why do we need
stories?”
2. Keep a list of questions and answers from discussions for the week.
DEVELOP A PLAN FOR NOTE-TAKING AND RECORD-KEEPING.
3. Read Perseus. Examine the “Hero’s Journey.”
4. What are some of the “myths” that shape our culture? Your family or
community culture?
5. Who are some of the celebrities we mythologize? List and explain.
6. Keep a list of topics you might want to investigate in week 3.
Remember! This is tentative.