Ms. MarootianRoom # 134
E-mail: jmarootian@pascack.k12.nj.us
Office Hours: 7:30am-8:00am, 3:00pm-3:30pm
Course Title: Comparative Global Mythology
Course Rationale:
Comparative global mythology is the literary and scholarly investigation of story,
structure and meaning in myths from a myriad of cultures in an attempt to identify shared
themes, motifs, literary structures, writing and story-telling techniques.
Through reading, writing, literary analysis, oral and written presentations, research and
completion of academic projects, students will investigate the literary strands that unite
various myths across time and place. Readings in comparative global mythology will
highlight myth as a primary literary phenomenon and will examine commonalities of
myths such as the flood myth, founding myths, and the structure of the hero myth,
utilizing various literary lenses and fictional and non-fictional reading strategies. Special
attention will be paid to the effect of myth narratives on classical and contemporary
literature. The works cover a wide variety of literary genres including drama, epic poetry,
poetry, oral tales, the anecdote, the essay and film.
Course Description
In this course, students will explore and develop a knowledge base for the
repeated patterns that exist in the mythology of various world cultures. They will
make connections between these systems by developing an understanding of
archetypes, which will then lead to a direct focus on world myths. An anthology of
world mythology will offer a broad, comparative perspective on mythological
themes, while the reading of some texts in their entirety will help us appreciate
myths in their historical, literary and aesthetic contexts. The class will engage
with basic mythological themes such as cosmogony, the flood, the hero/heroine
and the trickster, the afterlife, and the apocalypse by focusing on the concept of
deity in different traditions ranging from Greek and Roman mythology, to
Babylonian and Egyptian myths, as well as Indian, African, Middle Eastern, and
Native Northern American. Students will analyze the stories and trace parallel
elements to show that human beings are remarkably alike in their principal
values and concerns. This course illustrates the influence of these myths on the
art, literature and culture of the modern world. Students will also continue to
develop their writing skills and their use of the writing process.
3 Essential Course Questions:
This class will work to answer the following essential questions:
1.How are archetypal patterns reflected across world cultures?
2. How does mythology reflect cultural beliefs?
3.How have archetypes in myths transcended time and remained constant in
human existence?
ASSESSMENTS:
The summative assessments designed for this class include but are not limited to:
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Archetypal Analysis
Exams
Original Analytical Essays
Original Creation Myth (College Essay)
Original Monomyth
Literature Circle Book Talk
Presentations
Journals
Daily classroom activities
Socratic Seminar Discussions
Final Project/Presentation
Units of Study:
Unite One: Introduction to Myth
Unit Two: Myths of Creation
Unit Three: The Hero’s Journey
Unit Four: Monsters and Tricksters
Unit Five: Female as Creator and Destroyer
Unit Six: Healing and Sickness
Unit Seven: Death and the Afterlife
Readings for the year include, but are not limited to:
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Student selected independent reading pieces
Fiction and non-fiction readings
Blog/Opinion Pieces
Persuasive pieces
Poetry and short story selections
Differentiated Methods of Instruction:
These are just a sampling of what you can expect in my classroom over the course
of the year
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Formal/informal PPT lecture with discussion
Large and small group discussion
Socratic Seminar discussions and debates
Journaling and writing assignments
Analysis of literature and art pieces
1:1 student conferences over writing assignments
Everyday use of technology to enhance discussion
Vocabulary and grammar enrichment
Skills Learned:
1. Students will examine written text on a series of different levels. Here are some
questions to consider:
 What is the historical context and background to the novel?
 What is the author’s purpose?
 What are some of the literary devices or tools that the author uses to create
an interesting and enduring work of literature?
 What can we learn about the human condition through our readings?
2. Students will begin to understand all of the steps involved in writing an
intellectual paper analyzing a work of literature:
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Close reading and analysis methods (including Sign Post strategies)
Planning-outlining paragraphs
Drafting and editing
Adding direct quotes from the work to support thesis statements
Adding a works cited page and crediting primary and secondary sources
Completing a final product that is well organized, thoughtful and uses
correct grammatical, spelling and punctuation conventions.
 Students will also become familiar with new vocabulary and its correct
spelling and usage.
 Students will work on organizational skills and independence in learning
through the upkeep of an English binder and online folders.
Guidelines for Success
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Arrive on time with what you need to succeed.
Open your mind to new learning.
Everyone has the right to learn.
Understanding takes work and time.
Classroom Expectations
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Be respectful of people, things, and ideas.
Listen attentively; contribute appropriately.
Be kind…no put-downs.
Stay on task.
Be prepared for class.
Essential Materials:
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Mac Laptop & Case
Laptop Charger
Blue or black pen
#2 Pencils
Highlighters
 An English binder with college ruled paper to keep tangible
handouts organized
Grading Policy:
The course is run on a “total points” grading system. Each quarter there
is total number of points to be earned. All grades will be made available
in a timely fashion. Allow 2-3 days for quizzes and tests and up to 1
week for essays. Gradebook will be open all year for you and your
parents to access.
Main values listed below:
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Homework and “DoNow” =5-10 points
Quizzes (announced or unannounced) = 10-30 points
Written Essays and Tests= 50 points
Long Term Research/Writing Projects = 100 points
Participation Grade = 30 points/quarter
Independent Reading Assignments= 50 points/quarter
Additional point values (TBA as they get assigned)
Example: The more points you earn, the higher your grade will be. If
you earn 573 points out of 650 possible points, then you will receive:
573/650= 88% (B+)
Students will be assigned a letter grade each marking period. Letter grades are
assigned as follows:
A+
A
100- 9798
93
A-
B+
B
9290
8987
8683
B8280
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F
7977
7673
7270
6967
6663
6260
59>
Signature of Acknowledgement: ___________________________________________________