The following curriculum is a six week, (4 days/week) English-Language Arts unit. It adheres to the California State Board of Education Standards for both 3 rd
and 4 th
grade students, though it is mostly geared toward the 3 rd
grade level. To view the standards for both grade levels online, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ .
The curriculum is to be used hand in hand with the text entitled World Myths for
Children , by Jeff Herring, and the audio drama series of the same title, by the same author.
Each week is formatted in a similar manner with the following schedule in mind:
Day 1 – Critical Listening, Reading & Spelling
Day 2 – Grammar, Writing, & Vocabulary
Day 3 – Spelling, Grammar, & Writing
Day 4 – Vocabulary & Fun!
The format of each week is similar, to facilitate structure for the student and yourself, but also has been created with a bit of variety, as to maintain the student’s interest (and your interest as well).
There are two sets of worksheet packets, with one being the student workbook and the other, the teacher key. The teacher key also contains ideas for weekly cross curricular connection and ideas for using the audio dramas. As the endeavor is one to keep cost down, the cross-curricular links are all to sites on the web which provide free information/ curriculum. You will find these ideas in the Letter to the Educator pages that begin each week of curriculum in the Teacher Key.
This curriculum was created as my Liberal Studies 2007 capstone project at California
State University Monterey Bay, and was created to make available quality multicultural
English-language arts curriculum for home school educators.
I hope that it is an easy-to-use tool for you, and that your students benefit from what the curriculum has to offer.
Sincerely,
Jeff Herring

Walo, the Goddess of the Sun
This week’s lesson begins our trek through 6 different myths from around the world.
Walo, the Goddess of the Sun is the first and is an Australian myth explaining the reason for the sun crossing the sky, and explaining drought. First off, here are some possible cross-curriculum links for Geography and Science:
Australia:
Australian Government - http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/
Australian Animals - http://library.thinkquest.org/28994/animals.html
Aboriginal Culture Park - http://www.tjapukai.com.au/
Aboriginal Culture Gallery - http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/aacg/index.htm
National Geographic - http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_australia.html
The Great Barrier Reef - http://www2.eis.net.au/~nqtds/infocomm/1overv1.html
The Solar System:
Kids Astronomy - http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
NASA Kids - http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm
NASA Planets - http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=SolarSys&Display=Kids
Weather:
Web Weather for Kids - http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/
Weather Wiz Kids - http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
Scholastic Kids - http://www.scholastic.com/kids/weather/
Listening and Speaking: Audio Drama Component
Each week you will have the ability to integrate a companion audio drama to each of the stories in World Myths for Children . These dramas can be used alone or in conjunction with the reading to help your students grow their critical listening skills. At the end of each drama, one of the characters from the story will ask open-ended questions that can be used as a means to facilitate dialogue/discussion from your student(s).
1.
Myths are sometimes a way for people to explain the world around them. What do think this story explained about the world to ancient Australians?

Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom
This week’s myth is an African tale called Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom and deals with the concepts of humanity’s gathering of knowledge and human interdependence. Here are the cross-curricular links to Geography, History, & Social Skills
Africa:
Interactive Map - http://www.africaguide.com/afmap.htm
PBS Documentary - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/
PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org/africa/
Academic Kids - http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Africa
History:
History for Kids: Africa - http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/africa/
Social Skills:
Zoom - http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/cooperationdots.html
Cyberchase - http://pbskids.org/shareastory/stories/75/1.html
Kids Health - http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/school_age_games.html
Listening and Speaking: Audio Drama Component
This week’s story shows the impact that greed can have on an individual, but also explains why different people have different skills and abilities. The discussion questions will facilitate dialogue alone those lines.
1.
Who was the greedy character in the story and which characters were not greedy?
2.
What was in the Pot of Wisdom? (Teacher: What are some skill and abilities that you have?)

The Birds of Odin
The Norse myth this week is entitled The Birds of Odin , and the cross-curricular links this week deal with Science – Birds and Thunder, Geography - Scandinavia, and Leaning –
Cognitive Function.
Scandinavia:
Scandinavia Files - http://www.pinetreedevelopment.net/scandinavia/countries.php
Map of Scandinavia - http://www.scandinavia-pictures.com/scandinavia-map.htm
Academic Kids - http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Scandinavia
Science:
Cornell - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Common_Raven.html
PBS - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ravens/index.html
FEMA - http://www.fema.gov/kids/thwhat.htm
UCAR - http://www.ucar.edu/communications/infopack/lightning/kids.html
Learning:
Kids Health - http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/brain_SW.html
Ready Kids - http://www.ready.gov/kids/step3/quiz.html
Puzzles - http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/works.html
Listening and Speaking: Audio Drama Component
The story of The Birds of Odin speaks to a variety of concepts about why the world works, and who is watching over natural processes. Hugin and Munin are translated
“thought’ and “reason” and are sent out by the king of the gods daily to watch over and spy out what is going on in the world. The discussion questions lend to this line of thinking.
1.
What is Hugin and Munin’s job in today’s story?
2.
What kind of creatures and people lived in the mythical world you learned about today?

The Birth of Athena
This ancient Greek myth deals with gender relations, medicine, and the idea of teaching/being a student. It is also a great empowerment story for girls, when viewed in the light that Athena was born a warrior, a traditionally male role. The cross-curriculum connections for this week are Science – Medicine, Geography & Social Studies – Greece, and Physical Education
Greece:
History for Kids - http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/
BBC Schools - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ancientgreece/main_menu.shtml
Social Studies for Kids - http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/ancientgreece.htm
Kids Connect - http://www.kidskonnect.com/content/view/254/27
Science:
Cyber Sleuth - http://cybersleuthkids.com/sleuth/History/Ancient_Civilizations/Greece/Greek_Medicine/index.htm
Kids Health - http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/
Kids Health - http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/headache.html
P.E.:
Mr. Donn - http://greece.mrdonn.org/olympics.html
Family Education - http://fun.familyeducation.com/olympic-games/outdooractivities/32826.html
Education World - http://www.education-world.com/pe_health/pe.shtml
Listening and Speaking: Audio Drama Component
The Birth of Athena explores a variety of themes regarding gender rivalry/relationships, the foundations of medical treatment, and the role of ability in the social arena. Today’s discussion questions will help lead the student into dialogue about these topics.
1.
Why do you think that Zeus was so afraid of Metis and the baby that was on the way?
2.
How did Zeus deal with this problem? How would you have dealt with the situation differently than Zeus?

Humbaba the Ogre
Humbaba the Ogre is part of the ancient Mesopotamian myth, The Epic of Gilgamesh . It deals with the role of the hero, friendship, and creation of civilization/empire. The crosscurricular tie-in for today’s story is in the venues of History/Geography and Social
Studies.
Mesopotamia:
Online Learning Haven - http://www.learninghaven.com/mesopotamia.htm
Internet School Library - http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/mesopotamia.htm
Mr. Donn - http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/sumer.html
History 101 - http://www.historylink101.com/ancient_mesopotamia.htm
History for Kids - http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/literature/gilgamesh.htm
Listening and Speaking: Audio Drama Component
Humbaba the Ogre is a great story to begin conversation about the role of friendship, socially acceptable behavior (simple manners), and how the individual is linked to the larger society.
1.
What did Enkidu think of Gilgamesh? (Teacher: Do you have someone who is as good a friend to you as Enkidu and Gilgamesh were to each other?)
2.
Why did Enkidu and Gilgamesh get into the fight with Humbaba? Have you ever acted like Humbaba? Why?

The White Buffalo Calf Woman
Today’s story is a retelling of the Lakota myth of how Native Americans received the gift of civilization. It deals with the concepts of community and cooperation, as well as respect and spirituality. The cross-curricular links for The White Buffalo Calf Woman are in the venues of History/Geography and Science – North American Wildlife
North America and Lakota:
Geocities - http://www.geocities.com/bigorrin/sioux_kids.htm
Lansing Public Library - http://www.lansing.lib.il.us/Web/HomeworkHelp/IndianTribes.htm
Crystal Links - http://www.crystalinks.com/sioux.html
Science:
Smithsonian - http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/ForKids/default.cfm
Fonz - http://www.fonz.org/fun.htm
Enchanted Learning - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/northamer.shtml
Kratt’s Creatures - http://pbskids.org/krattscreatures/login.shtml
?
Listening and Speaking: Audio Drama Component
This final story, The White Buffalo Calf Woman , closes the unit study on a myth that deals with the beginnings of an agricultural society, and the creation of social regulations.
This myth responds to the question of why the Lakota people follow the rules that they do, why they hold the religious beliefs that they do, and why they interact with the natural world in the manner that they do. The discussion questions reflect the essence of the story, and ask the students to reflect on their own beliefs and interaction with the natural world.
1.
Why do the Lakota people find the white buffalo calf to be a sacred animal?
2.
Who has been a teacher to you, like the White Buffalo Calf Woman was to the Lakota people? What did they teach you?

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