Whether spectators or active participants, students are regularly affected by the world of sports. For many of them, athletic competition is the most energized part of their high school experience. The intensity that sports engender is one of their primary attractions, and teachers can build on this emotional focus to engage students and, more…

The Jolly Green Giant. Robin Hood. The Bamberg Cathedral. Tales of King Arthur. Ecology. What do they have in common? What legends and ancient myths are shrouded in the tales of the Green Man? Most often perceived as an ancient Celtic symbol as the god of spring and summer, the Green Man disappears and returns year after year, century after…

For tens of thousands of years, teachers have used stories to promote learning. Today's teachers can do the same. In particular, we can employ Joseph Campbell's "monomyth"--with its stages of separation, initiation, and return--as a model for structuring learning experiences. Within the monomyth, one tempting role for teachers is the sage, but we…

This collection presents techniques for tapping a broad range of literary sources to inspire young writers. Drawing upon poetry, folk tales, story jokes, and more, Literary Ideas walks students in grades 3-8 through the process of creating new stories and developing them as scripts for choral readings, readers theatre, and classroom plays. The…

It is argued that seven beliefs about college teaching prevalent among academic people--e.g., it is impossible to teach people to teach and undergraduate students are generally stupid and unmotivated--are all myths. (Author/RM)

Myths that have grown up and persisted about Canada's involvement in World War II are examined. It is a mythodology heavy in self-congratulation, contemptous of politicians, suspicious of outsiders, and uncertain about the possibilities for Canadian independence in a complicated world. (RM)

The vague and virtually meaningless term "tone deaf" should be avoided because it encourages students to be incorrectly labeled as hopeless. If a student is oblivious to blatantly faulty intonation, and if his or her playing fails to improve after diligent practicing, a teacher should consider the possibility of diplacusis. (RM)

Describes the treatment by several novelists and ethnographers of the rainwitch myth of southwest native culture, which concerns a woman who has magical powers to bring about rainfall. Discusses the influence of classical mythology on its development in modern times. (DM)

One of the most publicly celebrated figures in mathematics teaching during the last century was Jaime Escalante (dramatized in the film "Stand and Deliver"). The Escalante story aptly fulfills three prevailing myths about effective teachers: the Teacher is self-made, the Teacher is the expert, and everything depends on the Teacher. These…

Americans must look beyond the superficial allure of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative; they must search out the facts. Five pernicious myths on which this ill-considered proposal is founded are discussed. (RM)

This article describes a literature-based unit on mythology taught to 85 gifted middle school students. It identifies project objectives, gives examples of the grouping of myths according to broad themes, and provides more detail about one of the themes, assessment activities, and long-term effects of the project. (Contains six references.) (DB)

Myths and tales from around the world about constellations and facts about stars in the constellations are presented. Most of the stories are from Greek and Roman mythology; however, a few Chinese, Japanese, Polynesian, Arabian, Jewish, and American Indian tales are also included. Following an introduction, myths are presented for the following 32…

The first volume of a projected series entitled "Traditional Literature and Folklore in Library and Storytelling Programs," this annotated bibliography was produced by graduate students in the Traditional Literature and Oral Narration class at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The bibliography is designed to provide librarians and…

The following are some techniques for adding depth to a survey course in mythology: (1) allow students to generate their own list of important mythological characters on which they are to be tested; (2) use films; (3) compare and contrast characters of different mythology systems using discussions, written assignments, and comparison grids; (4)…

Research shows that elderly persons have innate capacities for musical development and that those capacities are maintained with age. Successful, quality musical experiences can be created to meet the broad interests of the elderly. (RM)