Writing a Myth Phenomenon Syllables PheNomENon 4 Definition
Writing a Myth
Phenomenon Syllables: Phe-Nom-E-Non; 4 Definition: something (such as an interesting fact or event) that can be observed and studied and that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully Examples: • Motion of the planets • Changes in the weather • The behavior of animals Non-Examples: • How cakes are made • My alarm clock going off
Step 1… • Myth is a made-up story that explains the existence of a natural phenomenon — such as where thunder comes from or why snow falls from the sky. • Myths — which often include gods and goddesses and other supernatural characters who have the power to make extraordinary things happen — are popular even when people know the actual reasons for natural phenomena. • Before you start writing your own myths, try reading one that I've found (scholastic. com) You can use it as a model for your own work.
Long ago, when Mother Earth lived by herself, far from her sisters and brothers, the stars, she was lonely. She was so lonely, she decided to make a family for herself. So she fell asleep under a blanket of ice, and when she woke up, she was the mother of a beautiful baby boy. Now, like all little babies, the little boy was at first easy to handle. He slept a lot and ate very little, and Mother Earth carried him about on her back in a sling woven of grass and reeds. When the baby was tired, she sang to him. "Oh little son of mine, little baby, the stars who are your uncles and aunts look down and send sweet dreams. Dreams like sugar cane, like the bees' honey. " And he would fall asleep without a bit of trouble. But as the boy grew older and began to walk and then to run, he would sometimes get into trouble. He would fling things around and splash in puddles. He would take water into his mouth and spit it all over the place. Then he would laugh and laugh, thinking this mischief was very funny. His mother scolded him in all the languages of the earth. She would say "Little son, kleine mann, toto, mi nino, what are you doing? Do not treat your mother this way. " Like all children, for the most part he was sorry, and tried hard to be good. But every once in a while, the mischief in his head got into his hands and feet and mouth, and then he made a mess. Everywhere. Today we know this boy by one of his mother's pet names. Have you figured out yet what it is?
Step 2. . . Brainstorming • Myths are stories that explain a natural phenomenon. • Before humans found scientific explanations for such things as the moon and the sun and rainbows, they tried to understand them by telling stories. These tales — which often include gods and goddesses and other supernatural characters who have the power to make extraordinary things happen — remain popular today. • As you start to think about writing your own myth, try these warm-ups. They should help you begin to plan your story.
1. Pick out the natural phenomenon you want to write about. Make it something that really interests you. If you live in the desert, you might want to think about the way a single rainstorm can cause a flood. If you live in the North, think about the way a snowstorm can cover the ground like an icy blanket. If you live near the ocean, consider the way the tide comes in and out each day. In other words, find something that is familiar that you can observe. 2. Ask yourself, WHAT IF? 1. Hop onto your image and head off into myth land. This is the point from which you need to start brainstorming! Take a picture in your mind of what an aspect of the world would be like if certain events happened. Then use this "what if" to create a story that explains why the natural phenomenon exists. The story can be as fantastic as you want. For example, take the pepper grinder. What if there was a chef to the gods who lived in a beautiful green countryside but became upset one day because no one ever complimented his cooking? While wandering around, he sat under one of those beautiful green trees and wished (always be careful what you wish for in a myth) that he could somehow make the gods take notice. And suddenly in front of him was a special pepper grinder that said, "Use me, and you will be noticed. " And so the chef took the pepper grinder and used it that evening as he was seasoning the gods' stew. But instead of churning out pepper, it ground out sand — more sand than the chef had ever seen! The sand kept pouring out, completely covering the beautiful green countryside. And thus the desert came into existence.
Step 3… • Pretend you have an audience of the king's court before you. • Or that you are in a cave with other cave painters trying to summon the sun or the rain. • Or think of yourself as a griot in an African village who is about to explain to your people how the world began. • Using your brainstorming ideas, write a story that explains a phenomenon in the natural world that you've experienced or witnessed. You can pick almost anything — a snowstorm, an earthquake, or even a rainy day. Be as creative as you can — let your imagination run wild! – Make sure to include your theme. What you want your readers to learn
Step 4… • Revise and Edit – Read through your story and mark errors (spelling, grammar, things that don’t make sense, etc…) • Peer review: – Pass your story to someone else – Read through their story marking things that you notice wrong, that don’t make sense, or that needs work. • Make the corrections. You should rewrite your story to make it look nice and clean!
Step 5… • Create an image • Most people like to visualize the characters; however, we sometimes have artist that create that image for us. • Create a picture of your God or Goddess to go with your story!
Step 6… • Publish – Make your story look as good as it can. – Also, if you would like to actually publish your work for others to read you can go to http: //teacher. scholastic. com/writewit/mff/myths _publish. asp
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