Exploring Ancestral Myths about Space

Sample Lessons and Instructional Resources

Shannon began by presenting  astronomical origin stories from Aztec, Mayan, and Chinese cultures; these were selected to both provide opportunities for students to learn about or utilize their knowledge of their own ancestral myths (as was the case for Shannon's students from regions of Mexico with Aztec and Mayan histories) and also explore a myth with which most students were unfamiliar (the Chinese myth of Tiangou).  Students read each myth in one or more languages, watched a video illustration of the story, and worked in small groups to analyze and make meaning of the text.  Throughout, Shannon provided scaffolds - including graphic organizers - to support students' analysis of how each "myth" reflected Indigenous peoples' efforts to make sense of the world around them.  Shannon invited students to use their full linguistic repertoire and examine cultural and linguistic features each story: for example, she scaffolded students in evaluating similarities and differences between Nahuatl and Spanish, provided historical context regarding the use - and silencing - of indigenous languages in Mexico, and required students to research historical and contemporary meanings of key characters.