Unit+2+-+Ancient+Streams

Activity 1: Parables

 * Choose a parable - this may be from a polytheistic culture - aboriginal, african, etc. or from a mythic culture - Greek, Mayan, etc or from a non-polytheistic religion - Christianity, Islam, or Judaism
 * Using bitstrips for schools, create a cartoon strip of a minimum of 15 frames outlining the plot of the parable.
 * Include an epilogue to the strip in which you explain the meaning of the parable

Activity 2: Myths

 * Choose one of the following mythic systems.
 * No more than 2 per topic
 * Topic || Students ||
 * Greek || Chanel/Emily ||
 * Roman || Sam/Jenna ||
 * Egyptian || Merissa/Stacey ||
 * Norse || Donovan/Marco ||
 * Celtic ||  ||
 * Mithraism || Kyle M ||
 * German ||  ||
 * Incan ||  ||
 * Mayan || Courtney ||
 * Aztec ||  ||
 * Polynesian || Nadia/Ashley L ||
 * Chinese ||  ||
 * Aboriginal North American ||  ||
 * Other - Egyptian || Ashley M/Mia ||


 * Research that mythic system.
 * Create a family tree of the deities in that system.

Activity 3: Mysticism and the Transformation of the Self
3.1 Complete the [|Myers Briggs]questionnaire 3.1.1 Note down your results (the four letters representing you personality type) 3.1.2 Go to the following site for an interpretation of the results. Answer the following questions about it in your blog:
 * Record you personality type on your blog and create a brief synopsis of the interpretation and post it too.
 * Do your results give you any insight into:
 * your personality
 * the way you learn
 * how you see the world
 * what you believe about the world, about religion
 * How might the type of personality you have influence ou views on religion?

3.2 __**James Fowler's Stages of Faith Development**__ 3.2.1 Research and determine Fowler's stages of Faith Development 3.2.2 Read the [|instructions] and Complete the [|stages worksheet] 3.2.3 Complete [|stages worksheet 2] 3.2.4 Answer the following in a blog post: Given what you know of Fowler's Stages, at what stage do you place yourself. Why? What evidence do you have to confirm this belief?

Activity 5: Summative

 * Part 1: Personal Belief System**

In an expository essay of 5 - 8 paragraphs in length describe your personal belief system. describe where you are, religiously speaking, and how you got there. What place does religion have in your life? What are your religious beliefs and practices? Was religion part of your upbringing? In what way? Have you questioned or gone a different path from that of your early childhood? Why or why not? Even if you have no religious background you can still find something to say about why this is the case, how you feel about it and where you perceive yourself going in the future as regards religion (are you searching for some spiritual direction in your life? Would you, for instance, expect to raise your own children the same way you were raised? Why or why not?).

**In addition to an essay** visit the website: "The Belief System Indicator" (**www.selectsmart.com/religion**) and answer a few simple questions to find out which religions your personal beliefs are most aligned with. At the end of the questionnaire you will find a field where you can enter your e-mail address to send a copy of your results to yourself. **Please do this and then forward this on to the instructor** (or hand it in with your essay). You may use these results to determine the topic of your research paper/project for this class. Tell me a story that symbolically (mythically) represents you or something about your life. The story can be one you make up yourself. It can be a story from religion. It can be a children’s classic (a fairy tale such as //Goldilocks and The Three Bears//, //The Three Little Pigs//, //Red Riding Hood//, etc.). The story can be a fable (e.g., one of Aesop’s fables). It can be a synopsis of a novel or movie (classic or modern) that you somehow identify with personally. The story can be a song or even a dream you had which struck you as symbolic of something in your life. In telling your story, offer an interpretation: relate various elements of the story to your life. Why is the story meaningful to you? What does it reveal to you about yourself? You may either write the story or use bitstripsforschools to create a comic strip of the story.
 * Part 2: What is your own personal myth**