Pandoras Box Lesson Plan on National Gallery of Art

Pandora's Box Re-Modeled

Subjects

• Language Arts
• Literature

Grades

• 6-12
  

Brief Description

Students read "Pandora'south Box," then create modern-twenty-four hours versions of Pandora'southward box of evil and hope.

Objectives

Students will

• learn about different kinds of myths.
• study the myth of "Pandora'southward Box."
• piece of work in small-scale groups to begin modern-mean solar day symbols of evil and hope.
• create modern-day versions of Pandora's box.
• rate the efforts of their peers.

Keywords

nature myth, creation myth, myth, Hellenic republic, Zeus. creation story, scapegoat, Pandora, good, evil

Materials Needed

• paper-thin boxes (ane for each group of 4-5 students)
• markers, paints
• objects (students will provide)
  

Lesson Plan

Brainstorm the lesson by introducing students to creation myths -- stories that explain the origins of things. Ask students to provide examples of cosmos stories. (The Bible and other religious sources might be referenced.) Discuss with students the distinction between religious stories and mythology.

For additional background information, you might introduce to students to some basic fabric at the following Web sites:

-- The Genesis Projection: Creation Myths
-- Creation Myths from Around the Globe
-- Mything Links: Common Themes in Cosmos Myths
-- Egyptian Creation Myths

Compare cosmos myths with other mythologies. Explain, for example, that nature myths are stories that explicate natural phenomena, such as how the dominicus came to shine, why the comport sleeps all wintertime, and what caused the get-go hurricane.

Tell students that the myth they will read today explains the origin of evil. You might first the give-and-take by request students to share whatsoever stories that explain the origins of evil they accept heard. If nobody mentions it, you might bring up the story of Adam and Eve. According to the Bible, everyone who lived in Eden was innocent and immortal; Eden had an abundance of nutrient. All that changed when Eve ate the apple tree and introduced evil into the world.

Ask students to make connections between Eve and other characters in literature. (My students brought upwards Mrs. Hutchison in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." They said she was a scapegoat for that community's problems.)

So introduce the story of Pandora's Box. Yous probably will find a version of the story in a literature album, or you can make copies of the story from a library volume.

If you tin locate information technology, I highly recommend a version of the story written for very young children. Information technology can be establish in the book Greek Myths for Young Children past Marcia Williams. Other sources, which can exist establish online, include A Brief Retelling of Pandora'south Box and Episode 113 of the PBS Kids show "Between the Lions."

Pandora'south Box is a story about how evil came to exist in the world; in this Greek myth, evil came out of a box. The box did comprise one skillful thing, however -- Promise. As the Brief Retelling tells it, "So now, when there is problem and sadness among us humans, we accept Hope to brand us experience that tomorrow volition be amend."

Afterwards sharing the story, discuss with students some of the parallels between Pandora's Box and the story of Eve eating the apple tree. Then inquire such questions as:

• Is there a moral to the story? ("Marvel killed the cat?")
• Where is the story set? (Greece)
• Who is the protagonist? (Prometheus)
• What was Prometheus like? (a giant, played trick on Zeus)
• What did he do? (created people)
• Who are other characters in the story? (Zeus, Pandora, Epimetheus)
• What are those characters like? (Note: Characters in the story differ from version to version. Many versions include Zeus, who is very powerful and gets mad easily; Pandora, who is a beautiful, nagging adult female, the beginning woman e'er; and Epimetheus, who is afraid of Zeus.)
• What'due south in the box? (evil and hatred, simply as well hope)
• Why does Zeus give Pandora the box? (to get back at Prometheus for stealing fire from the sun)
• Why would the author of this story brand the opener of the box a woman?

At this point, you might innovate a discussion of how myths often blame the ills of the globe on women.

The Culminating Activity
Arrange students into groups of 4 or five. Provide each grouping with a cardboard box and explain to students that they are to create mod-twenty-four hours versions of Pandora'southward Box. Subsequently decorating the outside of the box to look like a treasure breast, students will brainstorm the contents of the box; they must put inside the box 5 or more objects that represent evil, and two or three things that represent promise. For case, students might cutting out news headlines most terrorism, anthrax, and crimes to correspond evil. Ane of my students put in a spotter to represent evil, saying that we are all spring by time thanks to Pandora. For promise, students accept included a cross, a Bible, a picture show of a doctor, and then on. Permit your students go with their imaginations and run into what results! (The activity might crave bringing in objects from home.) And so have each group share its box with the class. Groups should retell the story of Pandora before presenting their boxes, and each student in the group should explain his or her addition to the box.

Assessment

Students write a paragraph in which they explicate which grouping'due south presentation is best and why they think so. Enquire: What did that group do to make their presentation the best? Was your pick based on the preparation they did? the power and depth of their thinking? the creativity shown in the creation of their box? something else?

Submitted By

Anita Wadhwa, Lee Loftier School in Houston, Texas

01/17/2012

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