Creative English Teacher — Heroes and Monsters

Every year when I reach “Theseus and the Minotaur” in my Greek mythology heroes unit, I can almost predict the reaction: “Oh, imagine that. Another hero fighting another monster.” Fair enough—after three weeks of one hero after another, even a classic myth can feel cliché. That’s why I started asking myself: How can I make this story feel fresh again? The answer led me down two different creative pathways—each a unique take on how students experience story structure and point of view.

When I first started teaching Mythology, I had the wacky idea of asking students to design a Barbie doll based on a female character from Greek mythology. Something about it seemed funny–contrasting the sugary sweetness of Barbie with the dark, unsettling world of myth

A couple of years ago  I compiled a series of articles about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence for my students to read and analyze. This discussion tied in perfectly with our discussion of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Fast forward to present day, as A.I. has continued to grow by leaps and bounds, ethical questions about its use and regulation have only grown. Then I happened upon Lil’ Grok. Lil’ Grok Grok is the chatbot for xAI, Elon Musk’s Artificial Intelligence company. A user recently asked Grok to write a webcomic about its hopes, dreams, and aspirations and then fed these comic...

While many folktales have been adapted over the centuries, none has a richer (and varied) list of adaptations than "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." This post explores the classic folktale "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," its many adaptations (including a Reader's Theater script-story version), Paul Dukas's classical masterpiece based upon it, and Walt Disney's innovative masterpiece Fantasia (1940)—along with strategies for teaching these various adaptations in a classroom setting. You will see that "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is perfect for a lesson integrating literature, folklore, poetry, music, and art.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde plumbs the depths of human nature to offer up a compelling argument about the nature of good and evil. A classic of British Literature and an early example of science fiction, the novel serves as a warning of the darkness lurking inside each and every one of us should we choose to let it loose. So here are five reasons to teach Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.