A Journey Through Stories: Mythology and Folklore

Feedback cat meme created by Laura Gibbs. Original image from cheezburger . Web source .  This week I am learning more about the process of giving helpful feedback. Last week I focused on why receiving feedback and making mistakes is important in the creative process, and now I am exploring the other side of that. Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback  emphasizes the idea that good feedback requires focusing on the future instead of mistakes that have happened in the past. It explains that when people are receiving feedback they need to hear about not only what they were successful with, but what they can improve on moving forward. The key idea to me is focusing on the future. If I, or someone else, made a mistake, it does not do any good to just point that mistake out. Giving input for things that can be done differently going forward is actually more helpful when giving feedback. Wait, I mean feedforward. Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth...

"T he Wizard of Oz" by L á   Studio, blue Rain. Web source: Creative Commons.   So it was really difficult to decide on which story topic to research for my project, but I think I have decided to go with the World of Oz. When I started thinking about the storybook that I wanted to create, I became really inspired thinking about the backstories of the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow. We think that we know where their story begins when they accompany Dorothy on her journey to Oz, but what if they knew each other long before that? My story idea is to explore these three characters sharing a dorm room in their freshman year of college. I'm thinking that the different stories will take turns being told from character's points of view, and each character will have at least one story that adds to who they become in Baum's telling of the Wizard of Oz. For now, my three story ideas are as follows: The Cowardly Lion Before the word cowardly ...

Girl in a Wood painting by  Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky. Web source: Wikimedia Commons.  There once was a girl named Luna. She came from a very poor family, but she longed for the finer things in life. One day, Luna's mother instructed her to travel through the woods and into the city to sell some of the family's possessions for money. She handed Luna a small burlap sack with their only few things that had value: an heirloom locket, an antique tea kettle, and a few items with silver that could be melted down. Luna felt sad and somewhat ashamed that her and her mother's lives could fit into a tiny burlap sack. The girl set off on her journey through the woods. She didn't like to travel alone, but Luna knew that she had to do this for her family. After about an hour of walking, Luna began to grow very tired. Not paying attention, she got her foot caught on a tree root and fell. As she went down, her sack flew out of her hands and off a small cliff. Luna began to...

Mercury Greek God by Uva79. Web source: Wikimedia Commons.  Here are some notes on my favorite story of Part B. Yesterday I tried to cover too many stories, so today I am just focusing on one that really stuck out to me and that I will want to retell. Page 14- Mercury and the Woodman Story overview - A Woodsman is working in the woods. The poor man has been working all day and his axe accidentally slipped out of his hand. The man is completely devastated because he needs his axe to work. Mercury (the god) appears and tries to retrieve the man's axe. First he brings gold axe, then a silver axe. The man tells Mercury that neither of those are his axe. He just had a regular axe. Mercury finds the man's real axe and returns it to him. To reward the man for his honesty, Mercury gives all of the axes to the man. When other people hear about this story, they try to scam Mercury into giving them a golden axe, but instead Mercury just hits them in the head. Retelli...

Here are my notes from the Part A reading for week 3. The Wolf and the Lamb State 1 by Wenceslaus Hollar. Web source: Wikimedia Commons.  Page 1 The Wolf and the Kid - The Kid believes that it is grown and able to take care of itself. - Once the Kid is alone, the Wolf comes up to him. The knows that he is doomed and asks the Wolf if he can play a song before eating the Kid. -Shepherd dogs heard the song, and chases the Wolf away. - The Kid is safe, and the Wolf regrets not eating it right away. The Tortoise and the Ducks - A tortoise wishes that he could fly and is lifted into the sky by two duck by holding onto a string with his mouth. When he opens his mouth to say something unnecessary to the birds, he falls and is killed. - Just because you wish to fly, does not mean that it will bring you prosperity. Page 2 The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox - The dog and the cock were good friends, and left the farm to go on an adventure. The cock forgot where he was a...