What I've Been Thinking

This is an amazing criticism of the Common Core ELA Standards. Pretty much what I've been thinking, but in more depth.

EngageNY 6th Grade, Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7

I have to pick up my pace here. So I'm going to skip ahead to lesson 7. I actually had to jump up from the table is disgust after I read this:

The story of Cronus is a classic myth that shows the theme of a mother’s love.

All myths contain significant elements of mythology. In the myth of Cronus, the text says, “This filled his wife Rhea with sorrow and anger. When it came to Zeus, her sixth and last child, Rhea was determined to save this one child at least, to love and cherish.” One significant element of mythology is that the characters are often non-human, but they have human emotions and qualities. Rhea is a non-human Titan, but she has human emotions such as sadness and loneliness. In the Cronus text it also says, “She asked her parents, Uranus and Gaea, for advice and assistance. They told her to wrap a stone in baby-clothes and give it to Cronus. She did, and he swallowed the stone without noticing the deception.” Many myths contain a struggle for power. This struggle can be between members of the same family. This shows a wife tricking her husband in order to save her child. These elements of mythology help define this story as a classic myth. 

So let's give the story credit (and yes, we are still on that same myth of Cronus) that there are some elements of this theme in the story. However, to reduce this complicated myth to this one theme is pretty ignorant. It's really much more about the rivalry of fathers and sons, especially when put in the context of Cronus and his son Zeus.

You really should have scholars and experts in mythology create these things, so you don't have these egregious mistakes that an amateur like myself can tear apart.

The First Day of School

EngageNY 6th Grade, Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 4: Here There Be Pain To The Child's Soul

So what do we have here in Lesson 4? A new myth, perhaps? Interesting content? A discussion of the various mythological creatures and characters sexy, Annabel, and Grover encounter?

No, we are going to now compare the Cronus myth we've been reviewing for the past two lessons with the “Shrouded In Mystery” handout from the last unit.

Because that's what keeps kids engaged, mind-numbing repetition.