TEACHING 5TH GRADE STUDENTS THE CONCEPT OF MYTH AND ITS FUNCTIONALITY

Abstract

School Ukrainian literature course includes a significant number of texts which belong either to Ukrainian folk mythology or to fiction where mythological elements are used. Therefore there is the necessity for the creation of educative model and the first stage of its application will be to acquaint 5th grade students with the key genre peculiarities of myth and the function which was performed by the initial text in the expression of people’s worldview.
The aim of the paper is to substantiate learning of mythology and its functionality (5th grade), propose methods which further (9th-11th grades) will help students to transit from the understanding of genre and worldview nature of myth to the revelation of the role of mythological elements in the works of national writers.
Methodology. The author applies the following methods: genre analysis of myths, the estimation of methodical literature works, the generalization of actual experience, the modeling of educative system, necessary for studying myths.
Scientific novelty. The author presents the model of literature investigating and literature creative activities of students in the process of Ukrainian mythology studying in the 5th grade with the intention on its further application in high school.
Conclusions. In the 5th grade students of secondary school get acquainted with Ukrainian people’s myths. Knowledge and skills, got by children at this stage, have propaedeutic nature and in following grades they will help students to study works of literature, which include mythological component. Students should learn genre peculiarities of myth as a certain plot-image structure, which is aimed to explain the genesis of the Universe or its elements. In high school acquired knowledge and skills may be transformed into conceptual mythological analysis, necessary for studying numerous works of literature.