Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The phoenix is a mythological bird known for its immortality. No matter how many times it is slain, the phoenix rises time and time again from the ashes. While the phoenix has been associated with multiple cultures’ legends and myths, many scholars believe that its origins are in Ancient Egypt. What do you know about the phoenix and its surrounding mythology? What makes this story so resonant with people that explains its popularity from generation to generation and from culture to culture? 

Teaching Suggestion: Students may have a cursory knowledge about the mythos associated with the phoenix: The bird is associated with the sun; it is most known in the context of Ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology; it is said to be immortal. Discussion of the myth of the phoenix and why it is important may get students thinking about The Importance of Renewal, one of the main themes in the book.

• This 3-minute video from See U in History offers a broad overview of the mythos surrounding the phoenix:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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