CLASS 12

Are We really halfway done????

MIDTERM Wait until everyone has a midterm

before you turn your paper over. You have a half hour. When you are done, you can leave but please come back at 1 PM for the rest of the class.

FINAL GROUP PRESENTATION Each group will introduce a superhero (one

of the standards or any favorite characters from games, films or books; you may not use a real-life hero, though, only a fictional one) according to his/her and his/her cohorts’ mythological characteristics. Your group will give a 20-25 minute presentation during one of the classes assigned (see schedule). All group members should participate in the planning, preparation, development of materials and actual presentation equally. You will receive a group grade.

PRESENTATION CONTINUEDWhen you present the superhero, you can choose to divide

his/her characteristics and/or cohorts in a number of ways:  Themes Rank’s hero’s journey Campbell’s hero’s journey Tricksters Similarities to Arthurian legend Bierlin’s meanings Folktale motifs Pyschological interpretations Historical/anthropological meanings Propp’s morphology Symbols Characteristics of urban Legends Accuracy of film to comic strip/written text (if any such

exist)

PRESENTATION CONTINUEDYou do not have to choose all of these and

some of you may want to break up certain sections, such as Campbell’s hero’s Journey. I am not very fussy about whom you pick but be ready with several choices for your group. I really think repeats would make it duller for us. You can include any of the standards, such as Batman, Wonder Woman, or the Fantastic Four, or you can choose non-standard heroes such as Harry Potter or the Terminator. You could even choose The Little Mermaid if you so desired. Just make sure that everyone in your group has access to information about /her/him/them.

PRESENTATION SET UPYour first task is to get into groups and choose the superhero you

want to present. I would suggest 4 to 6 people per group but no more than 6.

 You will then have several classes to get ready for presentations.

You do not have to do a lot of work outside of the class to prepare since we have a lot of prep time.

Some possibilities for presentations: (Don’t stop here! The possibilities are endless.)

 • A group game such as Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune• A Talk Show Format, such as Jerry Springer or Oprah Winfrey• A panel lecture.• A slide show or a Power Point presentation• A role play or dramatic presentation• A puppet show• A video taped news show, talk show or documentary A visual representation such as drawings, posters, or cartoons.

LAST BUT NOT LEASTRemember that the presentation will be

worth 25 points, so it is worth it to put some time and thought into it. I’m also hoping you will have some fun with it.

  If you choose to show a bit of a

video you may, but you can only show five minutes of it maximum since we are limited for time.

 

FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENTDue the last day of class. The major assignment is for you to write a 3 to 5 page

essay about an aspect of myth and folklore as it pertains to a book or film we have not studied in the class.You will analyze a film or a book, using any or all of the methods we have gone over in class. You may also use any of the myths or legends we have not discussed from the book, including a comparison of the creation myths, the flood myths, the hero’s journeys. Remember—you are not simply summarizing the book or movie; you are tracing the hero’s journeys, analyzing tricksters, finding folktale elements, explaining mythic themes or explanations of existence, describing common folktale elements, and/or explaining symbolism.

HOMEWORKPrint up the final project and

presentation papers under Assignments on the website.

Read Rosenberg: pp. 609-613 Quetzalcoatlpp. 616-620 The Emergencepp. 622-624 Lodgeboy and Thrown-

awaypp. 635-636 Raven and the Sources of

Lightpp. 638-641 Sedna pp. 644-652 Caught By A Hair String

FINAL ESSAY CONTINUED*** Important: make it clear what

you are analyzing by giving the specific element and explaining how the part of the story you are describing fulfills the element. Don’t say merely that Dorothy is in the belly of the whale when she is trapped in the house in the tornado but also explain why the experience represents the belly of the whale.

FINAL ESSAY CONTINUED

Some film possibilities (including but not limited to):

 Pirates of the CaribbeanWall-EWizard of OzGravityThe Dark Knight

Twilight

FINAL ESSAY CONTINUEDSome book possibilities (including but not

limited to): 

The Hunger GamesThe HobbitThe Once and Future KingPersepolisGame of ThronesHarry Potter

FINAL ESSAY CONTINUEDGames, cartoon series, or TV series:

You tell me