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Unit Goals: To extend and deepen students' understanding of archetypes and the hero's journey. To
apply cultural context to literary works. To create a concept of our literary legacy. To extend and deepen
students' understanding of the epic genre. To deeply examine texts from other countries and cultures
throughout the globe and throughout history, and compare them to our perspectives in contemporary
America.
Activities and Proven Teaching Methods: small group discussions, visual art adaptation,
annotation of nonfiction and fiction texts, gamification of vocabulary and grammar concepts, Paideia
seminars, integration of visual textual analysis in comparison with traditional texts, graphic organizers,
formal essay, writing process (revision, workshopping, brainstorming, etc)
Assessment/Data Analysis: Students will produce analytical Cornell notes that illustrate their
understanding of theme and their ability to take notes during discussion. Students will produce a
creative project that illustrates their understanding of plot, character, and archetypes. Students will
write an essay analyzing theme, characterization, or literary characteristics within Gilgamesh.
Re-teaching/Enrichment: Students who need additional help with their learning can attend
tutoring (before school and during SmartTime); enrichment opportunities will be offered (additional
reading, assignment extensions) as students need them. Students will be offered their quarter/semester
extra credit project (reading Nancy Springer's trilogy based on Sumerian mythology and the Epic of
Gilgamesh and writing a short essay about it) as an enrichment opportunity.
Lesson One
State Standards:
Objectives:
Objective: Students will review the definition of a preposition and identify prepositions in sentences.
Objective: Students will be able to define the concept of mythology and analyze its social role.
Objective: Students will be able to create a visual representation of their prior knowledge of mythology.
Objective: Students will synthesize their understanding of traditional mythology with "modern
mythology."
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Small Groups: Students will get paper from the crafts shelf. Then, in table groups, students will use prior
knowledge to define mythology. Next, students will decide in their table groups whether myths are more
similar to or different than world religions. They will write their decisions (and rationale) beneath their
definition. Finally, students will brainstorm all the myths they are familiar with and use words and
symbols to illustrate those myths on their posters.
Whole Class: Students will share posters, and we will discuss as a class how we can speak about myths
reflectively and respectfully, and in what context we will be discussing myths (as literature and as part of
our literary and cultural tradition, rather than as religion)
Small Groups: Brainstorm - why do people tell myths? What needs within us, psychologically, do myths
satisfy? What reasons might people have had in the long-distant past for telling these stories? Students
will write on the board their reasons why we tell myths; discuss as class.
Honors: Small Groups: What might constitute a "modern myth"? Who tells them, and why? Discuss as a
class/on Classroom when table groups are done talking. Consider things like: Urban legends
(Slenderman, Bloody Mary), "homeless folklore" (query substantiation), Pizzagate, etc.
L.9-10.6 Use general academic and domain-specific words and phrases across contexts.
RI.9-10.1 Determine which citations demonstrate what the text says explicitly as well as inferentially.
RI.9-10.2 Determine the central idea of the text and select details that relate to it; recount the text
RI.9-10.3 Determine connections between individuals, ideas, or events in a text.
RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text; analyze word choices and
the impact on meaning.
RI.9-10.5 Locate sentences that support an author’s central idea or claim.
RI.9-10.6 Determine author’s point of view and compare with own point of view.
RI.9-10.8 Analyze the argument or specific claims in a text and determine what evidence is provided to
support them.
RI.9-10.9 Make connections between texts with related themes and concepts.
RI.9-10.10 Actively engage in reading of information text for sustained periods of time for the purpose of
connecting prior knowledge and experiences to text.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will be able to recall and use unit vocabulary with 80% accuracy.
Objective: Students will be able to summarize Carl Jung's impact on modern psychology and on literary
analysis with 80% accuracy.
Objective: Students will analyze an article for main idea and assess which evidence will effectively support
their argument.
Objective: Students will be able to synthesize concepts explained in multiple sources to present an
informed argument.
Objective: Students will be able to clearly express their conclusions using evidence in response to
questions, as well as formulate their own questions based on research.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Whole Class: Who was Carl Jung? Briefly describe Carl Jung, his work, and his influence in literary,
artistic, and psychological fields.
Individual: Read and annotate articles/watch video to prepare for seminar; complete T-Chart.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will be able to explain their arguments using evidence from texts 75% of the time.
Objective: Students will be able to comment on and extend their peers' arguments using evidence from the
text at least twice during the seminar.
Objective: Students will be able to reflect on their performance and set goals for future seminars.
Objective: Students will be able to discover and apply an additional source to develop understanding.
Objective: Students will be able to synthesize and draw conclusions from multiple information sources.
Objective: Students will be able to analyze a video text and draw conclusions about the creator's purpose
and the practical applications of the video.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Students will work in groups of six to eight; I will divide them into groups. Students who have not
completed their T-Charts will complete them while peers participate in seminar; to make up half
of their participation points, they may, after the seminar, request a peer’s T-Chart and write half a
page comparing and contrasting their thoughts with a peer’s.
When in groups, students will decide who will facilitate and who will record participation. The
participation recorder will fill out the recording sheet. These are extra credit roles.
Once the participation recorder has recorder all group members, the facilitator will begin the
discussion by reading the first question aloud. Students will discuss their thoughts on the first
question; the facilitator will ask follow-up questions and keep the discussion on track. Students
will continue and discuss all the questions; if they are running low on time, I will appoint a
time-keeper to make sure all questions are addressed. When students finish discussing the
T-Chart questions, they will discuss the questions they came up with themselves, and (Honors)
explain what additional facts they learned from their individual sources, and what thoughts those
facts had inspired.
Finally, students will reflect on their seminar performance; this will either be the last thing before
leaving class, or homework, depending on how long students need to discuss.
Homework: Read the story of Percival and the Fisher King. Then, read the "Story Archaeology" article on some
sources for this story. When you have finished, watch the YouTube video that does an archetypal analysis of the
story. Write half a page (single-spaced, otherwise MLA format). Consider: why is this story particularly apt for
archetypal analysis? What sort of insights does the analyst draw? What purpose does the analyst have for analysis
- why is she doing it?
Lesson Four
State Standards:
Objectives:
Objective: Students will be able to respond to and analyze multiple texts in writing and speaking.
Objective: Students will be able to produce 75% of the Hero's Journey without aid.
Objective: Students will apply knowledge gained this week to trace the evolution of ideas from Jung to
Campbell and evaluate the legitimacy of these works.
Objective: Students will be able to apply understanding of archetypes to create a list of examples that
demonstrates archetypal features.
Objective: Students will apply understanding of one version of a story to another retelling.
Objective: Students will be able to apply the Hero's Journey and archetypes to a text with 75% accuracy.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Small Groups: Discuss your thoughts on Percival and the Fisher King. Be prepared to report out!
Whole Class: Review Joseph Campbell and the Monomyth (one man's journey to find himself). Students
should attempt to recreate as much of the Hero's Journey as they can remember on the board; I will also
hand out fresh Hero's Journey circles.
Small Groups: How does Jungian archetypal analysis align with the concept of the Hero's Journey?
(effectively, Campbell took Jung's idea and ran with it) How does your understanding of Jung and his
work affect your perception of Campbell and the Hero's Journey?
Small Groups: Archetypes handout and worksheet. Students will review a list of different kinds of
archetypes and come up with examples from their experience for each category of archetype.
Homework: Read Gerald Morris's retelling of the Fisher King story. How does this story align with the story you
read? What elements of the story seem most important to Morris? What parts of the Hero's Journey does he
emphasize the most? What would constitute the "Descent to the Underworld" in Percival and the Fisher King?
What archetypes do you see in this story?
Lesson Five
State Standards:
RL.9-10.1 Determine which citations demonstrate what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
RL.9-10.6 Determine a point of view or cultural experience in a work of literature from outside the United
States and compare it with own point of view or experience.
L.9-10.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of standard English within 9-12 conventions
continuum when writing.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will determine how the cultural experience presented in each of three myths intersects
with their knowledge of the term katabasis.
Objective: Students will use citations from the text to support their claims about the text's meaning.
Objective: Students will draw inferences from the text as they apply the Hero's Journey to the text.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Whole Class: Discuss the concept of katabasis, or the descent to the underworld. What point on the
Hero's Journey does katabasis align with?
Small Groups: Watch three journeys to the underworld (Odysseus, Orpheus and Euridice, Izanami and
Izanagi. Discuss in small groups. Report out. (The Odyssey: Why does Odysseus descend into the
Underworld? What is his brush with death? How, according to the video, is this representative of
Odysseus’s internal conflict?)(Orpheus and Euridice: Why does Orpheus descend into the Underworld?
What is his brush with death? What’s the climax of the story? How does this story map to the three
thresholds of the Hero’s Journey?) (Izanami and Izanagi: What is Izanagi’s brush with death? What’s the
climax of the story? What similarities do you see between the stories of Izanami & Izanagi and Orpheus &
Euridice? Does this story remind you of any other myths? Why do you think there are similarities between
stories from across the globe?)
Whole Class: What purpose does katabasis serve in the narrative arc? (internal conflict leads to character
transformation and prompts the rise in action to the climax of the story - your character must change so
that they can confront their biggest challenges)
Homework: At the beginning of The Inferno, Dante is trapped in a Dark Wood. This wood represents a time in
his life when he feels lost in his own life's journey, unable to find the way to the person he wants to be, constantly
beset by temptations and his own failings. His desire to escape this dark wood is what prompts the extreme choice
of descending to the Underworld, his katabasis. Find a piece of art that represents a time in your life when you felt
lost. Explain, in at least ten sentences, how this piece of art represents that time in your life.
Lesson Six
State Standards:
RI.9-10.1 Determine which citations demonstrate what the text says explicitly as well as inferentially.
RI.9-10.2 Determine the central idea of the text and select details that relate to it; recount the text.
RI.9-10.5 Locate sentences that support an author’s central idea or claim.
RI.9-10.6 Determine author’s point of view and compare with own point of view.
RI.9-10.8 Analyze the argument or specific claims in a text and determine what evidence is provided to
support them.
W.9-10.2 Write to share information supported by details.
SL.9-10.1 Communicate with others in group interactions.
SL.9-10.4 Communicate findings including relevant descriptions, facts or details with an organization that
supports purpose, audience, and task.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will synthesize social, psychological, and analytical information about mythology from
previous classes and make predictions about how the physical world also influences mythology.
Objective: Students will determine the central idea of a text in groups and explain how citations support
that central idea.
Objective: Students will analyze the claims in the text and determine how and to what extent they are
supported.
Objective: Students will write a summary of the text to present to a group and communicate their findings
about the text to that group.
Objective: Students will extend their reading of the texts by using the information they have gained to
identify other myths that may have origins in our physical world.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Whole Class: One point that came up when we were talking about archetypes is how they make a story
that, on the face of it, doesn't make sense, make sense. A story out of our time becomes relatable to us,
once we recognize the patterns within it. When we look at the patterns of mythology, we can see threads
binding together stories from around the world - and also threads linking the natural and the
supernatural. We've also talked about where myths come from, in a psychological sense. But what about
in terms of physical fact? Think of some myths. What things in the physical world might those myths
explain? (discuss, brainstorm, write on the board what ideas students come up with)
Small Groups: Create jigsaw groups (separate students from tables into separate groups; students will
return to their own tables and teach each other about the article they read). Okay, in your new groups,
read the article you are assigned aloud. When you have finished, decide what information is most
important, and create a set of points you want to communicate to your home groups. Then, return to your
home groups. Each member should share what they have learned with the rest of the members of the
group.
Whole Class: After learning about each of the articles your group members brought back to you, what
kinds of discoveries have taking myths seriously led us to scientifically? What further discoveries do you
think we might make? What myths do you think might be good starting places for investigation?
Homework: Find one myth that you think might have underpinnings in the physical world, and explain why you
think it might. For extra awesome, see if you can find any research to support your theories!
Lesson Seven
State Standards:
W.9-10.5 Conduct research projects to answer questions posed by self and others using multiple sources
of information.
W.9-10.6 Write answers to research questions by selecting relevant information from multiple resources.
W.9-10.2 Write to share information supported by details.
SL.9-10.1 Communicate with others in group interactions.
SL.9-10.4 Communicate findings including relevant descriptions, facts or details with an organization that
supports purpose, audience, and task.
SL.9-10.5 Use digital media in presentations to support understanding.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will familiarize themselves with the main Sumerian gods and goddesses to build prior
knowledge for the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Objective: Students will read and analyze myths to build an understanding of the character and probable
actions of Sumerian gods and goddesses.
Objective: Students will read and analyze myths and other resources to build an understanding of the
cultural context of Sumerian religious practice.
Objective: Students will research and present information clearly and with detailed evidence about their
god or goddess both physically and digitally.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Small Groups: Each group will be assigned a Sumerian god or goddess (of the main seven). Their task will
be to create a poster for this deity that:
a) contains a visual representation of the deity, including any symbols they are normally
portrayed with
Extension: If students are especially advanced, they should also record a video in which they retell
one of these myths in detail.
State Standards:
RL.9-10.6 Determine a point of view or cultural experience in a work of literature from outside the United
States and compare it with own point of view or experience.
RL.9-10.9 Identify when an author draws upon or references a different text.
RL.9-10.10 Actively engage in reading for the purpose of connecting prior knowledge and experiences to
text for sustained periods of time.
W.9-10.2 (A-E) Write to share information supported by details.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will present to their peers about their god or goddess to build prior knowledge for
reading the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Objective: Students will understand the historical concept of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Objective: Students will differentiate between translations and retellings.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast the prologue of the Mason retelling of the Epic of
Gilgamesh to the translation of the first tablet, evaluating what information is retained and discarded, and
why.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Individuals/Small Groups: Present posters to the class. Each element of the poster will need explained;
this will be worth a presentation grade. Students viewing presentations will take notes on the Sumerian
pantheon to refer to when reading the Epic of Gilgamesh; I will collect and grade these notes at the end of
the presentations to ensure that students have adequate resources for the upcoming reading, and to
incentivize students to listen actively to their peers’ presentations.
Lesson Nine
State Standards:
Objectives:
Objective: Students will understand how to use Cornell notes to analyze their reading.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast a translation of the First Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh
with the prologue of Mason's retelling.
Objective: Students will analyze the function of retelling through selecting and interpreting quotes from
the texts.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Whole Class: Introduction to the Epic of Gilgamesh and the text we are reading, plus methodology: In this
unit, we're going to be considering themes, and how those themes are revealed to us in the text. As you
read, you'll be collecting quotes from the text that support specific themes, and analyzing how those
quotes represent the theme and how the quote fits within the evolution of that theme. You'll be using
Cornell notes to do this.
Small Groups: Prologue vs. First Tablet Activity. What do we gain from the translation that we lose in the
retelling? What does the retelling do that the translation does not? What can we understand the focus of
the tablets to be, based on the first tablet? What can we understand the focus of Mason’s narrative to be,
based on the prologue?
Whole Class: Introduce creative projects to enhance understanding of archetypes and characterization.
Students will have six options for creative projects to choose from, including tarot cards, a twitter story,
scoring and performing a musical piece, writing a myth, choreographing and performing a dance, or
scripting, costuming, and performing a scene. Students should choose their project before we begin
reading, and, as we read, develop a plan for how they will complete their creative projects.
State Standards:
Objectives:
Objective: Students will compare their own experience ("My Dark Wood" assignment) with Gilgamesh's
state at the beginning of the epic.
Objective: Students will choose citations that illustrate themes and interpret those citations.
Objective: Students will summarize readings, and synthesize their interpretations of the text with the plot.
Objective: Students will analyze how characters are presented, how they change, and why they change.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast Part One of the Epic of Gilgamesh with folk heroes, tall
tales, and fairy tales.
Objective: Students will discuss their findings with classmates and practice taking notes on discussion.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Whole Class: Gilgamesh begins this epic lost. When we look at him initially, we see a man who is hurting
the people around him - he goes out in the streets to duel the young men, he works his people
capriciously, he takes advantage of his power with regard to women. We also see, in his dreams and his
meeting with Enkidu, a man who has been desperately looking for someone he can be close to - a
relationship that will sustain him. His loneliness has been poisoning his life, and because he is king, it is
poisoning the lives of all his citizens.
Individual/Small Groups: Students may read on their own or in their table groups. They may read silently
or aloud. As they read, they should note down quotes that reflect the themes of love, friendship, human
limits, ambition, death, what makes us human, and law and justice. They should read all of Part I (p.
15-24) and pick out at least three quotes (two for academic) per ten pages of text read to analyze. When
they have finished, they should summarize Part I.
Small Groups: Decide what is most important in what you just read - what your takeaways are, what
things stood out to you, what trends your group has noticed so far. Be prepared to share with the class!
Whole Class: Groups report out. Students should take notes on what their peers are saying, using their
Cornell notes.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will choose citations that illustrate themes and interpret those citations.
Objective: Students will summarize readings, and synthesize their interpretations of the text with the plot.
Objective: Students will analyze how characters are presented, how they change, and why they change.
Objective: Students will discuss their findings with classmates and practice taking notes on discussion.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast Part Two of the Epic of Gilgamesh with folk heroes, tall
tales, and fairy tales.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Individual/Small Groups: Students may read on their own or in their table groups. They may read silently
or aloud. As they read, they should note down quotes that reflect the themes of love, friendship, human
limits, ambition, death, what makes us human, and law and justice. They should read all of Part II (p.
27-50) and pick out at least three quotes (two for academic) per ten pages of text read to analyze. When
they have finished, they should summarize Part II.
Small Groups: Decide what is most important in what you just read - what your takeaways are, what
things stood out to you, what trends your group has noticed so far. Be prepared to share with the class!
Whole Class: Groups report out. Students should take notes, using their Cornell notes.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will choose citations that illustrate themes and interpret those citations.
Objective: Students will summarize readings, and synthesize their interpretations of the text with the plot.
Objective: Students will analyze how characters are presented, how they change, and why they change.
Objective: Students will discuss their findings with classmates and practice taking notes on discussion.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast Part Two of the Epic of Gilgamesh with folk heroes, tall
tales, and fairy tales.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Individual/Small Groups: Students may read on their own or in their table groups. They may read silently
or aloud. As they read, they should note down quotes that reflect the themes of love, friendship, human
limits, ambition, death, what makes us human, and law and justice. They should read all of Part III (p.
53-87) and pick out at least three quotes (two for academic) per ten pages of text read to analyze. When
they have finished, they should summarize Part III.
Small Groups: Decide what is most important in what you just read - what your takeaways are, what
things stood out to you, what trends your group has noticed so far. Be prepared to share with the class!
Whole Class: Groups report out. Students should take notes, using their Cornell notes.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will choose citations that illustrate themes and interpret those citations.
Objective: Students will summarize readings, and synthesize their interpretations of the text with the plot.
Objective: Students will analyze how characters are presented, how they change, and why they change.
Objective: Students will discuss their findings with classmates and practice taking notes on discussion.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast Part Two of the Epic of Gilgamesh with folk heroes, tall
tales, and fairy tales.
Objective: Students will apply their understanding of the text and of archetypes to develop a creative
project illustrating the intersection between Jungian archetypes and the text.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Individual/Small Groups: Students may read on their own or in their table groups. They may read silently
or aloud. As they read, they should note down quotes that reflect the themes of love, friendship, human
limits, ambition, death, what makes us human, and law and justice. They should read all of Part III (p.
53-87) and pick out at least three quotes (two for academic) per ten pages of text read to analyze. When
they have finished, they should summarize Part IV.
Small Groups: Decide what is most important in what you just read - what your takeaways are, what
things stood out to you, what trends your group has noticed so far. Be prepared to share with the class!
Whole Class: Groups report out. Students should take notes on what their peers are saying, using their
Cornell notes.
Note: Part IV is quite short, so if students are done early, they can get started on their creative projects.
Objectives:
Objective: Students will apply their knowledge of Gilgamesh as a text by analyzing theme, qualities of an
epic, and characterization in a well-organized essay.
Objective: Students will use evidence from the text to support clear, well-thought-out arguments.
Objective: Students will draft an essay that includes an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a
conclusion.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Prompt: The Epic of Gilgamesh is strongly concerned with the question of what it is that makes us
human, and what we need to be human. Define what it means to be human, according to the Epic
of Gilgamesh, and analyze the evolution of this theme in the text.
Prompt: From our modern perspective, Gilgamesh displays many characteristics we would not
consider heroic. However, despite his flaws, he is a hero. Analyze how Gilgamesh embodies the
role of an epic hero.
Prompt: According to the Epic of Gilgamesh, what defines friendship, and what is the role of
friendship in our lives?
Prompt: Gilgamesh changes dramatically between the beginning and the end of the epic. Analyze
this change. Make sure to indicate what symbol is used to represent this change.
Prompt: Two prominent themes in the Epic of Gilgamesh are those of ambition, and its opposite,
human limitation. How does the epic characterize ambition and those who are ambitious?
Prompt: During the second part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh suffers a heavy loss. Much of
the third part of the epic describes his efforts to cope with that loss. Describe how the themes of
death, loss, and acceptance are developed within the third part of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Prompt: What does the epic have to say about the relationship between loneliness and human
nature?
Objectives:
Objective: Students will apply revisions/feedback to a rough draft as part of the writing process.
Objective: Students will refine and develop thesis sentences, topic sentences, and the use of evidence.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Individual: Revise/complete essay based on feedback (targeted to thesis sentences, topic sentences, and
evidence) provided by teacher; conference with teacher.
Individual: When revisions are complete, any remaining time may be used for work on creative project.
Remind students that if they will need to meet to work on their project during Study Hall (group projects),
they need to let me know so I can put them on the tracker!
Objectives:
Objective: Students will work in groups to develop their ideas and apply suggestions regarding clarity, the
flow of ideas, and the strength of arguments to their essays.
Objective: Students will practice and apply revision skills by revising each other's essays.
Agenda:
Individual: Freewrite
Small Groups: Workshop essay for clarity, idea flow, strength of argument; peer revise for grammar,
spelling, format. Complete and submit final draft. Turn in printed copy on Monday.
Individual: Any time remaining may be used for wrapping up the creative project.