Course Outline: rdarragh.weebly.com Mythology: Darragh email- rdarragh@northbranfordschools.

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Welcome to Mythology 2013!

Course Requirements/ Expectations From now until January, you will be engaged in a very rigorous and rewarding study of mythology. If you make the commitment today to invest your time and energy into Mythology class you will have fun and benefit greatly from this course. Course Outline This course will explore and respond to text relating to the themes of world mythology and literature, focusing on Greek and Roman drama, history, and mythology. You will demonstrate an understanding of the rich and historical traditions of mythology by reading, viewing, discussing and producing texts which apply the standards of English to oral and written presentations. Introduction to Myths: Characteristics Oral tradition, handed down from generation to generation Contain human characters/gods, symbols of positive/ negative human traits Some myths based on real people, historical events/ deeds; larger than life in retelling Special types of myths Creation myths; in the beginning: the world, mankind, gods, seen through Greek, Norse, Hebrew eyes Greek Gods and Goddesses: realms, symbols and adventures Earliest heroes Stories of love and adventure Epic-hero, quests and adventures In Greek Myth ( Iliad, Odyssey)-Hercules, Perseus,Theseus, Jason, Atalanta In the Bible- Daniel, David, Ruth, Esther, Job, Joshua Great families of mythology Greek Drama Selected plays by Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Aristophanes Oedipus the King History of Greek Drama Elements of classical tragedy, comedy

Other Greek writers Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle Miscellaneous Writers (see Literature from Greek and Roman Antiquity) Possible related readings, learning activities or resources The Road Cormac McCarthy Till We Have Faces C. S. Lewis Whale Rider DVD The Lightning Thief DVD / screenplay, other mythologically related videos, etc. The epic of Gilgamesh Producing and Applying the Standards of English Here is a sampling of some of the performance tasks you will be expected to master and present to your classmates Write a publishable creation myth Write a publishable epic/ hero's adventure or quest Write a publishable essay about a personal hero Write a publishable essay comparing and contrasting Odysseus with other epic heroes Write a publishable essay discussing tragedy and comedy and dramatic conventions in Greek and Roman drama Write a publishable account of one of Odysseus' "missing" adventures Prepare mult-media presentations/comparative analyses of myths from various cultures Required texts / materials : Multiple mythology texts and selections from world cultures and mythologies Edith Hamilton, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes parts of The Odyssey, The Iliad various readings from other Greek plays, drama; for example, Antigone, Agamemnon, Oedipus the King excerpts from The Aeneid excerpts/ various readings from the Bible, Greek and Roman History Internet research/presentations pertaining to mythology topics Materials Needed for class: three-ring binder with ample supply of loose-leaf for writing

dividers/ tabs for different topics and storage room for handouts FLASH/ external drive blue and or black pens must be brought every day; I am not a pen supplier! assignment pad Grading Policy:

Grades are calculated each marking period based on categories: CATEGORY 1: Participation, Classwork, and Homework = 25% of your grade CATEGORY 2: Formative and Summative Assessments = 75% of your grade Point Values for each assignment will fall in the following ranges: Homework, classwork, participation 5-15 points each Formative assessments, quizzes 20-50 points each Tests, formal essays, major projects 60-100 points each

Each assignment that students complete in this class is valuable- late work will be docked a substantial amount of credit, or may not be given any points at all. GET ALL WORK IN ON TIME TO AVOID PENALTIES! Makeup Work Policy: Since class meets every other day, students should report to me as soon as they return from an absence, even if class does not meet that day. Homework/Class work: Homework can only be made up in the event of a legitimate absence and must be handed in by the start of the next class period. Failure to do so will result in a serious penalty or loss of points. Quizzes/Tests: If a student misses a quiz or test, he or she is expected to take the quiz or test immediately upon their return. If they are present for the announcement of a quiz or test, but absent the class before, they are still required to take the quiz or test with the rest of the class. Formal Essays: If a student is absent on the day an assignment is due, or is having computer or printer problems, he or she should email the paper to me by 7a.m. of the day it is due. A hard copy of the assignment should be brought to class upon your return. E-mailing the assignment only locks in the assignment, so please dont ask me to print out your work! Make sure that when you come to class you have printed out whatever printed work is due- dont waste your time or my time asking permission to print! Tests/ Formal Papers/ Projects Formal assessments may take the form of projects, tests, common assessments, formal essays. Usually formal assessments are given to assess learning over a period of time,

during a particular unit , or to measure growth. All of these assessments should be approached with great care and pride. Failure to complete any of these assignments in a timely manner will seriously impact your grade and overall performance.

Quizzes Quizzes may be given frequently, and may take any of the following forms: Collected homework pop quiz, based on class discussions, homework, etc. formal quiz with advance notice Homework/ Classwork/ Participation and Behavior Homework and classwork are essential for your success. It is very important that you make your best effort to participate positively in this process and complete all in-class assignments and work outside of class in a timely and dedicated manner. Be an active and enthusiastic learner at all times, and you will be successful. Being unprepared and unwilling to participate rarely produces positive results. Be prepared to read, write and present to your classmates every day. We will regularly use the computer labs; responsible and mature behavior is expected; plagiarism in or out of school and vandalism in the lab will not be tolerated. Remember our school moral code for all of your behaviors and interactions. Respect and proper behavior should be the rule. Go Full CIRCLE!

Attendance/ Tardy Policy (Please reference in the Student Handbook) 6 allowable absences (half-year course). More than ten minutes tardy to school/class result in a class cut; 3 cuts in the same class will result in a loss of credit. Two unexcused tardies (10 minutes or less) to class shall constitute one absence).

Your attendance and prompt ness to class are required. Failure to attend class and be on time will negatively impact your grade! Keep trips to the nurse, lavatory and interruptions to a minimum. If you plan on being exempt from your FINAL please take note of ALL of the above. Students with an average of 90% are exempt from the Final.

I have read the aforementioned course requirements for Mythology. I agree to fulfill all course requirements to the best of my ability. In addition, I will dedicate myself to being the best Mythology student I can be. Your name (print)______________________________________ Signed: ______________________________________________ Date_____________________________________ Parents (print) name_____________________________ Signed: ____________________________________date_________________