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Mythology to Science Fiction Calandar
Expect a reading quiz every class.
Bring your charged Chromebook and text with you to every class.
Week 1
August 8: Course introduction.
August 10:
In class:
Warm-Up #1: What's your favorite children's book from when you were little? Explain why?
Watch in class: Crash Course World Mythology Preview and Crash Course: What is Mythology (Episode 1)
Answer: What is mythology as you understand it? Why is it so difficult to study? Submit to Turnitin.com
Begin mythological allusions in art and archticture.
Week 2
August 14:
Due: Read: What is Mythology
What's your story? 500 words (+/-) Tell me about yourself (background, interests, successes, failures, aspirations, etc.). Submit to Turnitin.com by 8:00 a.m.
Warm-Up #2: What are some of the myths that have guided your actions and beliefs?
In class: Continue mythological allusions in art and architecture.
Introduction to Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief
Some key themes in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief are:
- Hidden qualities: The book explores the idea that people may have hidden qualities that they are not aware of, and that these qualities can be important in unexpected ways.
- Loyalty and friendship: The importance of loyalty and friendship is a recurring theme in the book. The main characters rely on each other and their relationships are tested throughout the story.
- Cleverness: The book emphasizes the importance of being clever and resourceful, especially when facing challenges.
- Acceptance of identity: One of the main themes of the book is the acceptance of one's identity. Percy struggles to come to terms with his identity as a demigod and learns to accept himself for who he is.
- Family: The book explores the theme of family, both biological and chosen. The main characters have complex relationships with their families and must navigate these relationships throughout the story.
- Mythology: The book incorporates Greek mythology and explores the theme of mythology and its relevance in modern times.
- Good vs. evil: The book explores the theme of good vs. evil, with the main characters fighting against the forces of evil and trying to do what is right.
August 16:
Read: Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief chapters 1-3.
In class:
Warm-Up #3: Do you enjoy going to school? Why or why not? Explain with examples.
August 18:
Read: Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief chapters 4-6.
Read The Hero's Journey. Be prepared for a quiz on the stages of the Hero's Journey.
In class: Warm-Up #4: What's your plan next year? College (where are you applying? major?)? Gap year (to do what?)? Military (which branch?)? Work (where? doing what?)? Trade school (which field?)? Something else? Explain.
Week 3
August 22:
Read Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Chapters 7-9
Mythology Scavenger Hunt Search online.
August 24:
Read Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Chapters 10-12.
In class:
THE MONOMYTH (THE HERO'S JOURNEY): THE HERO'S JOURNEY
Warm-Up #5: What constitutes greatness? Do you believe we all have the spark of greatness within us? Explain with examples.
Week 4
August 28:
Read Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Chapters 13-15
In class:
August 30:
Read: Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Chapters 16-18.
In class:
Warm-Up #6: Who are your role models? Why? Who, outside of family members do you admire? Why?
Watch Shots of Awe: The Hero's Journey. Respond. Submit to Turnitin.com
Sept. 1:
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Chapters 19-21.
Week 5
Sept. 6: Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Chapter 22.
In class: Warm-Up #7: What did you think of the book, Percy Jackson, The Lightning Thief? Did you enjoy reading it? Did it help introduce you to Greek Mythology? What themes stuck out to you? Was it too easy for high school seniors? Explain your answers.
Multiple choice exam.
Sept. 8: In class essay.
Week 6
Sept 11:
In class: Watch CC episodes 2, Creation from the Void and 3 Cosmic Sexy Time, Eggs, Seeds, and Water.
Answer: What do world creation myths seem to have in common?
Sept 13:
In class:
Watch: Introduction to Frankenstein
HISTORY OF IDEAS - Romanticism
Why our world needs science fiction
How science fiction can help predict the future
The Evolution of Science Fiction
Explain how science fiction and Romanticism are deeply connected. How is science fiction an essential Romantic critique of modern society?
Week 7
Sept 18:
Read:Frankenstein -- Introduction and Letters up to the beginning of Chapter 1.
Answer: Who is the narrator? What are his goals, aspirations, and quest? What are his concerns? Submit to Turnitin.com by 8:00 a.m.
Watch CC episode 4 Earth Mothers and Rebellious Sons - Creation Part 3
In class:
Warm Up #8: What is the most awe-inspiring, beautiful, powerful thing you have ever seen? Describe it and how you felt.
Watch CC episodes 5 Social Orders and Creation Stories and
According to the video, how do the myths discussed help establish patriarchies? Submit to Turnitin.com.
Sept. 20:
Due:
Read: Frankenstein Chapters 1-2.
Read The Hero's Journey. Be prepared for a quiz on the stages of the Hero's Journey.
In class: Warm-Up #9: How have both your upbringing and education prepared you for adulthood? Where have they failed? What do you consider to be the essential characteristics for a happy, healthy, and successful future?
What Happens When You Only Pursue Pleasure Respond to the video. What did you think? What stood out to you?
Watch CC episode 6 Humans and Nature and Creation and 7 Pantheons of the Ancient Mediterranean.
Sept 22:
Read Frankenstein Chapters 3-4
In class: Watch The myth of Prometheus TED Ed and The Profound Meaning of Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Warm-Up #10: What is something, some piece of knowledge you learned that absolutely blew your mind and changed the way you saw either yourself, society, or the world in general?
Watch CC episode 8 Indian Pantheons.
Watch CC episodes Tricksters: An Introduction and Hermes and Loki and Tricksters Part 2 and Coyote and Raven, American Tricksters
Week 8
Sept. 27:
Read Frankenstein Chapters 5-7.
Warm-Up #11: Describe your earliest memories. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing? How did you feel? How do you feel when you think of these memories? Submit to Turnitin.com
In class: Read Norse Mythology. Watch CC episode 10 The Norse Pantheon.
Golem: The Mysterious Clay Monster of Jewish Lore
Sept. 29:
Read Frankenstein Chapters 8-10 and read Hercules.
In class:
Warm-Up #12
Watch CC episode 9 The Greeks and Romans - Pantheons Part 3 and episode 30 Herakles. Or Hercules. A Problematic Hero.
Watch Shots of Awe: The Hero's Journey. Respond. Submit to Turnitin.com
Week 9
October 3:
Frankenstein Chapters 11-13.
In class:
Warm-Up #12: Watch Who am I? A philosophical inquiry
Who are you? What is your identity? How did you come to be you? How are you different now from the "you" you were as a freshman?
Watch African Pantheons and the Orishas,
Oct. 5:
Frankenstein Chapters 14-15.
In class: Watch
Prometheus | Young Peter Weyland TED Talk | ALIEN ANTHOLOGY (feature film)
Answer: Frankenstein is subtitled The Modern Prometheus. Why is the myth of Prometheus the perfect bridge between ancient mythology and futuristic science fiction? What parallels, both in plot and theme, do we see so far?
I. Introduction with specific thesis (underline your thesis statement)
II. Explanation of the Prometheus myth (details and significance)
III. Plot similarities (at least 3 quotes citing chapters)
IV. Themes Similarities (at least 3 quotes citing chapters)
V. Conclusion (be insightful with at least 1 great quote)
Watch: CC episode 12 Theories of Myth and CC episode 13 Great Goddesses
Week 10
Oct. 9: Frankenstein Chapters 16-18. Watch Archetypes and Male Divinities
Oct. 11: 19-21
In class: Warm-Up #13: Discuss the relationship between Frankenstein, Science Fiction, and Romanicism.
Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus - Extra Sci Fi - #1
Frankenstein: The New Romantics - Extra Sci Fi - #2
Oct. 13: 22-24
In class:
Watch: CC Frankenstein Pt. 1 and CC Frankenstein Pt. 2
Warm-Up 14: What did you think of Frankenstein?
Week 11
Oct. 17:
In class: Warm-Up #15: What is your "monster"? How does this affect your thoughts and actions?
Review
Oct. 19:
Essay #1: What sociological and cultural purposes do myths serve? What are the commonalities among most cultural collections of mythology?
Week 12
Oct. 23:
Essay #2: How does the novel, Frankenstein, parallel various creation, quest, and hero myths? Why does Mary Shelley make these connections to comment on the state of human nature and the individual’s role in society?
Oct 25:
In class:
Return Frankenstein and check out The Hobbit in class.
The Examined Life: Know Thyself
Warm-Up #16: What's the point? What is the purpose of YOUR life?
Crash Course: The Hero's Journey
The Hero's Journey: The Secret Formula of Disney
The Norse myth that inspired “The Lord of the Rings”
Oct 27: The Hobbit Chapter 1
In class: Warm-Up #17: What would you do if you won a 1.2 billion dollar lottery?
Week 13
Oct 30: The Hobbit Chapters 2-3
In class: Warm-Up #18: In class: Warm-Up #17: What is your greatest desire? What barriers must you overcome to attain it?
Watch THE TRUTH THAT SETS YOU FREE What do you know to be true? How do you know? Explain.
Nov. 2: The Hobbit Chapter 4
Week 14
Nov. 6: The Hobbit Chapter 5
In class: Warm-Up #19: With which character do you most ethically empathize: Gollum or Bilbo? Why?
Watch Freud, Jung, Luke Skywalker, and the Psychology of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #40, and Mythical Language and Idiom: Crash Course World Mythology #41 Take notes on each.
Nov. 8: The Hobbit Chapters 6
In class:
Warm-Up #20: Watch Where Joy Hides. Respond to the video then describe the simple pleasures in life that bring you joy. Submit to Turnitin.com
Week 15
Nov. 13: The Hobbit Chapter 7
In class: Warm-Up #21:Watch: The Illusion of MONEY, TIME & EGO - Alan Watts Are you truly happy with who you are?Are you the person you really want to be? What are some of your concerns that really don't matter? What do you need to do to live your best life? What can you do today to realign your priorities?
Nov. 15: The Hobbit Chapter 8
Nov. 17: The Hobbit Chapters 9-10.
In class:
Warm-Up #22: Watch We Need To Be Lost To Find Ourselves. Respond: When have you found joy in "being lost"? Describe. Then, respond to how and when we ask the following three questions: 1) Why? 2) Why not? 3). Why not me?
Watch Becoming Ruby. Respond: Discuss the importance of belonging to a group but maintaining your own identity? Relate your own experience to the video's message.
Watch Ishita Malaviya: India's First Professional Female Surfer. How have you felt restricted by society's expectations and how have you broken free from them? Relate to the videos.
Due to Turnitin.com
Week 16: Thankgiving Break
WEEK 17
Nov. 28: The Hobbit Chapters 11-12
In class:
Warm-Up #23: Watch Your Life in Jelly Beans. 2 parts: 1) Respond to the video. What are your thoughts? Then, answer, What constitutes maturity? Give examples from your own life of maturity.
Watch The Joy of Surfing Cold Water and Lesson from Jeju and Introducing Okinawa (from Happy)
What difficult or communal habits or activities bring you happiness and satisfaction?
Nov. 30: The Hobbit Chapters 13-15
In class:
Warm-Up #24: What about your high school experience are you especially proud of? Explain. What do you wish you had done differently? What opportunities do you wish you had taken advantage of? Explain.
Week 18
Dec 4: The Hobbit Chapters 16-17
In class:
How a Hobbit House Created Community
Warm-Up #25: What communities are you an integral part of? Are you a leader (Thorin), a helper (Bilbo), a follower (any of the other dwarves), or an independent (Gandolf)? Explain. What makes a great community? Explain.
Dec. 6: The Hobbit Chapters 18-19
In class: Warm-Up #26:
At the end of the novel, Gandalf tells Bilbo, "You are not the hobbit that you were." Reflect back on the past few years of high school and explain how you are no longer "the hobbit that you were."
How do others in your life now treat you differently?
Dec. 8:
Week 19
Dec 12: Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline (pdf)
In class, Warm-Up #27: watch Alan Watts - The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions. Respond to the video in two parts. First, what is your reaction to the video (what did you think)? Second, how does this relate to the conflicts in both The Hobbit and Shrek?
Dec. 14:
In class, Warm-Up #28: How has technology (specifically the internet, cell phones, video games, social media, AI, computers in the classroom) impacted your life for both good and bad? How dependent are you on your devices? On average, how much screen time do you spend per day? Are you more or less informed? More or less social? More or less happy? What are your concerns about the future impact personal technology will have on your life?
Read: MAUI DEMIGOD OF THE WIND AND SEA
Watch: Ma'ui, Oceania's Hero: Crash Course World Mythology #31
In class:
The Hero's Physical Journey AND The Hero's Inner Journey
Watch Moana.
Week 20
Dec 19:
In class: Review and prepare for Final
December 20: Period 2 Final
December 22: Period 6 Final
Tues. Dec. 10: Raed: MAUI DEMIGOD OF THE WIND AND SEA Review Crash Course Episodes 25 (Hero's Journey) and 31 (Ma'ui).
Thurs. Dec. 12: Read: Disney’s Moana isn’t progressive — it’s dangerous and Why I Won’t Give You Ten Tips to Manage Your Privilege
Mon. Dec. 16: Read: Moana Culturally Problematic and Moana, Culture Warrior
Weds. Dec. 18: Final Exam
Turnitin.com Class ID: 22368847 Password: Kinberg1
Print the following chart and bring to class: Greek/ Roman Gods Chart.
CAT'S CRADLE ESSAY Writing Prompt: Think about the phrase, “See the cat? See the cradle?”, in the context of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Cat’s Cradle, and discuss what Vonnegut is saying about the various roles science, mythology (religion), and government play in society.
Consider the following 2 quotes and explain how they relate to the events and themes from throughout the book:
I walked away from Frank, just as The Books of Bokonon advised me to do. "Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before," Bokonon tells us. "He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way."
AND
"If I were a younger man, I would write a history of human stupidity; and I would climb to the top of Mount McCabe and lie down on my back with my history for a pillow; and I would take from the ground some of the blue-white poison that makes statues of men; and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who."
Be sure to use multiple characters and situations from throughout the novel to support your arguments.
Read: Watch Herakles. Or Hercules. A Problematic Hero: Crash Course World Mythology #30
Read: Disney’s Hercules (1997), and Disney's Hercules Was Underrated for a Reason
Begin Hercules
How the Story of “Moana” and Maui Holds Up Against Cultural Truths, Disney’s Moana isn’t progressive — it’s dangerous and Why I Won’t Give You Ten Tips to Manage Your Privilege
Finish Moana
Tuesday Dec. 20 (2nd Period) and Thursday, Dec 22 (6th Period): Final Exam.
Myth to Science Fiction Semester Final Essay
Use the Hercules and Ma’ui stories to discuss the importance of mythology in society. Then, use the films, Hercules and Moana, to explain the hero’s journey and to explore the appeal of mythological stories and how they can be manipulated to influence culture. Ultimately, think about the entire semester and explain how myths shape society and culture and how science fiction comments on society and culture.
September 20: Have a copy of Brave New World in class. Watch CC episode 14 Fire and Buffalo Goddesses
In class:
Warm-Up #8: What is the purpose of an education? What issues have you had with the education system?
Watch Love Your Servitude - Aldous Huxley & George Orwell Respond to the video. Submit to Turnitin.com.
Sept. 22: Brave New World Chapters 1 & 2
Warm-Up #9: Read and think about Oppression and Privilege Self-Assessment Tool. Answer: What are your thoughts about your own levels of privilege? Submit to Turnitin.com
Week 8
Sept. 27: Brave New World Chapters 3 & 4
In class:
Warm-Up #10: At the end of Chapter 4, Helmholtz asks, "Did you ever feel as though you had something inside you that was only waiting for you to give it a chance to come out? Some sort of extra power that you aren't using -- you know, like all the water that goes down the falls instead of through the turbines?" Have you ever felt like this? Explain. If not, why? Submit to Turnitin.com
Sept. 29: Brave New World Chapters 5 & 6
In class: Quiz on BNW Chapters 1-6
Watch What Happens When You Only Pursue Pleasure - Alan Watts. In a short essay (5 paragraphs) give a personal response to the video then discuss it in relation to Lenina and Bernard. Support your ideas with specific examples and quotes (include page numbers). Submit to Turnitin.com
Suggested Outline:
I. Introduction with specific thesis statement
II. Personal response to video
III. How Lenina relates to the video
IV. How Bernard relates to the video
V. Conclusion
Week 9
October 3: Brave New World Chapters 7 & 8
Warm-Up #11: Watch How symbols and brands shape our humanity. Respond to the video and connect it to Brave New World.
Then,
Watch The Hidden Influence of Social Networks. How have your social networks influenced your thoughts and behaviors?
Submit to Turnitin.com
Oct. 6: Brave New World Chapters 9 & 10
Warm-Up#12: Watch We won't fix American politics until we talk about class. Respond to the video. What are your thoughts concerning social class attitudes and gender roles based on what you heard? How does this relate to Brave New World?
Watch Alan Watts - The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions. What are your thoughts on the video and how does it relate to Brave New World? Submit to Turnitin.com
Week 10
Oct. 10: Brave New World Chapters 11 & 12
Oct. 12: Brave New World Chapters 13 & 14
In class:
Warm-Up #13: Watch Do We Have Free Will? and Layers of Truth. Answer: How has your perspective of "truth" and "reality" changed over the past few years? What has become more important to you and what has become less meaningful? Submit to Turnitin.com
Reading quiz up to Chapter 14.
I
In a short essay (5 paragraphs – 1000-1250 words), discuss how the perceptions of free will, social conditioning, and dissension are dealt with in the following scenes: Helmholtz’s intellectual pursuits, John’s sexual rejection of Lenina, and Linda’s death. Support your ideas with specific examples and quotes (include page numbers). Submit to Turnitin.com
Suggested Outline:
I. Introduction with specific thesis statement
II.Helmholtz
III. John and Lenina
IV. Linda’s death
V. Conclusion
Oct.14: Brave New World Chapters 15 & 16.
Week 11
Oct. 18: Brave New World Chapters 17 & 18
Oct. 20:
Warm Up #14: Crushes, romance, dating: what excites you; what do you fear; what do you worry about; what is hard; what makes it worth it?
Watch The Tribes We Lead. Respond to the video as it relates to you. How important to you is belonging to a "tribe"?How do you view yourself: as a group member, a leader, or independent from the group? Explain.
Week 12
Oct. 24:
Watch Do We Live in a Brave New World? - Aldous Huxley's Warning to the World and What If We Are Living In A Huxleyian World? Relate to the video. Give me at least one big take-away from the novel. Why did this concept impact you? Submit to Turnitin.com by 8:00 a.m.
Oct. 26:
In class essay. Open book/note
Brave New World Writing Prompt
Discuss the relationship between science, religion, and political power in the World State. How are these issues reflected in the education, work, and lifestyle of various social classes? What is the novel saying about the relationship between freedom and happiness? What aspects of the novel do you agree with or find appealing? Why? What aspects of the novel do you disagree with or find appalling? Why? How can we relate what the novel is saying to what is going on in the world right now?
