Warner Robinson
EDUC 5133
Dr. Rebecca Fredrickson
Unit and Lesson Plan
Title: The Hero's Journey
Curricular Areas: English, Social Studies (World History Studies)
Grade Level: 9th Grade English
Unit Length: 6 Weeks, 15 Meetings
Goals: Students will understand Joseph Campbell's monomyth (from The Hero with a Thousand
Faces); recognize archetypes and stages of the Hero's Journey within narratives (both written and
audiovisual); understand the major characteristics and concerns of the genre; and apply knowledge of
Campbell's monomyth by analyzing its usage in narratives.
Objectives
Students will:
1. Define myth and describe mythology in their own words after a class lecture.
2. Describe the formula and components of The Hero's Journey with 100% accuracy after a class
discussion and readings from The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
3. Identify the formula and components of The Hero's Journey within multiple narratives correctly
by filling out a journal.
4. Discuss the traits of the hero and identify these traits within multiple narratives accurately.
5. Describe and identify several archetypes and archetypal characters within multiple narratives.
6. Explain the major concerns and components of the genre—including worldview, personal
struggle, psyche—by completing a short answer quiz with 100% accuracy.
7. Create their own narrative (written, audiovisual, performed) based on the formula, components,
and concerns of The Hero's Journey.
8. Evaluate how The Hero's Journey is used in different texts by writing a compare and contrast
essay concerning two narratives of their choosing.
Major Teaching/Learning Activities
1. Teacher-led discussions about mythology, The Hero's Journey, as well as cultural worldviews
the myths espouse.
2. The class will read excerpts from The Hero with A Thousand Faces
3. The class will view excerpts from the documentary The Power of Myth, which features
conversations between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyer's about Campbell's research in
comparative mythology and The Hero's Journey.
4. Teacher-led discussions about archetypes, archetypal characters, and the traits of the hero.
5. Small-group discussion about the components of the hero's journey and their presence in
multiple narratives.
6. Students will complete journals/organizers that detail the components of Campbell's monomyth
within several narratives throughout the unit.
7. Students will view The Lion King and discuss elements of The Hero's Journey.
8. Students will create a narrative and present it to the class, explaining how it follows the concept
of The Hero's Journey.
9. Students will write a comparing and contrasting essay. Students will participate in peerevaluations of their rough drafts.
Vocabulary:
Myth
Narrative Arc
Collective Unconscious
Climax
Monomyth
Archetype
Threshold
Epic
Materials:
Books
The Hero With A Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell
Mythology, by Edith Hamilton
The Odyssey, by Homer
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Books to Consider For Essays and Journals
Beowulf
Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
The Lord of The Rings Triology J.R.R. Tolkien
Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling
Siddhartha, Herman Hesse
Video
The Power of Myth
The Lion King
Films to Consifer for Essays and Journals
Star Wars: A New Hope, George Lucas
Materials for Assignments and Projects
Journal (composition notebook)
Pens
Computer (with internet access)
Video Cameras (for creative narrative)
DVD player
Television
LCD Projector
Printer
Student Handouts
Technology
Narrative
Hero
Liminal
Initiates
Computers with Internet
Cell phones (optional, for Twitter integration)
LCP Projector
Television
DVD Player
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint
Prezi
Resources
http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_arch_quest.html#content
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-a-hero-matthew-winkler
http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero%27s_journey.htm
Other resources include the books and videos listed above.
Evaluation/Assessment
1. The Hero's Journey Journals
2. Student handouts/worksheets
3. Creative narratives/Presentation of narratives
4. Participation in class and group discussions
5. Compare/Contrast Essay
Lesson Plan
Title: Hercules and The Hero's Journey
Curricular Areas: English, Social Studies
Grade Level: 9th Grade English
Time Frame: Beginning of Week 2: 1 day
Objectives :
Students will
Provide at least one quote from Hercules in Edith Hamilton's mythology and provide at least one
pertinent observation or question regarding that quote.
Make inferences about the worldview of the ancient Greeks and Romans after reading “Hercules” and
document them
Complete a journal entry which identifies the stages of The Hero's Journey within Hercules with 100%
accuracy.
TEKS:
§110.31. English Language Arts and Reading, English I
(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and
draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts
and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) analyze how the genre of texts with similar themes shapes meaning;
(C) relate the figurative language of a literary work to its historical and cultural setting.
(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw
conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) analyze non-linear plot development (e.g., flashbacks, foreshadowing, sub-plots, parallel plot
structures) and compare it to linear plot development;
(B) analyze how authors develop complex yet believable characters in works of fiction through a range
of literary devices, including character foils;
(C) analyze the way in which a work of fiction is shaped by the narrator's point of view
§113.42. World History Studies
(26) Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which
they were created. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze examples of how art, architecture, literature, music, and drama reflect the history of the
cultures in which they are produced; and
(C) identify examples of art, music, and literature that transcend the cultures in which they were
created and convey universal themes.
Context/Modifications
Context
Students should know the stages of The Hero's Journey and the attributes of a mythology. The students
should have read “Hercules” from Edith Hamilton's Mythology for homework.
Modifications
Students will receive extra help and time if needed.
If necessary, students will receive assistance from their aids.
Large print materials will be provided if needed.
Students with Limited English Proficiency or ESL students will benefit from paired and group
discussions. Vocabulary will be explained. If necessary, translations of assignments will be provided.
Graphic organizers and visuals will be used to enhance understanding.
Anticipatory Focusing
I will show a segment on Hercules from the documentary The Power of Myth. This will be followed by
a brief discussion as we move into the lesson.
Setting Expectations
I will communicate to the students the goal of today's lesson. I will remind them of the rules for using
technology and the rules for participating in class discussions.
Input
Students will post quotes from “Hercules” they believe are important or interesting to the class Twitter
feed. The class will view these quotes and discuss their importance and questions they raise in relation
to characterization, the genre of the myth, The Hero's Journey, and the worldview of the ancient
Greeks. I will moderate this discussion and pose questions to guide student thinking.
I will provide a Prezi presentation on Hercules as we discuss elements of The Hero's Journey within the
narrative. This presentation will ask students to identify the elements of The Hero's Journey (the stages
within The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return) and provide specific moments from the text that
illustrate the concepts and stages.
I will use the Socratic technique to lead a discussion of how The Hero's Journey operates within
“Hercules” and within the genre of the myth.
Modeling
I will identify the first stage of The Hero's Journey within “Hercules” and provide a specific instance
where it is illustrated within the text.
Checking for Understanding
I will ask questions about the stages of The Hero's Journey and ask for alternative examples to check
for understanding while teaching the lesson.
Guided Practice
The teacher and the student will fill out the first third of The Hero's Journey (The Departure) together.
The students will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Reteach
During and after guided practice, I will reteach the concepts that students are having trouble with, or
are questioning.
Independent Practice
The student will then complete their Hero's Journey journals for the rest of the stages independently.
The student will write a paragraph in their Hero Journal that makes observations about Greek and
Roman culture after reading Hercules.
Mastery Check
The teacher will monitor class discussions.
The teacher will view their Hero's Journey journal to assess that they are correctly identifying and
evaluating the stages of The Hero's Journey.
The students will share their ideas in pairs to assess their understanding
Extension
Students will be encouraged to try and find elements of The Hero's Journey in the movies and
television shows they watch as well as books they read.
Closure
Students will ask any questions they have about the lesson. I will introduce The Odyssey, which will be
the work of focus for the next couple of weeks.
Reflective Critique
Did the students have enough time to complete their Hero's Journey journals?
Did the students remember and understand the stages of The Hero's Journey, or do they need to be
refreshed?
Did all of the students participate in the discussions comfortably?
Were the students interested in the story of Hercules?
Did the presentation help students understand “Hercules” and The Hero's Journey?