Gerber-English 1
You’re No Ninny… A writing assignment
Having explored Mythology for the past few weeks, it’s clear to everyone that you’re no ninny when it comes to
the ways of the Greek Gods, Heroes and Epics; you know this Greek Mythology stuff better than most teachers;
in fact, you’re considering teaching a class at Harvard this fall. To prepare for your tenure, you’ll be writing an
impressive essay on one of the topics below. Think about your strengths when choosing your writing genre.
Your options:
1. Create-a-myth with a HERO : Creative Writing
You can write your myth in present times as a fourteen or fifteen year old student; you can exaggerate
the tasks you complete on a normal basis and modernize the gods/goddesses so they are figures in
your everyday lives OR you can place yourself (or a hero of your creation) in ancient geek times to
pursue a specific quest. You must include all aspects of Joseph Campbell’s archetypal hero. (See your
packet.)
2. Create your own myth to explain HOW or WHY something has happened in nature.
So far, the myths you’ve read have dealt with some pretty big topics: how the world was created, how
people were created, why disease and evil and hope exist. Your myth can cover these big topics, but the
myth can also be about everyday things too - why it rains or snows, why lions roar, why people have
bad backs.
Here are some topics that you might want to focus on: greed, love, sadness, disease, hope, death,
creation, jealousy, loyalty, commitment, failure, heaven, hell, and so on.
The characters in your myth can be gods or humans or a combination of both. You can use characters
you already know. For example, maybe Prometheus has another brother that no one ever heard about.
And maybe this third brother doesn’t see too well and he steps on a few of Prometheus’ clay humans
which causes…. (You get the idea?) Again, you must apply the ELEMENTS we’ve been studying.
3. A personal Odyssey: A Narrative
A narrative of your own “journey”/learning experience, applying one of the themes from “The
Odyssey” or other Greek Mythology stories we’ve covered. This should “freeze frame” one significant
moment of your life where you really learned about yourself or the world around you. Dialogue is a
must.
4. The benefits or pitfalls of being a hero: A formal essay
In a five –seven paragraph essay, you answer one of the following questions:
A. Which archetypal heroic quality do you feel is most important? (To the character, to the mission,
or to those around him/her)
B. Which archetypal heroic quality is most detrimental (damaging)? (To the character, to the mission,
or to those around him/her)
Choose one focus, and then choose 1 demi-god, Odysseus, one character we’ve studied form short
stories and yourself and explain (1 paragraph for each)
C. Odysseus: brilliant or stupid? You decide and explain. Cite Proof!
Gerber-English 1
You’re No Ninny… A writing assignment
Create-a-Myth, hero
What
happe
ned?!
Just not
getting’
it
Oka
y
Almost
there
Whoohoo!
64
65-69
7079
80-91
92-100
What
happe
ned?!
Just not
getting’
it
Oka
y
Almost
there
Whoohoo!
64
65-69
7079
80-91
92-100
What
happe
ned?!
Just not
getting’
it
Oka
y
Almost
there
Whoohoo!
64
65-69
7079
80-91
92-100
Clear Intro and Conclusion: Paper has a clear start and wraps up nicely
Content: Key Elements Included of Joseph Cambell’s epic hero OR all aspects of a
myth for nature myths… all aspects are met (2)
Description: Dialogue, concrete description… you paint a picture with your
words (2)
Organization: Author follows a clear organizational pattern and stays focused.
Development: Story is clear and developed, reader has few questions (2)
Grammar: Paper has been checked for grammar, spelling and comma errors. A
“read aloud” has been done (Story titles written correctly, too)
Your Score
Narrative
Clear Intro and Conclusion: Paper has a clear start and wraps up nicely
Focus: Essay does a nice job of staying on task and IN the moment
Content: Addresses one clear theme from “The Odyssey” and stays
Description: Dialogue, concrete description… you paint a picture with your
words (3)
Organization: Author follows a clear organizational pattern (2)
Development: Story is clear and developed, reader has few questions
Grammar: Paper has been checked for grammar, spelling and comma errors. A
“read aloud” has been done (Story titles written correctly, too)
Your Score
Formal Writing
Clear Intro and Conclusion: Paper has a clear start and wraps up nicely
Focus: Essay does a nice job of staying on task and IN the moment
Content: Addresses one clear theme from “The Odyssey” and stays
Description: Dialogue, concrete description… you paint a picture with your
words (3)
Organization: Author follows a clear organizational pattern (2)
Development: Story is clear and developed, reader has few questions
Grammar: Paper has been checked for grammar, spelling and comma errors. A
“read aloud” has been done (Story titles written correctly, too)
Your Score