Background: You have learned that an allusion is a reference to something commonly known in order to portray a certain idea. You also know that they are important to use in your writing.
Purpose: Your class will create an “Allusion Bank.” You will make a “deposit” to the bank by researching one person, place, or event that could be used as an allusion. You will find background information on this allusion and present it on a wiki page, and then present it to the class.
Role: You are a high school student who wishes to broaden his or her knowledge of allusions.
Audience: You are gearing your information for other high school students like you.
1.
Research your allusion. You must use at least 3 different sources, one of which must be print. Dictionaries and encyclopedias can be used but only to supplement your sources. Evaluate web sources before using them.
2.
Determine which type of allusion your allusion is: literary, biblical, mythological, historical, artistic, contemporary.
3.
Find information explaining the background of the allusion.
4.
Take notes in your own words on all pertinent information about your allusion. A wiki page produced with no notes and no record of sources (the works consulted) will not be accepted for a grade.
5.
Use the background information about the allusion to determine what idea an author would want to portray by using this allusion.
6.
Create a wiki page to present the information you gathered about your allusion. Your wiki page should include but is not limited to: a.
The name of your allusion b.
The type of allusion c.
Explanation/Background information about the allusion, including the original source if known d.
The idea your allusion portrays; what the allusion represents e.
Picture(s) of the allusion. Be sure to place captions with each picture to explain what the picture is depicting. f.
Other information you feel is necessary to convey in relation to your allusion. g.
An original example of your allusion being used in writing h.
Works Consulted list, with links to all web sources consulted. i.
The page should also be neat, well-organized, and proofread.
7.
You need to create a Works Consulted Page for your presentation (set up like a Works Cited page, but you didn’t actually cite anything for this project). One partner must email me your Works Consulted
Page by the end of the day on the project’s due date..
8.
You will then prepare a brief (5-10 min) presentation of your allusion and present your allusion to the class.
Important note on plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of another’s words and ideas, whether done inadvertently or not. Copying and pasting text from the internet, then changing a few words and phrases, is a clear example of plagiarism. All work presented on the wiki page must be paraphrased from the original works into note form, and then typed by the students and entered into the wiki page. All notes and original source material that was copied or printed will be collected along with the works consulted list. Plagiarized work will lead to an automatic zero for the project for both partners.

Building Your Allusion Bank of Knowledge 2
Assignment adapted from an assignment created by M. Goodhall, Azure English
ALLUSION LIST:
Benedict Arnold
Napoleon
Malcolm X
Watergate
Sherlock Holmes
Caesar
Brutus
Babylon
Sodom and Gomorrah
The Good Samaritan
The Prodigal Son
Pontius Pilate
Judas
Achilles’ heel
Medusa
Icarus
Narcissus
Pandora’s Box
King Arthur
Galahad
King Midas

_____ Oral Presentation (11 pts) (oral presentation rubric / 3)
_____ Documents Consulted Page with at least 2 print sources (10 pts)
_____ Clear, accurate picture of your allusion, with appropriate caption (5 pts)
_____ Original, correct example of your allusion being used as an allusion (5 pts)
_____ All information about allusion correctly presented to the class via poster and presentation. Information presented focuses on what classmates need to know to correctly use allusion with its intended focus. (14 pts)
_____ All required information on poster (5 pts)
_____ Neatness, appearance, etc. of visual (5 pts)
Conclusion a.
Presentation highlights key ideas and concludes with a strong final statement.
b. Presenter fields questions easily.
4
ORAL PRESENTATION RUBRIC
Presenter: __________________________ Evaluator:_______________________
SPEAKING SKILLS:
Delivery
(Presenter doesn’t rush, shows
enthusiasm, avoids likes, ums, kind ofs,
you knows, etc. Uses complete sentences.)
Eye Contact (Presenter keeps head up ,
All elements Most elements Some elements No elements present present present present
4 3 2 1
4 3 2 1 does not read, and speaks to whole audience.)
Posture (Presenter stands up straight, faces audience, and doesn’t fidget.)
4 3 2 1
Volume (Presenter can be easily heard by all. No gum, etc.)
4 3 2 1
__________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENT: All elements Most elements Some elements No elements present present present present
Introduction
4 3 2 1 Presentation begins with a clear focus/thesis.
Topic Development a.
Presentation is clearly organized.
(Material is logically sequenced,
related to thesis, and not repetitive.) c.
Presentation shows full grasp and understanding of the material.
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
3
2
2
1
1
0

Building Your Allusion Bank of Knowledge 4
Heading:
40 pts
Next to each allusion identify whether it is literary, historical, mythological, biblical, and/orcontemporary. Then, briefly explain the crucial background information (including time period) of this person, place, or thing that contributes to its use as an allusion. You do not need complete sentences. (9 pts)
1.
Galahad type: ____________________________ background: ______________________________________________
2.
Medusa type: ____________________________ background: ______________________________________________
3.
Malcolm X type: _________________________ background: ______________________________________________
Choose a sentence using each allusion below. Be sure to provide enough context clues to ensure I know you understand the reference you are making. (6 pts)
Benedict Arnold 30 pieces of silver Icarus
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Building Your Allusion Bank of
Knowledge Quiz 2
The words below will be used as matching options for the matching section and a word bank for the fill-in-theblank sections. You will only use each option once, but you may not use every option.
a.
Achilles’s Heel b.
Brutus c.
Caesar d.
The Good
Samaratin e.
Sherlock
Holmes f.
Ishmael g.
Judas h.
Judas kiss i.
King Midas j.
Medusa stare k.
Florence
Nightingale l.
Pandora’s Box m.
Pontius Pilate n.
The Midas touch
Put the letter to the corresponding allusion on the line next to the description of its background. (8 pts)
______ 1. A man who, despite being cast out of his home, fathered sons who became leaders
______ 2. A man who assassinated his friend because of pressure from politicians of the time
______ 3. A man who, despite being a leader of a nation, made decisions that only benefitted himself.
______ 4. A woman known for her devotion and caring during wartime
Fill in the blank with the allusion (the actual allusion – the idea the sentence is trying to portray. You may need to slightly alter the form of the allusion to make it fit in the sentence. (14 pts)
1.
not just the letter of the allusion) that best fits
Despite knowing she did the right thing, the woman couldn’t help but feel like
_____________________________ after she turned her bank-robbing brother in to the FBI for a reward.
2.
The jury foreman felt like the ____________________________ of the group when he voted “guilty” when he was not convinced of the defendant’s guilty. He just wanted to be done with his jury duty.
3.
Everyone in Sam’s family is jealous of his cousin Nikki’s business savvy. The whole family nicknamed him
4.
_________________________ because he always chooses lucrative clients.
Kara is a devoted dieter, but her _________________________ is bread. She cannot pass up a dinner roll!
5.
My grandmother, known as the _________________________ of our family, could figure out who broke the cookie jar with no evidence but a single drop of crumb left on the counter.
6.
I could see the answer key to the test just sitting out on my teacher’s desk. I knew it was
____________________________ because I could get caught and receive a 0 on the text, but I couldn’t help myself from looking.
7.
My mother definitely has the _________________________ perfected as a form of discipline. She had my cousin, frozen in his tracks, beg, “Please just yell at me- do something! “
(FYI- true story!  )

Building Your Allusion Bank of Knowledge 6
Next to each allusion identify whether it is literary, mythological, historical, biblical, contemporary, and/or artistic. You do not need complete sentences. (6 pts)
1.
Lazarus _______________________________________
2.
Good Samaritan _____________________________
Choose three of the allusions before and write a sentence using the allusion. Be sure to provide enough context clues to ensure I know you understand the reference you are making. (15 pts)
Medusa Judas Adonis King Midas
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Building Your Allusion Bank of
Knowledge Quiz 2
The words below will be used as matching options for the matching section and a word bank for the fill-in-theblank sections. You will only use each option once, but you may not use every option.
a.
Achilles’ heel b.
Adam and Eve c.
Brutus d.
Caesar e.
Cain and Abel f.
Dear Abby g.
Don Quixote h.
Hercules i.
Job j.
Malcolm X k.
Michelangelo l.
Napoleon m.
Narcissus n.
Noah o.
Orpheus p.
Sherlock Holmes q.
Sodom and Gomorrah r.
Titans s.
Watergate
Put the letter to the corresponding allusion on the line next to the description of its background. (24 pts)
______ 1. Was tested many times by Satan but would not stop praising God
______ 2. A civil rights activist known for promoting “any means necessary” to gain equality
______ 3. A Roman emperor known for his vast, but controlling, reign
______ 4. A character who was obsessed with chivalry and convinced him/herself he/she was a knight
______ 5. A place in the Bible known for wanton, indulgent, immoral behavior
______ 6. A political scandal involving illegal wiretapping and a presidential resignation
Fill in the blank with the allusion (the actual allusion – the idea the sentence is trying to portray. (49 pts) not just the letter of the allusion) that best fits
1.
My dog thinks he’s the _________________________ of the litter; while he’s the runt and the smallest puppy, he has taken charge and is the leader of the litter.
2.
Kara is a devoted dieter, but her _________________________ is bread. She cannot pass up a dinner roll!
3.
That band is so horrible that not even _________________________ could improve their sound.
4.
My mother, known as the _________________________ of our family, could figure out who broke the cookie jar with no evidence but a single drop of crumb left on the counter.
5.
Suzy who I thought was my best friend was really a _________________________ when she gained my trust, convinced me to tell her my secrets, and then spread them across the school, causing my social ruin.
6.
My aunt is a regular _________________________. Many of her coworkers come to her for help and advice about their lives.
7.
Jonny is a regular _________________________. He’s captain of the football team, lead in the school play, and vice-president of the National Honor Society.