What is the Western Heroic Tradition?
Unit Overview –AP Literature/Dual Credit
Required
Readings:
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex (Bedford Anthology pp. 1418-1468)
Outside Reading Novel
Major Grades:
The Western Heroic Tradition – Presentation
Things Fall ApartTest
Cause or Effect Essay Writing Folder
AP Literature and Composition Exam (modified)
Minor Grades:
Inquiry Project Abstract
Things Fall Apart Reading Quizzes
Oedipus Rex Reading Quizzes
SC: TR – Chinua Achebe’s Article/TFA
Current Events Folder (3 issues)
Literary Terms Review Quiz (for 4th grading period)
“O Zeus and the other gods, grant this that my son shall become as I am, most distinguished among the
Trojans, as strong and valiant, and that he rule by might in Ilion. And then may men say, “He is far braver
than his father!” as he returns from war, and may he bring back spoils stained with the blood of the men he
has slain, making his mother’s heart rejoice!” - The Iliad by Homer
Understanding the western heroic tradition requires the reader to connect the hero’s actions and thoughts with
the cultural expectations and societal norms within the hero’s world – and without judgment based on the
reader’s own values. The extent to which the hero embodies and exudes what his society deems worthy of
praise (and perhaps even worship) will determine his success as a hero of his day. If the hero is freckled with so
much human flaw that it spills into the category of tragic flaw, then he is surely doomed to suffer a fate that
never comes as a surprise – it is known to all: himself, his people, and the reader of his tale, even if the reader
does not come from the same world as the hero.
The writer who portrays the hero must call upon the muses of language to accurately depict the hero’s world
and the hero’s place in it – be it askew or perfectly fitted. As young children we are told of the model heroes.
The hero wins, he kills the bad guy, he gets the attractive female – you know, the one he probably just saved
from a fate worse than death. As we grow up, shedding our innocent views of the world along with our kid
sneakers and rose-colored glasses, we may find ourselves oddly drawn to the tragic heroes. They may be
extraordinary in some ways, but they also stumble, they are stubborn, they are blind, they lose their tempers
quickly, they are unkind or rude, they hate to admit mistakes, they show up a moment too late, they scare away
the would-be damsel waiting in distress; they clumsily lose the climactic battle or win it with an embarrassing
show of unsportsmanlike behavior. And we know tragedy will happen as we go along. So we end up with a
story that holds up mirrors to ourselves as we read, and it is in our thinking and talking about the tragic heroes
that we learn more about who we really are. We learn about suffering and about charging on in the face of it.
And we learn about compassion for the fallen and stricken as we find compassion for the less-than-model tragic
hero, the unlikable and sad, yet somehow still admirable versions of ourselves.
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What is the Western Heroic Tradition?
Syllabus
(subject to change)
M 4 Jan.
Syllabus Overview
World Perspective Activity
Essential Questions/Notes for Oedipus Rex
Tu 5 Jan.
World Perspective Activity Sharing/Writing
Inquiry Project Assignment
Cause or Effect Essay – Guide to Reading (assigned)
W 6 Jan.
Oedipus Rex background Reading Quiz: (Bedford pp. 1418-1426)
Western Heroic Tradition Notes/Activity
Th 7 Jan.
Poetry Thursday
Writing effective conclusions for literary analysis
F 8 Jan.
First Friday Fun Reading
Cause or Effect Essay Guide to Reading due; C/C posted online
M 11 Jan.
Individual work: thesis, examples, commentary
Group effort: concluding statements
In-class writing: “Hour-glass” Essay (from Oedipus Rex)
Tu 12 Jan.
Oedipus Rex Reading Quiz (Bedford pp 1427-1468); Discuss Oedipus Rex
W 13 Jan.
AP Literature Range Finders/Scoring Poetry Essays
Issue Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Th 14 Jan.
Poetry Thursday: Yeats’s “The Second Coming”
C/C due in class; due to www.turnitin.com by 10 PM
Guide to Writing the Cause or Effect Essay (assigned)
F 15 Jan.
TW #1 (part of exam)
M 18 Jan.
Holiday
Tu 19 Jan.
Notes/Activity: The Western Heroic Tradition – Oedipus/TFA Cross-over
W 20 Jan.
Things Fall Apart Quiz - (close reading: chapters 1-6)
Th 21 Jan.
Range Finders/Score TW #1
F 22 Jan.
AP Literature MC Questions (in-class)
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What is the Western Heroic Tradition?
M 25 Jan.
AP Literature Range Finders/Scoring Prose Essays
Tu 26 Jan.
Things Fall Apart (close reading: chapters 7-13)
W 27 Jan.
Things Fall Apart Part One – Quiz
Th 28 Jan.
Poetry Thursday
F 29 Jan.
TW #2 (part of exam)
M 1 Feb.
Peer edit the Cause or Effect Essay (polished, typed copy due in class)
Tu 2 Feb.
Things Fall Apart Quiz (close reading: chapters 14-16)
W 3 Feb.
Abstract for Inquiry Project Due
AP Literature MC Question (in-class)
Th 4 Feb.
Poetry Thursday
F 5 Feb.
First Friday Fun Reading
Final draft Cause or Effect Essay – submitted to www.turnitin.com by 10 PM
Folder w/ guides, C/C, all prewriting, drafting, final essay and reflection due @ beginning of class
M 8 Feb.
Range Finders/Score TW #2
Tu 9 Feb.
Things Fall Apart Part Two – Quiz
W 10 Feb.
AP Literature MC Questions (in-class)
Th 11 Feb.
Poetry Thursday; issue Achebe article on Conrad, Colonialism
F 12 Feb.
TW #3 (part of exam)
M 15 Feb.
Student Holiday/Teacher In-service
Tu 16 Feb.
Things Fall Apart (Part Three)- in class activity
W 17 Feb.
The Western Heroic Tradition – Overview and Group Selection
Th 18 Feb.
SC: Achebe
Achebe Text Review due in class;
due to www.turnitin.com by 10 PM
F 19 Feb.
Range Finders/Score TW#3
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What is the Western Heroic Tradition?
M 22 Feb.
The Western Heroic Tradition – Group Organization
Tu 23 Feb.
The Western Heroic Tradition – Research
W 24 Feb.
The Western Heroic Tradition – Preparing the Presentation
Th 25 Feb.
Poetry Thursday; last day for group work if needed
F 26 Feb.
Things Fall Apart Test
M 29 Feb
WHT – Presentations
Tu 1 Mar
WHT – Presentations
W 2Mar.
WHT – Presentations
Th 3 Mar.
WHT – Presentations
F 4 Mar.
First Friday Fun Reading
M 7 Mar.
Inquiry Projects Conferences/Research; (Ted Talks, how to use visuals effectively)
Current Events Folder Due (3 issues; 3 activities; works cited page w/3 articles)
Tu 8 Mar.
Inquiry Projects Conferences/Research
W 9 Mar.
AP Literature MC (part of exam)
Th 10 Mar.
Satire Notes/Activities
Fri 11 Mar.
Literary Terms Review Quiz
Essential questions; sign up for roles
Background notes on Oscar Wilde
* * * * * * * SPRING BREAK * * * * * * * *
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