Heroes

By Steve Hall
===Overview: Human culture, from the cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia with The Epic of Gilgamesh to Old English and Beowulf to Marvel Comics' Superman in America in the 20th century, has promoted a similar set of characteristics and values in its heroes -- a potential collaboration of English, History, Art, and Cinema. ===

**Big Idea: Heroes**

**The Essential Question:**

1. What is an archetypal hero?

Guiding Questions
1.What are the attributes of an archetypal hero? 2. What common role have heroes in literature played in the different cultures throughout history? 3. What impact do heroes have on our lives today in the various media?

**Guiding Activities**

1. In groups discuss similar characteristics and values of heroes in the different works read over the course of the quarter or semester and in visual media (movies shown in class).

2. Research secondary textual sources -- books and on-line publications.

3. Interview teachers and locate visual media of experts speaking on their observations of the archetypal hero. 4. Final project forms--- personal essay, research essay, some form of electronic media, and a piece of artwork