As part of the curriculum, we will study stories of creation and destruction from around the world. This class will be exploring stories that may be considered religious in nature and theme; however, will be studying these stories as works of literature and NOT as religious doctrine. Discussions will be held strictly to the comparison of these stories to similar stories from other cultures, sometimes worlds away, and what insights we can gain about those cultures thousands of years later. Unit two will look at myths of the underworld and includes a study of part one of the Divine Comedy, The Inferno. In addition, we will be evaluating Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and watching several films which help to illustrate the Monomyth theory. The complete list of films is located on the syllabus and parental approval is required to watch them in class. This unit is conclude with a reading of the Hero's Journey of Bilbo Baggins in our reading of The Hobbit:. We will also be looking at how myth continues to be part of humanity's process of understanding itself and the world around us by exploring the myths we tell today in the form of urban legends. What do these stories say about us? How will they inform future generations in the way that the ancient myths tell us about cultures of the past.
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Unit 1
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Unit 2
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Unit 3
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