Learning Activity

My Hero's Journey Book Proposal

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

8

Overview

This learning activity should be used as an after activity to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of patterns and characteristics associated with the traditional Hero's Journey myth (mono-myth). This learning activity could be used with the learning activity "What Makes a Hero?" to introduce these concepts. The students will brainstorm ideas for a personal hero who fits the characteristics of the traditional myth using a My Hero's Journey Book Proposal and The Hero's Journey. The assignment is presented to students as a letter from a publisher asking them to submit their ideas for a book using the traditional hero's journey pattern and characteristics.  The students will answer questions and insert illustrations from The Hero's Journey to help them think through their ideas.  

This activity is a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.R3

Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically when researching and writing, both individually and collaboratively.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.R3

Vocabulary

  • Digital tools
  • Electronic tools
  • Appropriately
  • Safely
  • Ethically
  • Research
  • Individually
  • Collaboratively

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Digital and electronic tools must be used appropriately, safely, and ethically.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be used for research or for writing tasks.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be independently or with others.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Engage in safe and ethical behavior when using digital and electronic tools individually and collaboratively.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Safe behaviors, interactions that keep you out of harm's way, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
  • Ethical behavior, interactions that align to one's moral code, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.3

Analyze how authors use key literary elements, including setting, plot, theme, characters, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view, to contribute to the meaning and purpose of a text, using text evidence as support.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.3

Vocabulary

  • Literary elements
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Theme
  • Characters
  • Internal conflict
  • External conflict
  • Dialogue
  • Points of view
  • Text evidence

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors of prose and poetry use literary elements, such as setting, plot, characters, theme, conflict, dialogue, and point of view, throughout a text to develop and/or enhance the meaning of the text.
  • An author's use of literary elements can indicate the author's purpose for writing the text.
  • Analysis of a text should be supported with text evidence from the writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the setting, plot, characters, theme, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view in literary text.
  • Analyze how literary elements contribute to the meaning and purpose of literary text.
  • Support their analysis of literary elements with textual evidence.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Prose and poetry contain common literary elements, such as setting, plot, characters, theme, conflict, dialogue, and point of view.
  • Literary elements contribute to the meaning and purpose of literary text.
  • When they analyze a text, they should include text evidence to support their claims.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.13

Create and edit digital products that are appropriate in subject, occasion, audience, point of view, purpose, and tone.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.13

Vocabulary

  • Digital product
  • Subject
  • Occasion
  • Audience
  • Point of view
  • Purpose
  • Tone

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to create and edit digital products.
  • The intended audience and occasion should be identified before selecting a subject and purpose of a digital product.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Create and revise a digital text to ensure a clear subject.
  • Create and revise a digital text for an intended audience and occasion.
  • Create and revise a digital text to achieve a particular tone and purpose.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Digital products can be used to communicate with a variety of audiences and occasions.
  • They should modify the subject and purpose of their digital products depending on the audience and occasion.
  • Revision is important in establishing a clear purpose and tone in writing a digital text.
  • Revision is important in appealing to a particular audience with a digital text.
  • Revision is important to articulate a clear subject and occasion for writing a digital text.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

I can identify the characteristics of the traditional hero myth (mono-myth) and the typical pattern of his/her journey.

Activity Details

The student's goal is to demonstrate his/her understanding of and ability to apply the characteristics most often associated with a hero's journey.

The students will work independently to complete the interactive Google slides, My Hero's Journey Book Proposal. The students will have access to this Read-Write-Think Interactive Tool to help them review the characteristics through examples while they work.

The students will answer questions about a made-up Hero's Journey and illustrate each characteristic related to their Hero's Journey using My Hero's Journey Book Proposal.  

The students will use the My Hero's Journey Rubric to self-assess as their work as they go. 

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

The teacher will use the My Hero's Journey Rubric provided in this activity to assess each student's individual level of understanding.

Variation Tips

  • The teacher may want to make paper copies of the My Hero's Journey Rubric to share with the class.
  • The teacher may want to shorten the assignment based on student need or allow students to work in partners.
  • The teacher may want to provide a model of an illustrated slide to help students to better understand his/her expectations.
  • The teacher can choose a different method of assessment.

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

46 to 60 Minutes

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

  • The teacher will need to introduce the idea that writers are often drawn on the works of writers of the past especially in terms of themes, patterns of events, or character types. 
  • The teacher will also need to introduce the traditional hero's journey myth (mono-myth). The learning activity "What Makes a Hero?" could be used to introduce these ideas.
  • The teacher will need to create a copy of the My Hero's Journey Book Proposal and personalize it by replacing the highlighted question marks with his/her own name and school name.
  • The teacher will need to share his/her personalized version of My Hero's Journey Book Proposal with the students via Google Classroom or any integrated digital app.

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

crichardson
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