Overview - The overall focus
in Writing will be on discovering what it takes to be a hero. The hero in
the Greek culture is a cornerstone to understanding how they thought, wrote,
spoke and understood life. We will focus on Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. Students
will be immersed in the culture of a hero. They will learn what it takes
to be a hero and the process one must go through, and eventually learn of most
of their tragic ends. The final piece of work, next Wednesday, will involve a
comparative essay between Percy Jackson and a hero of their choosing.
Tuesday 10/14/14 -
Tuesday 10/14/14 -
Today we discussed A Hero's Journey, which is a biographical breakdown of phases that a hero
passes through on his or her journey through life. Life starts with a
separation from the normal in which the hero notices that they do not fit in.
Something happens to them that creates the beginning of the process:
Peter Parker getting bit, Dorothy taken away in the tornado, Percy being
attacked by a Fury. The hero then must learn how the new world works and
the rules that apply. As usual, the hero picks up a mentor/aid to guide
them through the transformation: Dorothy has Glinda, Percy has Chiron,
Cinderella has the Fairy Godmother. The next major phase is the
Initiation or Transformation. Here the hero picks up their sidekick or
ally: Batman and Robin, Percy and Grover, Dorothy and the Scarecrow. The
hero must then pass through minor tests that help strengthen and improve their
powers. As usual, the hero must confront the Supreme Ordeal, or final
battle: Dorothy and the Witch, Percy and Ares, Batman and Joker, Spiderman and
the Green Goblin, Ariel and the Octopus. After the ordeal, the hero
enters the third phase of the process, which is the return home. The
escape or flight always comes first: Dorothy clicking her heels, Percy flying
on the plane, Batman returning to the Cave. They must then confront the
Father figure, or bully in the real world but can not use their powers: Clark
Kent and his boss, Ariel and her father, Percy and Stinky Gabe. Finally,
the heroes must learn how to live in the real world knowing what they possess
and control themselves so as not to be identified. The students are
working in groups to put their selected hero through the transformation.
They will continue to work on this tomorrow.
Wednesday 10/15/14 -
Today in writing we broke into our groups to begin collaborating on "The Hero's Journey." Each group was responsible for choosing a specific hero that fit the mold of "The Journey." After choosing a hero: Spiderman, Captain America, Harry Potter, etc... the students watched a short video. In the video, they learned about every step a hero travels through on their journey to adventure. After the video, I modeled how to put their hero through the journey by using Percy Jackson from "The Lightning Thief."
We were able to discuss the first four sections of the journey. At the beginning, their is the "status quo" stage where the hero lives an ordinary life with nothing major happening other that what is normal. Usually the hero has a rough life of bullying and parental issues. Then the next phase is the "separation from normal" where the hero has an event occur that breaks them from their regular routine, like Peter Parker getting bit by the spider and going through major physical and mental transformations. After that phase, the hero is "called to adventure" which means that he is given a sign or meets new people that help guide them through their transformations, and explain why they have been given this gift. Usually they are informed of a special mission or task that must be completed.
The final phase we worked on was meeting the "mentor. Here the hero is trained by a person, or thing, who guides them through their transformation and they learn how to use their powers that have been gifted to them. Hopefully, by the end of the week we will be able to get through all the major phases, and create a thorough breakdown of each hero's journey.
Thursday 10/16/14 -
We continued to collaborate on out most recent project. The groups have now compromised on many of the issues that arose yesterday, after a brief lesson on socialization expectation in a group setting. It was awesome to finally see some of the them assist others in a truly compassionate way, instead of the fact that they just had to.
The focus shifted over to the hero's departure from the normal world and into the unknown of all that is new to them. The kids had a great time discussing the different ways that each hero was introduced into their new worlds. After the hero enters the new realm, they must pass through many different trials. The students began to understand that these trials actually help strengthen the mental and physical well-being of their hero. In some instances the hero actually gets killed or severely injured by the main nemesis, but always rises to fight another day.
Friday 10/17/14 -
Mr. Barkley is out of the classroom today grading "On-Demand" prompts. In class, the students are being given a mid-term assessment focused on hero structure and development. The kids are given a chance to create their own hero. In the paper, they are required to provide a background setting of the hero's childhood and upbringing. Once the setting and background are established, the kids will create a "catalyst" that helps transform them in to their super being. The students then discuss the trials and leaning curves the hero must go through in life. As always, there will be a Supreme Ordeal, where the hero must overcome their enemy, hopefully without getting destroyed in the process. The closure piece will encompass how the hero returns to their normal life and keep everything a secret from their community.
Wednesday 10/15/14 -
Today in writing we broke into our groups to begin collaborating on "The Hero's Journey." Each group was responsible for choosing a specific hero that fit the mold of "The Journey." After choosing a hero: Spiderman, Captain America, Harry Potter, etc... the students watched a short video. In the video, they learned about every step a hero travels through on their journey to adventure. After the video, I modeled how to put their hero through the journey by using Percy Jackson from "The Lightning Thief."
We were able to discuss the first four sections of the journey. At the beginning, their is the "status quo" stage where the hero lives an ordinary life with nothing major happening other that what is normal. Usually the hero has a rough life of bullying and parental issues. Then the next phase is the "separation from normal" where the hero has an event occur that breaks them from their regular routine, like Peter Parker getting bit by the spider and going through major physical and mental transformations. After that phase, the hero is "called to adventure" which means that he is given a sign or meets new people that help guide them through their transformations, and explain why they have been given this gift. Usually they are informed of a special mission or task that must be completed.
The final phase we worked on was meeting the "mentor. Here the hero is trained by a person, or thing, who guides them through their transformation and they learn how to use their powers that have been gifted to them. Hopefully, by the end of the week we will be able to get through all the major phases, and create a thorough breakdown of each hero's journey.
Thursday 10/16/14 -
We continued to collaborate on out most recent project. The groups have now compromised on many of the issues that arose yesterday, after a brief lesson on socialization expectation in a group setting. It was awesome to finally see some of the them assist others in a truly compassionate way, instead of the fact that they just had to.
The focus shifted over to the hero's departure from the normal world and into the unknown of all that is new to them. The kids had a great time discussing the different ways that each hero was introduced into their new worlds. After the hero enters the new realm, they must pass through many different trials. The students began to understand that these trials actually help strengthen the mental and physical well-being of their hero. In some instances the hero actually gets killed or severely injured by the main nemesis, but always rises to fight another day.
Friday 10/17/14 -
Mr. Barkley is out of the classroom today grading "On-Demand" prompts. In class, the students are being given a mid-term assessment focused on hero structure and development. The kids are given a chance to create their own hero. In the paper, they are required to provide a background setting of the hero's childhood and upbringing. Once the setting and background are established, the kids will create a "catalyst" that helps transform them in to their super being. The students then discuss the trials and leaning curves the hero must go through in life. As always, there will be a Supreme Ordeal, where the hero must overcome their enemy, hopefully without getting destroyed in the process. The closure piece will encompass how the hero returns to their normal life and keep everything a secret from their community.
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