epicproject

The Epic Project
Mr. Burke/English 1H
Fall 1996

Overview This project offers a range of options, each of which emphasizes some different talent you may have but all of which are equally demanding intellectually. Only one of them allows for group work, though even this one could be done by an individual (who wanted to do the dramatic option as a series of monologues in the voices of difference characters). I will not provide too much time in class on this project. I will, however, stop along the way for check points to make sure you are doing well. You should feel free to consult me outside of class for additional help as you need it. You cannot do too much or exceed my expectations on this: I will look for truly remarkable work in whichever domain you work.

Guidelines

You can choose from any of the following epics contained in your book:

The Iliad

The Aeneid (Rome: the founding of Italy)
The Ramayana (India)
Gilgamesh (Sumer/Babylonia)
Beowulf (England/Scandinavia)
King Arthur(England)
*Siddartha (India) (this is not in your book; it is a novella based on the life of the Buddha, written by Herman Hesse)
*Exodus (Hebrew Bible; story of Moses)

KIDS’ BOOK You will make an actual children's book complete with pictures, text, covers, your name, the source of the myth, and a short note about the country or background of the myth (in an introductory note) You are encouraged to seek examples at home or the library of other children's books. I especially recommend, among others, the books of Gerald MacDurmott since he often does exactly this sort of work. You may also want to try something fancy like pop-up pages; there are how-to books that can tell you how to do this; see also, Richard Scarry’s Busytown for an example of a very fun but do-able pop-up book. There is even a new, excellent website by HarperCollins called "How to Make a Book" that gives you instructions online. Show examples.

Requirements for kids' book:

a story board and/or mock-up of your project showing the stages of development for your project
a rough draft (unless somehow that is inappropriate--i.e., your story board serves the same purpose)
a final draft
a self-evaluation of your work (guidelines will be provided later)
inside your book somewhere there should be an intro section in which you explain the background of the myth and/or the country it came from. You should also include a biographical note about the author (YOU!) so that readers will know who did this (picture of author is optional)

MULTIMEDIA
BOOK This is a bit more tricky, but the idea is that each screen would be the equivalent of a page, and the user will move through the "book" by pushing buttons or using the mouse. It might, but need not, include sounds and other surprises. It must, however, include all those components common to the others--pictures, the story text, background on the tale and/or country. Please see me if you plan to do this project. I have HyperCard and HyperStudio available on several computers in room 80. This would need to be a serious piece of work; doing it on the computer alone would not make it interesting or exceptional. I have a scanner; you could integrate sounds, images from the web, from art books, etc.

DRAMATIC
INTERPRETATION This is a new option and thus waits to be invented by you. You would take an epic and first translate it into a script. You can do this as a group, though realize there is an individualized writing portion, too. There must be equal and full participation by all members of the group. It is not an option to have some little side role in the play. Better each person should do a couple roles. You would turn in the following if you do this:

your typewritten script in appropriate script format
individual interpretations and analysis of the story you performed (see guidelines below)
perform your story for the class
could be done as a series of monologues if you want to work solo

WRITE YOUR
OWN EPIC You would read any epic of your own choosing and do the following:

write the prescribed analysis of the epic you read
write your own full-length epic of your own creation set in whatever time frame you choose

JOURNEY TO
THE PAST This option, available onto to individuals, asks you to take the epic you read and do something like the following:

become a modern day Indiana Jones-like anthropologist and keep a diary of your travels through the story and the time and the place(s)
create maps of your journey and the places seen
write up a detailed summary of your trip and your findings to be presented to the National Geographic Society upon your return. It should include close and specific references to events in the story and the characters involved and should explain the cultural relevance and significance of the story to today's world or that culture today (i.e., how does the Ramayana help us understand modern day Indian culture?)
you could certainly embellish your travelogue with fictionalized details to make it more interesting (e.g., imagined conversations with Aeneas or Odysseus)

GRAPHIC
NOVEL This allows someone of serious artistic talent to take their chosen epic and translate it into a graphic novel or comic book. It is a serious project and should not be attempted unless you can do superior work. Must do analysis of epic, also.

FORMAL
ESSAY For those who just want to tackle a serious idea and compare or examine one or two epics and write a lengthy essay in which you develop your ideas about, for example, the Iliad and the Odyssey as a pair, here is your chance. A serious piece of work that does not demand the analysis required in others.

REQUIREMENTS I will expect to collect the following on Monday October 21st

the final product for whichever option you choose
the written analysis--each person must do their own--in which you discuss what this story is about, what it might mean to the people of that time and culture and to us today. This is not exactly an essay, but it is a serious piece of writing and thinking.

A Few Suggestions Concerning the Quality of Your Work

Photocopy final draft of pages that have text and images which will reproduce well (instead of having pictures pasted on the page of paper).
Use a computer to write your text (you can use any font you want, but keep in mind that they should not be TOO fancy or distracting)
Avoid ANY visible glue or other unsightly details that will detract from the quality of your work.
Binding: there are several ways of binding them so that the final book looks very good. See me if you have questions or need help doing this.
Art: you can use computer clip-art or other computer-generated graphics, your own original art, photocopied images (which, if done well, can be enhanced with watercolors), or paper fold-outs (which you can find helpful books to explain how-to-do).

GRADING This project will receive a letter grade which will be based on those criterion established in the attached generic evaluation sheet. This is a very significant project and calls for your best work. Of course, you do your best on all your work at all times, don't you.