Research Project and Presentation: Mythology

Name:

Period:

Date:

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to improve your research and presentation skills.

Assignment: For this project, you will research a character from Greek/Roman or Norse mythology. Once you have collected and organized your research, you will create a slideshow (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, etc.) and deliver your findings to the class in a 7-10 minute presentation.

Table of Contents: Below are the parts of the assignment and the pages for examples and instructions.

· Important Figures p. 2

· Research p. 3

· Source cards p. 4

· Fact cards p. 4

· Topic outline – example p. 5

· Topic outline – student draft p. 6

· Works Cited page p. 7

· Slideshow Information p. 8

· Presentation Tips p. 9

· Project & Presentation rubric p. 10

Due Dates: The following due dates are checkpoints to help you with the completion of your project. You will receive a score for completing each checkpoint. If you fail to complete any of these assignments, you will not be able to present, and will therefore earn a 0 on the project. You may turn-in a checkpoint after the due date, thus making you eligible to give the final presentation, but late work will not earn any points for the checkpoint.

Assignment / Point Value / Check Point / Due Date
Source Card (first 1) / 1 writing / 1 / Due: ______
Fact cards (first 5) / 5 writing
Source Cards (next 1) / 1 writing / 2 / Due: ______
Fact cards (next 5) / 5 writing
Source Cards (next 2) / 2 writing / 3 / Due: ______
Fact cards (next 20) / 20 writing
Source Cards (final 1) / 1 writing / 4 / Due: ______
Fact cards (final 10) / 10 writing
Topic Outline (typed) / 10 writing / 5 / Due: ______
Works Cited Page (typed) / 10 writing / 6 / Due: ______
Final Presentation / 150 project / n/a / Due: ______

Important Figures

in Greek/Roman, and Norse Mythology

MAJOR GODS AND GODDESSES

1. Zeus

2. Poseidon

3. Hades

4. Hera (no Echo story)

5. Demeter & Persephone

6. Aphrodite

7. Athena

8. Apollo

9. Artemis

10. Hephaestus

11. Ares

12. Dionysus

13. Hermes

OTHER/LESSER DIVINITIES

14. The Fates (also known as Moirai or the Grey Sisters)

15. The Muses (there were nine)

TITANS

16. Prometheus (not Pandora story)

My Mythological Character is:

HEROES

17. Hercules/Heracles

18. Perseus (& Medusa)

19. Theseus (& the Minotaur)

20. Jason

21. Aeneas

TOJAN WAR

22. Helen of Sparta/Troy (& Paris)

23. Achilles

24. Odysseus (& Penelope)

25. Agamemnon

26. Hector/Hektor (Trojan Prince)

OTHER FIGURES

27. Pandora

28. Daedalus (and Icarus)

29. Echo & Narcissus

30. Cupid & Psyche

31. Midas

NORSE GODS

32. Odin

33. Thor

34. Freyja

35. Loki

______

Research

Content & Information: Below is a list of categories that will guide your research. These are also the labels you will use to categorize and title your fact cards. As you research and collect the information, you will write the information you find on your fact cards. Once you find the information for each category, check it off!

ð Name(s): Greek and/or Roman (Other). Include meaning and pronunciation if available.

ð Purpose/Duties: What is your character primarily known for?

ð Myth #1(Birth myth): Tell the story of how your character was born, or created, and to whom. If your character does not have a birth myth, choose an important story to tell.

ð Myth #2: A story of your choice about your character. Be sure to create enough fact cards to tell the entire story!

ð Myth #3: A story of your choice about your character. Be sure to create enough fact cards to tell the entire story!

ð Relationships: Parents, brothers, sisters, spouse, children, friends, enemies, etc.

ð Modern-day relevance: What form(s) of or reference(s) to the character exist in modern culture? This is the only area of your project you may use a general Internet search.

ð Symbol: Select a symbol that you feel represents your character. Include a picture and your reasoning.

Appropriate Sources: You need five sources for this project. Below is a list of appropriate sources. See your MLA packet for more information about how to cite these sources.

· The mythology textbook

· Library books about mythology

· Online databases:

§ World Book Online: Reference Center

§ Gale: Student Resources in Context

§ ProQuest: Literature

§ etc.

· Library eBooks

· Internet search engine (Google, Yahoo, etc.) – only for the “Modern Relevance” category

How to access Curtis High School Online Database and eBooks:

· Open an internet browser (avoid Internet Explorer).

· Enter the URL: http://chsor.upsd.wednet.edu

· If not on your school account, use the access codes from the MLA packet

· When using eBooks:

· Select a book from the list:

§ History: Ancient Greece and Rome: an encyclopedia for students

§ Literature: Greek and Roman mythology

§ Literature: UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology

· Select “Index.”

· Use the search box above the indexed list or select the letter of the alphabet corresponding to the character.

Source and Fact Cards

As you research, you need to record information on two types of notecards: Source cards and Fact cards. The instructions for making these cards are found below.

Source Cards: Source cards are for you to write down the sources you use. They are the where of the information. The example explains the different parts of these cards.

A Source Card 1
Bulfinch, Thomas. “Adonis.” Mythology. Abridgement by Edmund Fuller, Dell, 1959, pp. 61-62.

Fact Cards: Fact cards are for you to write down the specific information you plan to use in you presentation. They are the what of the information (like the name(s) of your character’s parents). The example explains the different parts of these cards.

A Myth #1 (Birth) 1
Adonis is the son of Myrrha, who was turned into a myrrh tree and Lucina helped the tree to give birth to Adonis.
(Bulfinch 61)

Topic Outline – Example

The topic outline will help you organize the facts you’ve collected so that you can present them. Below is an example of what your outline should look like. Complete your outline on the following page.

Adonis: A Model Human-being

People often insist, don’t judge a book by its cover.

Adonis was more than just a pretty-face; he played a significant role in Greek mythology.

I. Name

a. Greek – Adonis

b. Roman - Adonis

II. Purpose/Duties

a. Human lover for Aphrodite (Hamilton 118)

b. Human lover for Persephone

c. Hunter/sportsman

III. Myth #1 (Birth)

a. Mother and father tricked

b. Born from a myrrh tree (Bulfinch 61)

c. Most beautiful infant, Aphrodite fell in love

d. Given to Persephone to raise

IV. Other Myths/Personality

a. Myth #2: Manly and Bold

i. Bold, brave, brazen man who likes to hunt

ii. Aphrodite warns to hunt only less dangerous animals

iii. Adonis decides to hunt wild boar

iv. Wild boar mauls him

v. Aphrodite holds him as he dies

vi. Aphrodite creates anemone (red wild flower) from drops of his blood

b. Myth #3: Handsome & Gorgeous

i. Aphrodite falls in love with the child Adonis

ii. Child given to Persephone to raise

iii. Aphrodite falls in love with man Adonis

iv. Persephone falls in love with man Adonis

v. Zeus decides that Adonis must split the year between them

vi. Along with Persephone’s myth, emphasizes seasons

V. Relationships

a. Mother – Smyrna (Myrrha)

b. Father – Theias, King of Assyria (also Smyrna’ father)

c. Lovers – Aphrodite & Persephone

d. Child – Beroe by Aphrodite

VI. Modern Day Relevance

a. Adonis Complex – term associate to men with body image issues (Handelsman 146)

b. Adonis Grooming – name of company that sells men’s grooming products

Adonis Effect – a workout plan developed to sculpt the perfect male body

VII. Symbols

a. Anemone – red, wild flower; perennial; blooms in early spring

b. The flower was said to be created from drops of his blood

VIII. Conclusion

a. Adonis played a vital role in Greek mythology beyond his beauty

b. Even though known for being handsome, he was a lover of goddesses and a huntsman

c. The next time you see a gorgeous Anemone, think of Adonis

Topic Outline – Student Draft

Directions: Use this template to fill-in the information about your character and draft your outline. The outline will help you organize and build your slideshow. The final outline needs to be typed in this format. You must include Parenthetical Documentation for each fact!

(Creative Title with Character Name)

· Hook:

· Thesis: (The main idea you will demonstrate in your slideshow)

I. Name(s) (The name(s) and what you will say. Include PD)

A. Greek –

B. Roman –

II. Purpose/Duties (What the character is known for. Include the information and how you will explain it. Include PD)

III. Myth #1 (Birth) (Break the facts into several slides, use “picture book” format, and include PD)

IV. Other Myths (Elaborate on personality and accomplishments. Break facts of each myth into a “picture book” format and include PD)

A. Myth #2

ii.

iii. iv.

B. Myth #3

ii.

iii.

iv.

V. Relationships (Include information on family, friends, enemies, and how you will explain them. Include PD)

VI. Modern Day Relevance

A. Example and explanation that ties back to character

B. Second example and explanation that ties back to the character

VII. Symbol (Choose a symbol that best represents your character and explain why you chose it. Include PD)

A. What is it?

B. Why?

VIII. Conclusion (On a closing slide(s) cover the following)

A. Thesis

B. Names

C. Purpose/ Duties

D. Symbol

E. Fun fact (optional)

Works Cited Page

After you’ve created Source Cards for at least five sources, you will compile them on a single typed page. Below is a checklist of things to keep in mind and an example.

Checklist:

☐ The title, Works Cited, should be centered at the top of the page in the same size and type of font as the rest of the paper (12 point, Times New Roman).

☐ Entire page should be double spaced. (No larger spaces between entries, and no double-double between the heading and the first entry.)

☐ Alphabetical order by first word, unless first word is an article (a, an, the) – then put the article at the end, and alphabetize by the next word.

☐ Numbers in titles come before letters alphabetically

☐ Use a hanging indent for each entry

☐ Consult the MLA Packet for specifics on the details of properly citing sources.

☐ Major titles, titles of Books, Magazines, Newspapers, and Databases, should be in italics.

☐ Minor titles, titles of “Articles”, “Essays in a book”, should be in quotation marks.

☐ When included, dates are written in the day month year format. For example: 28 Oct. 1966.

☐ Every entry should end with a period.

☐ Only the sources cited in your project/slideshow should be included on the works cited page, and you must have a minimum of five sources.

Example:

Works Cited

“Adonis.” UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology, Vol. 1, UXL, 2009, pp. 8-11. Gale Virtual Reference Library, Cengage Learning, 2009, go.galegroup.com.

Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology. Translated by Robin Hard, Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 131-132.

Bulfinch, Thomas. “Adonis.” Mythology, Abridgement by Edmund Fuller, Dell, 1959, pp. 61-62.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Back Bay Books, 1942, pp. 117-118.

Handelsman, David, M.D. “Book Review: Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession.” New England Journal of Medicine, No. 344, New England Journal of Medicine, 11 Jan. 2001, pp. 146-147. www.nemj.org.

Slideshow

Slides: You will create a Slideshow to present your research. Each bullet point below represents at least one slide. The “Myths” bullets represent stories that will require multiple slides.

· Intriguing Title. Include your name and class period (meaning and pronunciation if available).

· Attention-getting Introduction (Hook) that relates to your character.

· Thesis: What main idea you are going to convey about your character?

· Name(s): Greek and Roman (Other).

· Purpose/Duties: What is your character known for?

· Myth #1 (Birth): Using multiple slides, tell how your character was born. Use “picture book” format – each slide will have a picture and one statement/sentence.

· Myth #2 (Other): Using multiple slides, tell another story about your character. Use “picture book” format – each slide will have a picture and one statement/sentence.

· Myth #3 (Other): Using multiple slides, tell another story about your character. Use “picture book” format – each slide will have a picture and one statement/sentence.

· Relationships: Include parentage, siblings, and offspring of your character, as well as friends and enemies.

· Modern Day Relevance: What form(s) of, or reference(s) to, the character exist in modern culture?

· Symbol: Include a picture and reasoning.

· Summarizing conclusion: clearly reiterate thesis and main ideas; provide a sense of closure.

Other Requirements: Make sure you keep the following in mind:

· You must create a minimum of 30 slides.

· You must incorporate a minimum of five sources in your presentation.

· Parenthetically document all facts.

· For each fact (CD), you need two commentary (CM) – explanation and thoughts. Type the fact (CD) on the slide; speak your commentary (CM) – do not type it on the slide.

· Try to have a picture for each fact.

· Be creative! It makes your presentation more interesting!

Grading: Your project will be evaluated on the following:

· Organization: Is information presented in an orderly fashion? Are the visuals and the text arranged so that they are easy to see and read? Are corresponding text and visuals arranged so that they support each other?