Mr. Norman Room: 18
Work Phone: (770)787-2250
Tutor Time by appointment only: Tuesday, Thursday: (7:45-8:15)
Monday, Wednesday: (3:30-4:00)
Course Overview:This course will introduce you to those Western and Eastern mythologies that have had the greatest impact on the Western tradition. This course will also focus on writing and advanced research skills.
Course Units and Objectives: Broader Aims: to see how myths function as building blocks of culture. The academic aim is to see what the subject means, not to accept or reject it. This course encourages respect for individual beliefs while also exploring the many ways of reading and understanding religious stories. Method: We will learn to interpret myths and cultures by asking and attempting to answer some of the basic questions that people from antiquity to the present have asked about these tales. Stated broadly, some of these questions are: What are myths? What do they have to do with religion? With psychology? With the natural world? With the history and society of the peoples who produced them? How do they relate to rituals and morality? What are we to think of the similarities and differences in these traditional stories? In what ways are myths practical? In what ways are they true or false? Texts: Edith Hamilton: Mythology ($15.00)The Norse Myths (13.00) This book must be purchased.
Materials Needed:This is a list of items that are needed for my class. Make sure you have all items by the first Tuesday of the semester______________. If you are unable to obtain the necessary supplies, please let me know as soon as possible.
- Three-ring binder with PLEANTY of paper!
- Plenty of writing utensils
- Journal: Your journal can be a spiral notebook or something that you make on your own. However, it needs to be separate from your notebook. You will use this everyday.
- Religious Exploration Paper: All humans have to believe in something to explain questions that they have. We may not all believe in the same belief system. However, it is impossible to say that you don’t believe in anything. In a short paper, describe how you explain the big questions that we have discussed in the first week of class.
- Three Short Papers (5 Pages Doubled Spaced)
- Independent Reading Novel: You will choose a modern novel that has mythological allusions or themes. The novel must be fiction, and I must approve it before you begin reading it. You will present the novel to the class in a creative presentation.
- Discussion Circle Assignments: Because this class is a discussion based class, you will be EXPECTED to complete reading assignments outside of class. We will spend very little time reading in class. Class time will be used to discuss and explore as a group. Discussion circle assignments will be provided on a separate sheet.
- Mythology in Film: You will watch a film that is based on mythology and present the film to the class in a creative presentation.
| Assignments | Points Possible | Assignments | Points Possible |
| Discussion Circle | 30 points a week | Midterm | 100 |
| Journals | 20 Points a Week | Independent Reading Novel/ Film | 100 |
| Quizzes | 20 Points a week | Short Papers | 100 points each |
| Religious Exploration Paper | 50 points | Tests | 100 points each |
Course Outline: The teacher may change this through the semester. This is not final. The readings are divided into reading weeks.
Part One: Greek MythologyEdith Hamilton: Mythology
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