Etymology

Webster defines etymology as the origin and development of a word, affix, phrase, etc. Like the creation and evolution of words, literature has both reflected as well as greatly impacted culture as a whole. Your task in this unit is to examine how specific examples of literature have done this.

** Essential Questions ** //How does literature reflect the culture in which it is set and during which it was written? (cultural and historical contexts)// //How does literature contribute to or change culture?//

There are three time periods we will be studying:

__ Antiquity (Classical Antiquity) __ Agamemnon, from //The Orestia// trilogy by Aeschylus

__ Anglo-Saxon Period (The Dark Ages) __ Beowulf by Anonymous, translated by Burton Raffel

__ The Middle Ages __ The General Prologue to //The Canterbury Tales// by Geoffrey Chaucer The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale from //The Canterbury Tales// by Geoffrey Chaucer

Downloadable PDFs

Working in small groups, you will be responsible for the following components:
 * The Project **

Based on the primary source(s) as well as secondary sources you discover through collaborative research, you will develop a thesis that answers the essential questions.
 * Research/Thesis Defense: **

//** Research: **// You are required to
 * have 10-15 sources, not including your primary source(s).
 * compose an annotated bibliography (30 points) that follows MLA formatting of your sources. (Suggestions: use Diigo to create a central location for your sources. Use Google docs to create a collaborative document for EVERYONE to add their sources and annotations.)
 * have your preliminary thesis (15 points) approved one week before presentation. Please note, this is not necessarily the final thesis. It can change. The purpose of submitting a preliminary thesis is to be sure you are on the right track.

//Something to consider:// since one of the essential questions asks you to focus on the contribution to culture, please note that its contribution could possibly still be seen in contemporary work. You are not limited to the historical context in which the work was written or set.

//**Thesis Defense**// (75 points):
 * You will defend this thesis using the evidence you discover in your primary and secondary sources in the form of a formal, academic speech that will be followed by a brief question-and-answer session from your peers as well as your teacher. In essence, if this speech were to be written out, it would be the equivalent of a 15-20 page paper, so your organization for it should be equivalent. Remember to use the weaving strategy (organize by sub motifs) and to use evidence from BOTH the primary source(s) AND the secondary sources.
 * You are encouraged to use visual aids, such as a slideshow application or other applications/materials, that will support your speech as well as aid your audience in clearly understanding examples, concepts, and/or interpretations from your presentation.

Possible visual aids/supplementary materials: Slideshow (PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Presentations, Prezi) Video clips Podcast clips

Imagining your literature has been produced as a film, you are tasked with creating a movie trailer to promote ticket sales. In addition to this trailer, you will also create a visual campaign (posters, newspaper advertisements, and/or other merchandise) that promotes the film version, as well as develop a newspaper excerpt that critiques the imagined film.
 * Creative/Pop-Culture: **

**//Trailer//** (60 points):
 * Must be approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
 * Merges various scenes so as to draw audiences.
 * Lines must be memorized.
 * Setting may be updated, but language must remain intact.
 * Music and special effects should be appropriate to mood, tone, and theme.

//**Written Review**// (60 points): //**Poster**// (30 points):
 * Critiques a performance (obviously imagined) of literature, incorporating the employment of elements of drama by CGI, music, acting, etc. and written in the style of critical reviews [Suggestion: read through a variety of film reviews online to get a feel for the style in which it is written]
 * Approximately 4-7 well-developed paragraphs in length.
 * Must be in newspaper/periodical layout with the corresponding facets (advertisements, supplemental articles, etc.)
 * Can be presented in print and electronic form.
 * Tips: Google Docs has newspaper templates and allows for collaboration outisde of class. Pages and Word both have nice templates.
 * Includes a visual representation of film, either symbolic or literal.
 * Follows the poster format (e.g. Posters list major actors, ratings, and production information.)
 * Is cleanly composed to present for all audiences; may be color or black and white to create tone and mood.
 * Can be presented in print and/or electronic form.

//**Presentation Grade**// (30 Points)
 * All group members must participate in the presentation in class.
 * Dress and speak appropriately. This is a formal academic presentation, so practicing your delivery is expected.

**THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR PRESENTATIONS:** 1. Dress appropriately 2. Practice for pacing and pronunciation. 3. If you are using a slideshow, do not read from the slides - they are a visual aid meant to support your speech. 4. If you are using a slideshow, do not read titles of slides - work them into a transitional statement. 5. Everyone must be part of the presentation, so designate who will present what aspects of the thesis. 6. Order of presentation: Defense of thesis, newspaper, poster, trailer 7. Presentation of newspaper: summarize your analysis and present the construction of the newspaper (why did you put the extras in, organize it the way you did, name it what you did. etc?) 8. Presentation of poster: explain your choices for visual representation of play 9. Presentation of trailer: after screening, explain why you chose the scenes you chose, music or sound effects, etc. 10. Question and answer will happen after each component as the presentation progresses. 11. Smile! It will all be over soon :)

Rubrics for assessment