Carla Kurt/smartscion humanities resources

You will first work in small groups to investigate and present to the class an assigned portion of *The Epic of Gilgamesh. Your focus will be not only on how the themes and motifs of the epic compare to other world myths you have studied, but also how the story conveys the cultural values of a civilization. The individual portion of this Phase will challenge you to choose one value that you discovered highlighted in The Epic of Gilgamesh* and demonstrate how this value is perceived and communicated in today's world.
"He saw the Secret, discovered the Hidden, he brought information of the time before the Flood. He went on a distant journey, pushing himself to exhaustion, but then was brought to peace." – Gilgamesh I "Supreme over other kings, lordly in appearance, he is the hero, born of Uruk, the goring wild bull. He walks our in front, the leader, and walks at the rear, trusted by his companions. Mighty net, protector of his people, raging flood-wave who destroys even walls of stone! " – Gilgamesh I	Step One: Please keep a Dialectical Journal as you are reading *The Epic of Gilgamesh. You should contemplate the following questions as you are making your journal entries, and you should be able to answer them in short paragraph form after you have finished. The resource links below provide two different translations of the epic, study aides and important historical/cultural background to enhance your reading. Questions* How does this story relate to the "pattern" of hero stories, and the stories of other hero figures you have observed? What archetypes are evident in this story? What is the relationship between Enkidu and Gilgamesh? What qualities does each have that the other lacks? How does Gilgamesh change after Enkidu arrives? How is Ishtar characterized in this epic? Is it similar or different to her characterization in Ishtar's Descent? How are other female figures characterized in this epic? Is characterization a relevant concept when reading myth? Explain. What emotions and values are illustrated in this story? What does the treatment of these emotions and values indicate? Using specific examples quoted from the text, define what the Mesopotamians felt were the highest abilities available to human beings. Using specific examples from the text, define what the Mesopotamians felt were the limits of human abilities, the line or lines that humans could never cross. Does *The Epic of Gilgamesh* have a life lesson or is there a set of ideas and problems that provide a central focus for its meanings? Resources Text and Study Guides *Gilgamesh...translated by Maureen Gallery Kovacs Gilgamesh...translated by Robert K.G. Temple Ishtar's Descent Into the Underworld...the Babylonian myth Gilgamesh* Summary...good summary and anaylsis of the text;to be used as an adjunct to your own close reading Gilgamesh Study Guide...good background material, but not a substitute for the actual reading! History and Background Mesopotamia...a bird's eye view...important time periods, famous city names, dynasties and terminology World History I -Mesopotamia...history and art links...good for studying very specific aspects of the Mesopotamian cultures Accessing Women's Lives in Mesopotamia...interesting historical perspective on the role of women About Cuneiform Writing...learn about the writing used to create the *Gilgamesh* tablets Sumerian Mythology...frequently asked questions with detailed answers
Phase One Phase Two Lesson Index H&M Home smartscion	Step Two: Your group's task is to present to the class an assigned aspect of *The Epic of Gilgamesh. Your group’s task will investigate its assigned topic and create five short essay questions to be used as part of the unit test on Gilgamesh. You will then compile and present the information necessary for the class to answer the questions. Content:* Each group will have one of the following aspects to focus on for its presentation: Group 1: how the story's themes and motifs compare to the other early myths you've studied Group 2: what archetypes are evident in the story Group 3: how the characters are presented and developed Group 4: the emotions and values presented, and what they indicate within the context of your group's assigned portion Group 5: use of language (stucture, diction, figurative language, etc.) as part of the storytelling process ALL Groups must include the following information as well: the story's relationship to the history and culture of the ancient Sumerians what observations or lessons about life are suggested in your group's portion of the story Presentation: Although your presentation should include the following required components, please feel free to be creative in both your design and presentation. Requirements 5 clear “thinking” short essay questions on different aspect of your group’s topic questions typed up on a sheet of paper board notes and lecture presenting organized, specific (with page #’s) information necessary to answer the questions each group member contributes and presents presentation ready to go by due date/ should take 5-7 minutes presentation is smooth, easy to understand and interesting Evaluation: You will be evaluated on the completion and execution of the above requirements on a scale of 0-4 4 = excellent – requirements completely fulfilled with insight, thoroughness and attention to detail 3 = good – requirements completely fulfilled 2 = poor – portions of the requirements are not fulfilled 1 = unacceptable – requirements are largely not met 0 = no credit – no work done
"The values by which we are to survive are not rules for just and unjust conduct, but are those deeper illuminations in whose light justice and injustice, good and evil, means and ends are seen in fearful sharpness of outline." – Jacob Bronowski "Myth is an attempt to narrate a whole human experience, of which the purpose is too deep, going too deep in the blood and soul, for mental explanation or description." – D.H. Lawrence "The primary function of myth is to validate an existing social order. Myth enshrines conservative social values, raising tradition on a pedestal. It expresses and confirms, rather than explains or questions, the sources of cultural attitudes and values.... Because myth anchors the present in the past it is a sociological charter for a future society which is an exact replica of the present one." – Ann Oakley	Step Three: Choose one value that you discovered highlighted in The Epic of Gilgamesh and write an essay in which you discuss how this value is perceived and communicated in today's world in comparison to its treatment in *Gilgamesh. You may choose one of the following formats. Formats* Choose a quote that illustrates the value you selected. Use the quote as a focus for your essay. Find a poem that relates thematically to the value you selected. Write and essay that uses the poem as a focus to discuss the value as it is perceived and communicated in today's world. Find a contemporary image (photograph, art, sculpture, advertisement) that represents your chosen value and discuss how it portrays the value. Find a news article that demonstrates the importance of the value that you have selected. Use the article as a focus for a more general discussion of the value in today's world. Resources Quotations Annabelle's Quotation Guide...organized by both topic and author with a quick search window Quoteland....features quotes by topic, research resources and user groups The Quotations Page...bills itself as "the oldest quotation site on the Web" Simpson's Contemporary Quotations...part of the Bartleby site, Simpson's features modern quotes organized by author and topic with a handy keyword search Poetry Yahoo Poetry Directory...links to poetry sites Bartleby....search for poems by title, author and subjects, or use the keyword search Norton Poets Online...poetry indexed by title and author Poetry Archives...database is searchable by first-line, author and poem title by key words using the search feature Images Fagan Finder...a huge listing of image search engines...have some fun! Google Image Search....by keyword, "the most comprehensive image search on the web" Altavista Image Search....photos, graphics, buttons and banners The Metropolitan Museum of Art....extensive online collection from New York's famous art museum National Gallery of Art...tour the collections of the National gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The Louvre...view selections from the Louvre's (Paris) various collections Smithsonian Photo Archive...from the Smithsonian's Office of Imaging and Photographic Services Images, Museums, Galleries & Photography...the Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia Libraries' internet reference guide...a real wealth of wonderful links...explore! News U.S. News Archives on the Web... links to U.S. newspapers that provide archive services The New York Times...read current news or search the archives Associated Press...news Web site of the Associated Press, its member newspapers and broadcasters CNN Current Events Resources...links organized by current events categories Evaluation: You will be evaluated based on a rubric handed out in class.