Heroes & Monsters

Ms. Carla Kurt

 

Who's Your Monster?

 

Although we commonly think of monsters as purely malevolent, the issue of evil is not always so simple, as portrayed in the contrasting perspectives in Beowulf by Anonymous and Grendel by John Gardiner. Your task will be to examine the complex issue of evil by exploring a monster from both the human and the monster's point of view.

 

Step 1

 

·          Choose a type of monster (e.g. - vampire, werewolf, mummy) that seems interesting to you. The sites below are good starting points to discover the wide range of monsters that exist.

 

• Monsterpedia - http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
• List of Monsters - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Monsters

 

·          Once you have chosen the kind of monster you will use for this project, continue your research to gather material that includes the monster's description, habitat, history, characteristics, behavior, folklore, and any other pertinent information.

 

·          Make sure you keep a list of all sources, as you will need them for your Works Cited.

 

Step 2

 

·          Once you know all about your monster, create a persona/character for it. This persona may be based on a literary or cinematic monster (e.g. Count Dracula), or could be a creation of your own.

 

·          Create a WANTED poster that features your monster-persona.

 

• The poster must include an image, vital statistics such as age, size, weight, and distinguishing marks as well as details about the crimes he or she has committed. In addition, in paragraph form (minimum 350 words), include the information from your research: a description, habitat, history, characteristics, behavior, folklore, and any other relevant information. Research actual WANTED posters as models for authenticity.
  
  
• You may choose either a contemporary or "vintage" look, but the poster must be creative, informative, and presented with pride. It must be assembled on large poster paper.
  
  
• Use MLA style in-text citations for the report section of your poster, and include a MLA style Works Cited at the bottom of the poster. EasyBib.com is an online citation and bibliography generator that makes this task a lot simpler.

 

 

Step 3

 

·          Write a first person version of your monster's crime(s) from his or her point of view. It can be in letter, diary, or narrative form. Use Grendel as a model for a story that shows the monster's perspective on the tale told by the poet in Beowulf. Some suggestions:

 

• Provide some back-story that gives the reader insight into your monster's motivation
• Get into the monster's head - how does he or she feel in relation to humans?
• Has your monster always been evil?
• What is your monster's home life like?
• How does it feel when the monster commits a crime?
• What is your monster's version of how the specific crime for which is wanted it happened?

 

·          Be creative and imaginative, but make sure your story lines up with the information on the WANTED poster. In other words, don’t change the basic facts.

 

·          Minimum 500 words, typed, MLA format

 

Evaluation

 

Criteria	Points	Score
Assignment Requirements Project follows assignment instructions Meets minimum length requirement, Documents sources in appropriately correct format Follows guidelines as stated in the directions	40
Creativity Shows effort to approach subject through creative and imagination Shows evidence of working to bring imaginative ways of thinking to topic	20
Effort & Presentation Evidence that substantial effort was spent in producing the project Displays effort in presenting the project with pride.	20
Works Cited and Mechanics Works Cited includes enough substantial sources for solid research and is formatted properly All parts of project meet appropriate standards of written English	20