LA 1B – The Hero’s Journey

Week 1, Day 1
I will define what it means to be a “hero”

Pick up a folder 

What’s in a hero? (worksheet)

Posters: What is a hero?

 Share with your group: What did you brainstorm?
 Create a poster about your group’s heroes.
 Use words, pictures, phrases, symbols, etc.

Gallery Walk:
 What are some common themes and ideas?
 What stood out to you? What did you see?
 Write your answers on the board.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wn7Lbh2X88

Summarize: “Where I Find my Heroes” and “Heroes with Solid Feet”

 Read the article.
 Circle anything that hints to the definition of a hero.
 Write a summary on the back of your worksheet
about the author’s definition of a hero.

Write a new summary.

 Find a partner with the opposite article.
 Combine your summaries.
Make a new definition of a “hero.”

Real-life heroes
 Who are some real-life heroes?
 What qualities do they possess?

Week 1, Day 2
I will define the “epic hero cycle.”

Quick Write
 How could you consider yourself to be a hero?
 What obstacles have you gone through or are going through?
 Write it on the back of yesterday’s worksheet

Journal (1/3 page)

 What is a journey?
 What images come to mind when you think of a “journey”?
 What could “the hero’s journey” mean?

Notes: The Epic Hero Cycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

Heroes and their Journeys

 Brainstorm a hero’s epic hero cycle. (Ex: Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo)
Week 1, Day 3-4
I will identify elements of the epic hero cycle.

Movie and Worksheet: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

 Complete the epic hero cycle using events from the movie.

Week 1, Day 5
I will determine the elements of the epic hero cycle.

Finish movie and worksheet!

Write your 3 Sticky Notes

 Pick 3 of the 12 elements you feel confident identifying.
 Write what happened in the movie for each number.
 Write your name on the back of each.

Post your 6 Sticky Notes

 Post the sticky note on the appropriate poster.

Look at your Sticky Notes

 Review the sticky notes and definition for your cycles.
 Do you agree with them?
 Determine which event is best for that poster.

Week 2, Day 1
I will define “epic” literary terms.

Gallery Walk
 Write your name on your sticky note.
 Put your sticky note on the book you’d like to read (We have multiple copies of each!)
 Already have a book? Write the title under your name and bring me your note.

Exploratory Notes: Literary terms, Archetypes, and Themes

1. Analyze your group’s pictures and titles.
2. Define your term.
3. Last: What is the definition of an epic?
Week 2, Day 2
I will define “epic” literary terms.

Mini-Poster
What do you remember about your assigned literary term?

Whiteboard
What word or phrase resonates with you
when you think of the word “epic”?

Literary Notes

Week 3, Day 1
Snow Day!!!

Week 3, Day 2
I will make inferences.

Enjoy your book 

Update your calendar

Book goals
 Calendar: Record how much you read today.
 Bottom: What is your overall reading goal?
(Ex: enjoyment, pacing, comprehension, characterization)

Label the top of a new page “Inferences”

Def: Sentence Stems:

Inferences with pictures (Glue chart in notebooks)

Week 3, Day 3
I will make inferences.

Glue one “Interesting Inferences” to each side of your looseleaf.

Front: “Control”
Make inferences: Fill in the chart in your notebooks.
1. Sadia meditates in the morning and after she stubbed her toe.
+ Meditation is used to calm down or relax.
= Sadia needs to calm down and relax.
2. Sadia stays at home in her “prison” and knows to never leave.
+ If we stay home all the time, we don’t socialize.
= Sadia might not have many friends because she is home alone all the time.
3. Sadia froze in place and began gripping her elbows, and her stomach ached.
+ When people do these things, they are usually nervous or scared.
= Sadia is scared.

Back: Novel
Make inferences: You may use the chart OR the sentence stems.

Week 3, Day 4
I will define and identify setting.

Enjoy your book 

Update your calendar

Sticky notes
 What is setting? Post your note on the board.

Label the top of a new page “Setting”

Def: Time and Location/Place
- Pontiac
- Where the story takes place
- Surroundings of a character
- Where
- Date/year or clock time

Setting in…The Red Pyramid (Pages 38-41)

1. Circle key words or phrases that contribute to the setting of the novel.
2. Draw a picture of what you see with a caption explaining the setting.

Setting in…your novels (separate gradebook grade)

1. Select a passage from your novel (include pg#).
2. Jot down key words or phrases that contribute to the setting of the novel.
3. Create an Instagram of what you see with a caption explaining the setting.
4. (On the back) What is the “Status Quo” in your novel? (3-5 sentences)

Week 3, Day 5
I will define and identify the setting in my novel.

Enjoy your book 

Update your calendar

Finish setting from yesterday (separate gradebook grade)

Week 4, Day 1
I will define and identify characterization in my novel.

Enjoy your book 

Update your calendar

Label the top of a new page “Characterization”

Glue “Teaching Characterization” into notebooks (both sides of paper)

Front: Notes
 Author
 Personality
 STEAL: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, Looks

Back: Black Panther https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2KJxdvckEk

 Complete STEAL chart
 Partners: Share answers and copy down a second detail.
 Write a statement that summarizes the character.

Characterization in…The Red Pyramid (Pages 2-3)

 Complete the STEAL Chart.
 Label textual evidence direct or indirect.
 Write a paragraph explaining the characterization.
(5-7 sentences – talk about each trait you found!)

“Shut up, Sadie…” -D

Speech “You ever try to start a game of basketball in Egypt” –D
“I felt a surge of strength” - D
Why do I have to travel all the time? -I
When will I have a “true” home? -I
Thoughts When will I see my sister again? –I
Why do I all of a sudden feel stronger?
Where did my dad go?
Does not get along with his sister Sadie. -I
Effect
Not close with his grandparents. –I
on others
Close with dad -I
Moving from place to place. –D
Actions Has a suitcase packed. -D
Telling us his story. -D
14yo boy -D
Looks Dark brown skin -D
Sad -I

Characterization in…your novels (separate gradebook grade)

The Red Pyramid (p65-69)
1. Select a passage from your novel that gives information
about your hero (include pg#)
2. Complete STEAL Chart.
Write textual evidence that shows characterization.
Extra challenge: Label direct or indirect.
3. Write a paragraph explaining the characterization.
(5-7 sentences – talk about each trait you found!)
Week 4, Day 2
I will identify character motivation in my novel.

Enjoy your book 

Update your calendar

Sticky notes
 What is motivation?
 What are some different types?

Motivation: reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way

- What keeps the character going or doing something 
- The strong will/want/need to do a specific task (internal)
- To push someone to do something (external)
- Feeling/reason to do something
- Helps motivate us to do a task

Journal: What are Erik’s reasons for stealing the museum artifact?

Black Panther: Erik’s motivation and call to adventure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NO82ZeIqko

Motivation in our novels

Red Pyramid (pg23-25)
1. Finish STEAL Chart.
Write textual evidence that shows characterization.
Extra challenge: Label direct or indirect.
2. Add information about the character’s motivation and their “call to adventure”.
Use textual evidence.
3. Write a paragraph explaining the characterization.
What is your character’s motivation to go out on his or her journey? (5-7 sentences)

…Carter is motivated to go out on his journey because his dad

disappeared at the museum when he was summoning an
Egyptian god. He starts to wonder if his dream was actually
reality, and suddenly seems stronger.

Week 4, Day 3
I will identify character motivation in my novel.

Website!
 URL: durant-williams.weebly.com
 Writing  Notebooks
 Right side (LA1B)

Enjoy your book 

Update your calendar
Show me what you know about characterization in your novel!
What is your character’s motivation to go out on his or her journey?

- Write a paragraph.
- Write a letter.
- Complete the STEAL chart.
- Create an Instagram.
- Create a phone wallpaper with text messages.
- Pitch a new idea!

Week 4, Day 4
I will

● Note sheet for tracking hero’s journey stages. Complete 12-1. Describe your novel’s status
quo and call to adventure.
Model with Percy Jackson and The Red Pyramid.

● Take out your Hero’s Journey notes.

Annotate by numbering and labeling each stage of the hero’s journey.

Week 5, Day 1
I will identify our roles during literature circles.

Lit Circle Roles

Make each role double sided (student vs teacher model)

Director (before discussion)

1. Today’s focus: The hero’s journey

1. Why do you think the hero’s journey is a universal theme

in stories from just about every period of history and just
about every culture?

2. Can you think of examples from your personal life where

the hero’s journey might apply?
3. In what ways are heroes today the same and different
from specific heroes of literature and history?

Week 5, Day 2

Lit Circle (class model)

2. Model effective lit circle discussion (film, fishbowl, etc.)
3. What made it effective? Focus on how they speak.

Discussion Strategies
4. Introduce talk stems
5. Give each student a stem to use during discussion.

Lit Circle Roles (cont)

6. Review your “Director” notes. Circle one question that you want to discuss. You may
discuss the others if we have time.
7. Practice with whole class with a variety of strategies
8. Begin discussion by calling on someone to share their question. Continue discussion with
questions and answers. Everyone must contribute in at least one meaningful way.
9. When appropriate, interrupt to introduce Connector.
10. Connector (during discussion) - Students then teacher
11. Summarizer (after discussion) - Students then teacher

Week 3, Day 3

Read 15min

Lit Circle (class model)

12. Model effective lit circle discussion (film, fishbowl, etc.)
13. What made it effective? Focus on their goals and responsibilities.

Lit Circles meet

14. Set goals & responsibilities for lit circle.
15. Give a brief introduction to your novel.