Allusions Project: due:___January 13th/January

14th__________Allusions to the Bible, mythology, literature and art are a prominent part
of our literary lives – in novels (fiction and nonfiction), newspapers, magazines, advertising,
etc.. To ensure that you are prepared to identify the many allusions that you will encounter in
your reading throughout high school, this project has been devised. It covers allusions to the
Bible, mythology, and literature, art and philosophy. I hope that you come away from this
experience an expert on at least three different allusions and knowledgeable on numerous
others.

For this assignment, you will sign up to research and present one allusion from three different
categories: the Bible, Mythology, and Literature/art/philosophy.

Presentations:
Visual: students must create a handout using Google Docs that gives classmates the information
necessary for them to understand the reference.
The visual should include the following: 1.summary of the reference, 2.significance of the
reference in regard to history, literature, and life, 3.definition of any terms necessary, and 4.any
applications of the reference – where has the allusion occurred and how. 5. MLA citation of
sources.

Quiz Questions: For the three allusions, students must create three multiple choice questions
(one for each). These questions must address the important aspects of the allusion and be easily
answerable from the information on the handout. The answers must be typed on a separate sheet,
and placed at the bottom of the quiz.

Oral: students will orally present the information that is found on their handout – don’t read
directly off of the handout. Students should also present any information they deem important
but that might not have made it onto the handout. Be ready to answer questions and clarify your
handout material. Lastly, students may present a current/contemporary use of the allusion
within the genre of film for extra credit. (10 extra points)

Length: Presentations should be no longer than 7 minutes. Research should be on a separate

page from quiz questions (see example)

Evaluation of Presentations/Handout:

Handouts will be graded on the following criteria:

-Clarity of content and presentation
-Effectiveness of visual presentation
-Proper use of MLA/formatting
-Bibliography (source of research for each allusion)
-Quiz Questions
Presentations will be graded on the following criteria:
-Content presentation
-Organization and speaking
-Volume
Allusions List (Choose ONE from each category- total of THREE)

Biblical
Moses Judas
Story of Creation The Crucifixion
Abraham and Isaac The Resurrection
Cain and Abel David and Goliath
The Prodigal Son Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Lazarus Jonah in the Belly of the Whale
The Last Supper Good Samaritan
land of milk and honey Apocalypse
exodus belly of the beast
Shadrach, Meschach, and Abindigo Prodigal son
Plagues of Egypt Kingdom Come
Garden Gethsemane

Mythology
Cupid and Psyche River Styx
Orpheus and Eurydice Jason and the Golden Fleece
Daedalus and Icarus Midas and the Golden Touch
Twelve Labors of Heracles Jason and Medea
Persephone Romulus and Remus
Agamemnon Pandora’s Box
Achilles Trojan Horse
Dido Gordian knot
Perseus Prometheus
Nemesis labyrinth
Ragnarok scapegoat
Oedipus Rex

Literature/Arts/Philosophy
Hamlet Robin Hood
Brutus El Dorado
Utopia Scrooge
Frankenstein Battle of the Marne
Yahoo Rockefeller
Don Quixote Uncle Tom
King Arthur and Arthurian legend Big Brother
Quest for the Holy Grail Catch-22
Fountain of youth Sherlock Holmes
Merlin wolf in sheep’s clothing
Lady Macbeth
Jekyll and Hyde Three Musketeers
 Allusions Presentation Rubric/Evaluation
Name:_____________________________________________________________
Allusions:
1._________________________________________
2._________________________________________
3._________________________________________
Presentation: Min. Max. Pts. given
Voice/Posture
Interested 0 2 ______
Clarity 0 2 ______
Appropriate volume 0 2 ______

Material
Knowledge shown 0 2 ______
Error-Free 0 2 ______

Time
Within 7 minutes 0 5 ______

Handout:
Content
Clear 0 10 ______
Complete(5 points each) 0 30 ______
Concise 0 5 ______

Grammar
Error-Free 0 10 ______

Bibliography
Reliable/credible 0 5 ______
MLA style used 0 10 ______

Quiz Questions/Answers
Total of three 0 10 ______
Answers provided 0 5 ______

Total: 0 100 ______

Did student do extra credit for 10 extra points? ______yes______no