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Media RichUnit Plan
Statement of Purpose
For this unit, we will be exploring how stories are composed, how society influences
storytelling, and how deviations from classical story telling impact their intended
audiences. The rational for this unit is that this will be a unit that will be presented in the
Pop Culture class I will be teaching next semester in which we analyze both film and
literature. Students are currently studying the methods that are used in composing stories
and what constitutes a good/bad story.
Student’s grades for the unit will be determined on the following items:
1. Daily responses-students will be asked to write for five minutes, at the beginning
of class, over a presented item. Responses should be tailored towards whether
or not the selected items constitute as a story as well as students general
reactions to the items. 10 response opportunities will be given for 5 points
each, for a total of 50 points.
2. Weekly responses will be turned in at the end of each week. Weekly responses
will contain student summaries regarding the assigned reading for the week.
Responses must be individual and unique. Responses that are copied and/or
plagiarized will receive an automatic zero and students will be required to
attend a meeting discussing the incident outside of normal class time. 1
response per week, worth 10 points each, for a total of 40 points.
3. A culminating project will be given for at the end of the unit. Students will be
tasked with creating a portfolio of their own unique story in groups of 4, in order
to be used for the classic board game “Dungeons and Dragons.” Groups will need
to create a 3-5 page story using story elements we have explored in class worth
30 points.
Individual group members will then be required to compose the back story
for their individual characters (3-5 pages) detailing who their created character
is, what class their character falls into (priest, druid, mage, knight, Templar,
rogue, etc.), what race their character is (gnome, human, elf/dark elf, lichen,
undead, etc.), and what the character’s driving force is. Assignment of attribute
points will be discussed in class.
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Historical Context
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction
The Name of the Wind: Published 2007.
-Operation Iraqi Freedom
-One Year Prior to Great Recession/Wall Street Bailout
-European Union begins austerity talks as finances decline
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Published 1997
-Six years after gulf war/gas prices rise
-3 years prior to the collapse of the dotcom bubble
-4 years after world trade center bombing (1993)
-1 year after IRA sets off bomb in Manchester
The Hobbit: Published 1937
-8 years after Wall Street Crash/Great Depression
-3rd Reich in Germany Emerges (1933)
-2 years prior to World War II
Literary Criticism
-“The Other Side of Psychoanalysis” Jacques Lacan
This text can be used by the teacher as a way of examining how discourse is
exchanged in an individual’s attempt to convey meaning towards another. This text
discusses how the 4 universal forms of discourse are used, which can be extended to
towards the art of storytelling. The Lacanian perspective provides the teacher, as well as
students, with insight into how the importance of meaning is internalized in an individual
and why certain people naturally gravitate towards certain discourses.
-“The Hero with a Thousand Faces” (Joseph Campbell)
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This text can be used as a teacher’s tool as it provides universal details regarding the
essential elements of a story. The hero’s quest, driving force, and force of opposition will
all be examined with the help of this literary classic.
Explanation
For this unit, students will build a strong foundation of literary analysis skills
needed to further their academic careers. The themes of this unit will be examining
different story telling conventions, discovering correlations between art and escapism, and
ultimately learning to create a unique story. Literary techniques that will be explored are:
-irony, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, ellipsis, personification, plot, protagonists,
antagonists, motifs, symbolism, synesthesia.
Additional Print Text
-The Hobbit (J. R. Tolkien)
Excerpts of this text will be used as a form of comparison between Rothfuss’s “The
Name of the Wind” and Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Students will be
asked with identifying protagonists/antagonists, driving force, supplemental characters,
and other literary overlaps/contrasts.
-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
Excerpts of this text will be used as a form of comparison between Rothfuss’s “The
Name of the Wind” and Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” Students will be tasked with identifying
protagonists/antagonists, driving force, supplemental characters, and other literary
overlaps/contrasts.
Non-print Text
-Original Superman Comic
This comic will be presented as a warm up for the class. Students will be asked to
analyze the comic (youtube video) and then to write a response to it for 5 minutes. The
purpose for this selection is to begin class by having students begin thinking about what
constitutes a story and to begin class with student engagement. This comic will also serve
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as a context item in which the idea of fantasy will be examined with the historical
background of the comic emerging during World War II.
-Original Batman Comic
This comic will be presented as a warm up for the class. Students will be asked to
analyze the comic (youtube video) and then to write a response to it for 5 minutes. The
purpose for this selection is to begin class by having students begin thinking about what
constitutes a story and to begin class with student engagement. This comic will also serve
as a context item in which the idea of fantasy will be examined with the historical
background of the comic emerging during World War II.
-Stan Brackhage’s film “Eye Myth”
Stan Brackhage’s famous 12 second film will be used to begin thought generation at
the start of class. Students will watch the film and then to write a response to it for 5
minutes with the idea of thinking about whether or not this film is in fact a complete story
(Brackhage argues that it is). The purpose for this selection is to begin class by having
students begin thinking about what constitutes a story and to begin class with student
engagement.
-Hokusai’s “Old Man and the Sea” painting
This famous painting will be shown at the beginning of class in order to have
students thinking about the concept of story. Students will study the painting and then
write a 5 minute response with the idea of identifying whether or not this item tells a story.
The purpose for this selection is to begin class by having students begin thinking about
what constitutes a story and to begin class with student engagement.
-Song “Closure” by Chevelle (with lyrics) Aqualung-Tull
This modern song will be played at the beginning of class in order to have students
thinking about the concept of story as well as serving as a tool to help students get settled
into class. Students will listen to the song and then write a 5 minute response with the idea
of identifying whether or not this item tells a story. The purpose for this selection is to
begin class by having students begin thinking about what constitutes a story and to begin
class with student engagement.
-Peytor Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6
This classical piece will be played at the beginning of class in order to have students
thinking about the concept of story as well as serving as a tool to help students get settled
into class. Students will listen to the piece and then write a 5 minute response with the
idea of identifying whether or not this item tells a story. The purpose for this selection is to
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begin class by having students begin thinking about what constitutes a story and to begin
class with student engagement.
-Dungeon’s and Dragon’s board game
This famous board game will serve as our culminating project for this unit. Students
will be required to compose the story of their quest in groups of 4. Students must create a
fully coherent story that contains protagonists, forces of opposition, and driving forces.
Each student will be required to create a complete backstory for their character and
reasons why the character is on created quest. Artistic detail is highly encouraged in terms
of creating character/environment sketches, quest items, etc.
-Jupiter Statue (Vatican)
This classical sculpture will be shown at the beginning of class in order to have
students thinking about the concept of story as well as serving as a tool to help students get
settled into class. Students will observe the sculpture and then write a 5 minute response
with the idea of identifying whether or not this item tells a story. The purpose for this
selection is to begin class by having students begin thinking about what constitutes a story
and to begin class with student engagement.
-Image of Native American Story quilts
An image of these important quilts will be displayed at the beginning of class in
order to have students thinking about the concept of story as well as serving as a tool to
help students get settled into class. Students will observe the quilt and then write a 5
minute response with the idea of identifying whether or not this item tells a story. The
purpose for this selection is to begin class by having students begin thinking about what
constitutes a story and to begin class with student engagement.
Outline/Timeline
Week 1-Laying the Foundation
Day 1-Introduction to unit. Native American story quilts (daily response). Students will
receive copy of “The Name of the Wind” and begin reading.
Day 2-Begin identifying literary elements. Class warmup will be Superman comic analysis
(students will write response to comic). Focus=protagonists, antagonists, side characters,
summary.
Day 3-Continue to identify literary elements. Batman comic will be used as introduction
(daily responses). Students will need to have finished first quarter of the total chapters
(23), quiz if need be. Student’s weekly summaries will be due. Lit circles will then be used
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to have students discuss what they are discovering in the story and identify the literary
elements covered thus far.
Week 2-Art and Escapism
Day 4-Chevelle’s “Closure” lyrical analysis (daily response). Students will then be given
excerpts from “Harry Potter” and “The Hobbit” and be asked to complete the readings and
to take notes regarding the identification of protagonists/antagonists/setting/summary.
Instructor will then begin lecture over what is the “driving force” of story-telling (objects of
desire). Background information regarding the three fantasy novels will then be given with
the context that the creation of art typically involves a form of escapism. The goal is for
students to be able to understand the increasing number of literary elements as well as that
the creation of art is a way to escape from either the mundane or the fantastic.
Day 5-Tchaikovski’s “Symphony No. 6 Pathetique” (daily response). Lit circles will then
commence regarding the 2nd quarter of chapters needed to be completed. With the
primary character “Kvothe” now creating art in the realm of music, students should be able
to draw connections between Kvothe’s need to escape his poverty/extreme circumstances
through music. Other connections needed to be emphasized are the literary elements
covered thus far. Weekly responses will be collected.
Week 3-Into the Abstract
Day 6- Hokusai painting (daily response). Instructor will now begin covering simile and
metaphor. Examples should be given detailing the similarities/differences between. In
continuing to work with famous fantasy novels, students will be given excerpts from “Harry
Potter” and “The Hobbit” and be asked to identify examples of the two within the selected
passages.
Day 7-Jupiter Statue (daily response). The subject of Irony will be the focus for today’s
class (which is why the Jupiter statue in the Vatican is used). The instructor will focus on
the ways in which Irony is used in storytelling. Various examples can be used here such as
social media “memes,” songs, excerpts from the text, etc.
Day 8- Eye Myth introduction (daily response). The focus for today’s class is how
storytelling can be accomplished in a fun and often weird way. Postmodernism
art/stories/themes can be discussed/shown today. Lit circles will also occur in which
students will continue to discuss the progression of the story as well as how
weird/abstract the storytelling can be (moon folded into a misshapen box, Felurian and the
Fae, etc.). Weekly responses will be collected.
Week 4 Culminating Project
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Day 9-Students will receive the following handouts:
1. Project Outline/Information
2. Rules of Dungeons and Dragons
3. Role of the Dungeon Master
4. Portfolio
Students will be shown examples of character/environment sketches, as well as
scenarios of how the game works. Students will divide (or be divided) into groups
of 4 and be given the remainder of the class to work on the project/ask questions.
Depending on familiarity level with the game, an additional work day may be
necessary in order to ensure adequate preparation time for the students.
Day 10-Students will turn in portfolios and will test out other group’s game scenarios.
In-depth lesson plan
Anticipatory Set: Stan Brackhage’s famous 12 second film will be used to begin thought
generation at the start of class. Students will watch the film and then to write a response to
it for 5 minutes with the idea of thinking about whether or not this film is in fact a complete
story (Brackhage argues that it is). Students will then discuss what they wrote down and
debate whether or not the film actually is a complete story. 15 minutes.
Guided Practice: Students will be given excerpts from “The Hobbit” and will work along
with the instructor in identifying literary elements in the given passage. 20 minutes.
Modelling: Instructor will examine the excerpt from “The Hobbit” and will identify who the
protagonist is, antagonist, setting, summary, and side characters.
Check for Understanding: Instructor will then go over an additional excerpt from “The
Hobbit” and randomly call on students to identify key literary elements in the passage. 15
minutes.
Independent Practice: Students will then be given additional excerpts from “Harry Potter”
and will work in pairs identifying the tone of the piece, character motives, and plot.
Students will the write a summary of what they learned and detail what they are still
struggling with. 30 minutes.
Closure: Papers containing student’s summaries of the activity (strengths/weaknesses)
will be collected and any lingering questions will be addressed. 10 minutes.
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Use of Technology
The forms of technology that will be used in this lesson are as follows:
1. Microsoft Word: Students will be using this program to type their weekly
responses to the reading of “The Name of the Wind” as well as typing their character
biographies and D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) stories/scenarios.
2. Youtube: This program will be used to show Stan Brakhage’s “Eye Myth,” the
original superhero comics, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, and Chevelle’s “Closure.”
3. Paint program/other digital art tool: Students will use a digital art tool to create the
setting for their D&D scenario as well as a portrait of their created character for the
game.
4. Bing/Google images: These websites will be used to show Hokusai’s painting, the
Native American story quilts, and images of D&D.
Media Rich Reflection
For my media construction project, I chose to have students create a portfolio in
groups of 4. The portfolio will consist of a created story/scenario (3-5) pages, character
biographies (3-5 pages including attribute sheet), a grading sheet for other groups, a
grading sheet for evaluating peers, and character/scenery art that will be created and
digitally uploaded.
I plan to have a fairly rigorous unit for studying the art of storytelling. Thus, I
decided that the culminating project should be something that was both challenging, as
well as fun, for students. All too often I feel that units are centered around the idea of
running a “copying” classroom, meaning students are presented with materiel and/or a
desired skill and they’re graded on how well they can recite/reproduce the skill. However,
I have discovered that when students are asked to simply create something original (poem,
short story, painting, etc.) they tend to struggle. While I believe that having students learn
certain desired skills is important, for this lesson my goal is to build a solid foundation for
understanding literature, as well as push students into the uncomfortable realm of
originality and synthesis.
What I really wanted to experiment for this project was using different forms of
technology in the creation of art. Thus, I used the most basic of art programs (Paint) as
well as used the traditional style of painting in order to put myself into my student’s shoes
and what they will be using. I found the Paint program to be an interesting program that
had a lot of options for creating basic artwork, perfect for this project. However, I did feel
that the program gravitates towards those who would possess the fine motor skills
required in order to draw with a mouse. However, after spending some time with the
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program I was able to successfully create an interesting character sketch for my created
character “John Longfellow.”
Traditional painting I found to be great as well. There was definitely a more tactile
feel using actual paintbrushes and having to worry about water/paint ratios as opposed to
using digital paintbrushes. I still wanted to use technology for this artwork though so I
experimented with using a digital scanner in order to scan my artwork. I was disappointed
to discover that the scanner was not large enough to properly scan my painting which
resulted in me having to simple take a photo of the painting which subdued and slightly
distorted the colors. In the future I will have to experiment with larger scanners in order to
see how well the painting will scan.
Bibliography
Action Comics No. 1. Cgccomics. 2014. 7 December 2014.
Batman (1940-2011) Part 1. Youtube. 7 December 2014.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Novato: New World Library. 2008.
Print.
Chevelle. Closure. Music. Youtube. 7 December 2014.
Favorite but this native american quilt might be it. Photograph. Bing. 7 December 2014.
Hokusai. Fisherman. Woodblock Painting. Bing. 7 December 2014.
Lacan, Jacques. The Other Side of Psychoanalysis. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.
2007. Print.
Roman God Statues. Photograph. Bing. 7 December 2014.
Rothfuss, Patrick. The Name of the Wind. New York: DAW Publishing. 2007. Print.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic Press. 1997.
Print.
Tchaikovsky, Peytor. Symphony No. 6 Pathetique. Music. Youtube. 7 December 2014.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: HMH Publishing Company. 1997. Print.
