This document provides an overview and syllabus for a course on mythology in art and literature. The course will examine myths from various world cultures and analyze how mythology is used to explain the world. Students will interpret what cultures' myths reveal and consider mythology's influence on contemporary culture. The course requires attendance, participation, exams, a research project, and cultural event response paper. It will cover mythological concepts and symbols as well as the myths of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Norse cultures, Africa, Hawaii, and major world religions.

1. Mythology in Art & Literature
Professor Will Adams · Wadams5@valenciacollege.edu · hum231.blogspot.com
Osceola Campus – Building 1, Room 104 · Mondays & Wednesdays, 1:30 – 2:45 PM
“Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant
literature of our own language cannot be understood
and appreciated.”
- Thomas Bulfinch (1796 – 1867 AD), mythologist
Course Description
§ Examines world mythology in comparative perspective, analyzes myths with a variety
of methods, and considers the application of mythological ideas and symbols in the
humanities.
§ This is a Gordon Rule course in which the student is required to demonstrate college-
level writing skills through multiple writing assignments.
§ A minimum grade of C is required if used to satisfy the Gordon Rule requirement.
§ A minimum grade of C in ENC 1101 or ENC 1101H or IDH 1110 is required to enroll
in this course.
Course Objectives
§ Analyze and demonstrate how mythology is used by various cultures to explain the
world around us
§ Articulate the similarities and differences between ancient mythologies and
contemporary culture
§ Interpret what we can learn about a culture by studying its myths, rituals and religions
§ Articulate connections between world mythologies and contemporary culture such as
film, literature, music, or personal life where relevant.
§ Assume an active, questioning, critical stance in working within the classroom
community, thus developing confidence as critical readers and thinkers
§ Demonstrate college level writing skills on all of these through various oral and
writing assignments
Required Text
No text is required for this course.

2. Student Evaluation Formula
1. Attendance & Class Participation 25%
§ Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting, and count as
part of the attendance & participation grade.
§ The professor should hear each student’s voice at least once per class meeting.
§ Tardiness of more than 15 minutes after the scheduled beginning of class
constitutes an absence.
§ Please be aware that, under Valencia’s Attendance Policy, there is no such thing as
an “excused absence”.
2. Cultural Event & Written Evaluation 15%
§ You will be required to attend one cultural event during the class’s duration.
§ Throughout the class’s duration the instructor may suggest various events to you,
but it is ultimately your own responsibility to find and attend an approved cultural
event.
§ Proof of attendance at said event must be furnished (i.e. ticket stub, program, etc).
§ A two-page “reaction” (i.e. non-research) paper is required. Be sure to answer the
following questions: What did I do? What did I think of it? What did I learn?
3. Research Project 25%
§ One 4-5 page written research project is required.
§ Proper MLA style citation should be used for all written assignments.
§ Plagiarism = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ Wikipedia use = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ All research projects should be stapled by the student.
§ A detailed research project description will be distributed at a later date.
4. Quizzes 10%
§ Two short-form pop quizzes will be administered throughout the course of the
class.
§ The format that the quizzes come in may vary from quiz to quiz.
5. Examinations 25%
§ Four long-form examinations will be administered.
§ The format of the exam may vary in each instance.
§ Examinations will not be cumulative in their subject matter.
§ You will be given a study guide for most exams, at the instructor’s discretion.

3. Grading Scale
100 – 90% = A
89 – 80% = B
79 – 70% = C
69 – 60% = D
59 – 0% = F
Schedule of Class Meetings
CLASS MEETING DATE CLASS MEETING TASKS
Monday, August 31st
Activity: Introduce class
Activity: Distribute & discuss syllabus
Homework: Proust Questionnaire homework
Wednesday, September
2nd
Activity: Share Proust homework
Lecture: Joseph Campbell’s Four Functions of Myth
lecture
Monday, September 7th
LABOR DAY – NO CLASS
Wednesday, September
9th
Activity: RESEARCH PROJECT ASSIGNED &
LIBRARY VISIT
Monday, September 14th
Lecture: Symbols in Mythology
Wednesday, September
16th
Lecture: Mythological Archetypes
Monday, September 21st
IMPORTANT: Exam #1
Wednesday, September
23rd
Lecture: The Hero Monomyth
Homework: Personal legend homework
Monday, September 28th
Film: Atlantis: The Lost Empire
In-Class Assignment: Atlantis: The Lost Empire film
response
Wednesday, September
30th
Film: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Cont’d)
In-Class Assignment: Atlantis: The Lost Empire film
response (Cont’d)
Monday, October 5th
Lecture: Mesopotamian Mythology
Wednesday, October 7th
Lecture: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Activity: Cuneiform translation contest
Monday, October 12th
NO CLASS
Wednesday, October 14th
IMPORTANT: MIDTERM EXAM (Exam #2)
Monday, October 19th
Lecture: Egyptian Mythology

4. Wednesday, October 21st
Lecture: Egyptian Funerary Practices & Embalming
Activity: Mummy Wrapping Contest
Monday, October 26th
Film: Thebes: Death on the West Bank of the Nile
In-Class Assignment: Thebes: Death on the West
Bank of the Nile film response
Homework: Sarcophagus lid homework
Wednesday, October 28th
Lecture: Greek Mythology
Monday, November 2nd
Lecture: Homer’s The Odyssey
Film: O, Brother! Where Art Thou?
In-Class Assignment: O, Brother! Where Art Thou?
film response
Wednesday, November
4th
Film: O, Brother! Where Art Thou? (Cont’d)
In-Class Assignment: O, Brother! Where Art Thou?
film response (Cont’d)
Monday, November 9th
IMPORTANT: Exam #3
Wednesday, November
11th
Lecture: Norse Mythology
Monday, November 16th
Lecture: African Mythology
IMPORTANT: RESEARCH PROJECTS DUE
Wednesday, November
18th
Lecture: Hawaiian Mythology
Activity: Tiki mask building
Monday, November 23rd
THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS
Wednesday, November
25th
THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS
Monday, November 30th
Lecture: The Three Major World Religions: Part I
Wednesday, December
2nd
Lecture: The Three Major World Religions: Part II & III
Monday, December 7th
IMPORTANT: CULTURAL EVENT DUE
Activity: Final Exam Study Session
Wednesday, December
9th
IMPORTANT: FINAL EXAM – 1:30 PM
Guidelines for Written Work
§ All written work should be set in Arial 12-point font, with double spacing and standard 1”
page margins.
§ Additionally, each written assignment (with the exception of the research project) should
begin with the following header, placed at the top, left side of the first page:

5. Your First & Last Name
HUM2310 – 1:30 PM
Prof. Will Adams
Assignment Due Date (MM/DD/YYYY)
§ The student must staple assignments of more than one page. The instructor will not
provide a stapler for your use.
§ Finally, minimum page totals for any written assignment require that the written page be
filled in its entirety to count as one page. In other words, if a written assignment requires
2 pages, but the student only writes 1.5, the student will not earn all possible points for
the assignment.
Extra Credit Policy
§ Each quiz or test throughout the class’s duration will include one extra credit question
equal to 10% of the quiz or test’s total point value (i.e. A five point extra credit
question for a fifty point test).
§ In addition, extra credit may be earned by writing more than the required number of
pages for any written assignment. Extra credit for extra written work will be given up to a
maximum of 15% of the assignment’s total point value (i.e. A two page written
assignment is usually valued at 20 total points, at ten points per page. If the student
writes 2.2 pages, the student will receive 22 points for the assignment, rather than the
standard 20).
§ No other extra credit opportunities will be available.
Late Work & Make-Up Policy
§ No late work will be accepted.
§ No work will be accepted via e-mail.
§ Quizzes or exams must be taken on, or before, the date assigned – and only with the
instructor’s explicit consent.
§ The final exam must be taken on the date published for final exams.
Class Conduct
Be polite and respect both your fellow classmates and the instructor.

6. Attendance Policy
§ Students are expected to attend every class, and attendance will be taken and will count
as a portion of the final grade.
§ After the SECOND absence, a student has missed two full weeks of class; a notice of
Excessive Absences may be issued and the student may be withdrawn at the
professor’s discretion.
§ It is always the student’s responsibility to contact the professor about issues that may
lead to excessive absences.
§ It is also the student’s responsibility to arrange to receive class notes or handouts from
missed classes from his or her fellow students; Do not contact the instructor for this
information without contacting your classmates first!
§ Please note that there is no such thing as an “Excused Absence” (even with a doctor’s
note, death in the family, etc.) under Valencia’s Attendance Policy.
Academic Honesty
§ Plagiarism is intellectual theft and will not be tolerated; presentation of the ideas and
words of others as if they are your own work constitutes plagiarism.
§ The student is expected to perform his or her own research and present his or her own
thoughts. Direct use of another author’s words or ideas, as well as paraphrasing must be
cited.
§ Plagiarism in any work will result in a grade of zero for that assignment.
Computer & Equipment Use
§ Use of computers in the Business, IT, and Public Service classrooms at Valencia College
is restricted to those activities designated by the instructor to enhance the class
materials; any other use is strictly forbidden.
§ Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to:
§ Use of computer to send E-mail or access Internet sites not specifically assigned in
class.
§ Use of computer for job, internship, homework or other activities not assigned in
class.
§ Modifying any hardware or software system configuration or setting.
§ Activities not in accordance with the Valencia Student Code of Conduct
§ Use of computers in the departmental open lab is limited to those activities
involved with preparing homework or coursework in this department and is
subject to the same restriction as listed above.

7. § Computer use is remotely monitored; any student using computers inappropriately may
be subject to dismissal from class or banishment from the lab.
Students With Disabilities
§ Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a
notification from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific
needs with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class.
§ The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on
appropriate documentation of disabilities.
Disclaimer
This outline may be altered, at the instructor’s discretion, during the course of the term; it is
the responsibility of the student to make any adjustments as announced.