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1. Mythology in Art & Literature
Professor Will Adams · Wadams5@valenciacollege.edu
Osceola Campus – Building 2, Room 234 · Mondays & Wednesdays, 2:30 – 3:45 PM
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
David A. Leeming’s The World of Myth, 2nd
Edition, ISBN 9780199316366
Student Evaluation Formula
1. Attendance & Class Participation 35%
§ 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. § In-class activities, homework assignments, and in-class assignments also count toward this
portion of your final grade.
§ Pop, short-form pop quizzes may be administered throughout the course of the class.
§ The format that the quizzes come in may vary from quiz to quiz.
2. Cultural Event & Written Evaluation 15%
§ You will be required to attend one cultural event during the class’s duration.
§ 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?
§ Proof of attendance at said event must be furnished (i.e. ticket stub, program, etc.).
§ 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.
3. Research Project 25%
§ One 4-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. 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.
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 28 Activity: Introduce class
Activity: Distribute & discuss syllabus
Wednesday, August 30 Lecture: Joseph Campbell’s Four Functions of Myth lecture
Monday, September 4 LABOR DAY – NO CLASS
Wednesday, September 6 Lecture: Symbols in Mythology
Monday, September 11 NO CLASS – Hurricane Irma
Wednesday, September 13 NO CLASS – Hurricane Irma
Monday, September 18 Lecture: Symbols in Mythology, Cont’d
Wednesday, September 20 Lecture: The Hero’s Journey & Monomyth
Monday, September 25 Film: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

3. In-Class Assignment: Atlantis: The Lost Empire film response
Wednesday, September 27 Film: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Cont’d)
In-Class Assignment: Atlantis: The Lost Empire film response
(Cont’d)
Monday, October 2 Activity: RESEARCH PROJECT ASSIGNED & LIBRARY VISIT
Wednesday, October 4 Lecture: Mesopotamian Mythology & The Epic of Gilgamesh
Activity: Cuneiform translation contest
Monday, October 9 Lecture: Egyptian Mythology
Wednesday, October 11 Lecture: Egyptian Funerary Practices & Embalming
Monday, October 16 IMPORTANT: Exam #1 & Exam #2
Wednesday, October 18 Lecture: Greek Mythology
Monday, October 23 Lecture: Homer’s The Odyssey
Wednesday, October 25 Film: O, Brother! Where Art Thou?
In-Class Assignment: O, Brother! Where Art Thou? film
response
Monday, October 30 Film: O, Brother! Where Art Thou? (Cont’d)
In-Class Assignment: O, Brother! Where Art Thou? film
response (Cont’d)
Wednesday, November 1 Lecture: Norse Mythology
Monday, November 6 IMPORTANT: Exam #3
Wednesday, November 8 Lecture: African Mythology
Monday, November 13 Lecture: Hawaiian Mythology
Activity: Tiki mask building
Wednesday, November 15 Lecture: The Three Major World Religions: Part I
Monday, November 20 Lecture: The Three Major World Religions: Part II
Wednesday, November 22 THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS
Monday, November 27 Lecture: Lecture: The Three Major World Religions: Part III
Wednesday, November 29 IMPORTANT: RESEARCH PROJECTS DUE
Monday, December 4 IMPORTANT: CULTURAL EVENT DUE
Wednesday, December 6 IMPORTANT: FINAL EXAM – 2:30 PM
Guidelines for Written Work
§ All written work should be set in Arial 12-point font, with double spacing and standard 1” page
margins.
§ 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).

4. § 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 or accepted electronically.
Class Conduct
Be polite and respect both your fellow classmates and the instructor.
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 checking
Blackboard 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.
Technology Use Policy
§ 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.

5. § 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.
§ 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.