Local Hero's Journey (Niehoff Project

PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW page 1

Name of Project: Local Hero’s Journey Duration: 4 Weeks
Subject/Course: English 11
Other subject areas to be included, if any: Teacher(s): Niehoff Grade Level: 11th

Key Knowledge and
 CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.W.11-­‐12.8
 
Understanding Gather
 relevant
 information
 from
 multiple
 authoritative
 print
 and
 digital
 sources,
 using
 advanced
 searches
 effectively;
 
(CCSS or other standards) assess
 the
 strengths
 and
 limitations
 of
 each
 source
 in
 terms
 of
 the
 task,
 purpose,
 and
 audience;
 integrate
 information
 into
 
the
 text
 selectively
 to
 maintain
 the
 flow
 of
 ideas,
 avoiding
 plagiarism
 and
 overreliance
 on
 any
 one
 source
 and
 following
 a
 

CsCtaSSn.EdLaAr-­‐LdIT
 fEoRrAmCYa.Wt
 f.1o1r-­‐1
 c2i.t7a
  tion.
C
  onduct
 short
 as
 well
 as
 more
 sustained
 research
 projects
 to
 answer
 a
 question
 (including
 a
 self-­‐generated
 question)
 or
 
s d
  oelmveo
 na s
 ptrroatbilnegm
 u; n
 ndaerrrsotwan
 odri
n bgr o
 oafd
 tehne

  tshueb
 jiencqtu
 uirnyd
 werh
 iennv
e  asptpigraotpiorina.te;
 synthesize
 multiple
 sources
 on
 the
 subject,
 
C

   CSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.W.11-­‐12.10
 
W
  rite
 routinely
 over
 extended
 time
 frames
 (time
 for
 research,
 reflection,
 and
 revision)
 and
 shorter
 time
 frames
 (a
 single
 
sitting
 or
 a
 day
 or
 two)
 for
 a
 range
 of
 tasks,
 purposes,
 and
 audiences.


 
CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.W.11-­‐12.6
 
Use
 technology,
 including
 the
 Internet,
 to
 produce,
 publish,
 and
 update
 individual
 or
 shared
 writing
 products
 in
 response
 
to
 ongoing
 feedback,
 including
 new
 arguments
 or
 information.


 
CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.SL.11-­‐12.4
 
Present
 information,
 findings,
 and
 supporting
 evidence,
 conveying
 a
 clear
 and
 distinct
 perspective,
 such
 that
 listeners
 can
 
follow
 the
 line
 of
 reasoning,
 alternative
 or
 opposing
 perspectives
 are
 addressed,
 and
 the
 organization,
 development,
 
substance,
 and
 style
 are
 appropriate
 to
 purpose,
 audience,
 and
 a
 range
 of
 formal
 and
 informal
 tasks.

CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.SL.11-­‐12.5
 
Make
 strategic
 use
 of
 digital
 media
 (e.g.,
 textual,
 graphical,
 audio,
 visual,
 and
 interactive
 elements)
 in
 presentations
 to
 
enhance
 understanding
 of
 findings,
 reasoning,
 and
 evidence
 and
 to
 add
 interest.

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Success Skills Creativity: students will have creativity skill building Critical Thinking: students will exercise critical thinking
(to be taught and related to producing documentary film, as well as creating skills during research and application of Hero’s Journey
assessed) effective presentation. There is also creativity involved in through at least one example in literature, song, movies,
making personal choice on local hero to profile and contemporary figures, etc.
feature.

Collaboration: Students will work on teams for Hero’s Communication: students will analyze audience for
Journey presentations. Students will also have
opportunities to collaborate and partner when getting both presentations and documentary film products.
feedback on presentations, documentary film work, etc. Students will use various web tools and public publishing
sites to share final work. Students will also experience
communication skill development through interviews and
contact with local hero.

Project Summary Students will first be introduced to the literary archetype of the Hero’s Journey (which is a dominant literary device found in
(include student role, countless works of fiction, movies, art and our culture). Students will collaborate in teams of 3-4 on a presentation that will outline
issue, problem or or explain the Hero’s Journey in their own words, terms and experiences when applied to their literary and cultural worlds
challenge, action taken, including at least one example each, of their choice, from a work of literature, a movie, a song and a contemporary real world
and purpose/beneficiary) hero (i.e. athlete, war veteran, politician, etc.).

Project Summary In addition to the collaborative group/team pursuit of the presentation on the Hero’s Journey, each student will choose a local
(Cont’d) hero to profile for his or her documentary film project. The content of the short film will be made up of interviews and profile
information from the local hero and their journey, while comparing and contrasting that with the components of the literary world
of the Hero’s Journey. Documentaries will showcase Local Hero using Hero’s Journey components, timelines and language.

Project Summary Local Heroes can be defined and defended by the student but will come from a list including, but not limited to community
(Cont’d) activities and volunteers, entrepreneurs, law enforcement representatives, health care professionals, educators, fire personnel,
military personnel, those that have overcome tremendous challenges, artists and more. Selected local hero has to be from the
Driving Question local community and available to for both in-person/phone/e-mail interviews and hopefully attend Local Hero’s Day on campus
following completion of projects.

How Can We Identify, Honor and Recognize Local Heroes and their Hero’s Journey?

Entry Event Students will watch several videos on the Hero’s Journey (sample here: https://goo.gl/MxPK8c). Students will be introduced to
a guest panel of local heroes (Fire Personnel, Emergency Room Doctor, Homeless Shelter Operator, etc.) and then they will
analyze Q&A from panel with Hero’s Journey literature, info and pedagogy.

Products Individual: Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
- 5-minute documentary film on their chosen local hero. Films • ELA standards related to literary devices like the hero’s
will be previewed on site, uploaded to public school media sites journey, research, writing, presenting, tech applications,
such as either at Vimeo or YouTube, be entered into regional etc.
and national youth film festivals and more • Critical thinking in terms of what questions to be asked
to local hero for documentary

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• Technology and Media skills
• Creativity in production of documentary film

Team: Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
Hero’s Journey Presentations featuring their selected • ELA standards related to literary devices like the hero’s
applications of literature, movies, music and contemporary journey, research, writing, presenting, tech applications,
public figures. etc.

• Technology, media and presentation skills

PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW page 2

Making Products Public 1) Students will be part of team that creates and delivers a presentation using Google slides to class on their interpretation of the
Hero’s Journey.
(include how the 2) Students will complete short documentary film (no more than 5 minutes) of their local hero and their hero journey.
products will be made 3) Students will enter their short documentary films into at least one regional film festival – i.e. Slick Rock Film Festival.
public and who students 4) Students will upload documentary films to either Vimeo or YouTube and make link available to teacher and administration for
will engage with public publishing on school website, school’s social media, etc.

during/at end of project) 5) Students will invite their local hero to the Local Hero event scheduled on campus. Students will participate in the organization of
the Local Hero Day on campus.

Resources Needed On-site people, facilities:
Students will work closely with teacher on project development. Students will have to work with site admin. On scheduling and
facilities needed for Local Hero Day on campus. Students may need transportation to interview local hero in person or access to
phone. All students are allowed to use cell phones in class on projects like this. Also, all students have access to their school e-
mail 24-7 to contact community heroes.

Equipment:
School is 1:1 Macbooks so all students have access to iMovie or Final Cut Pro for video/film production. All students have school
Google Accounts so they can use Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Presentation and more. All students also have Vimeo or
YouTube accounts, as well as access to the school accounts.

Materials:

School is 1:1 Macbooks so all students have access to iMovie or Final Cut Pro for video/film production. All students have school
Google Accounts so they can use Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Presentation and more. All students also have Vimeo or
YouTube accounts, as well as access to the school accounts.

Community Resources:
Local Non-Profit Groups, Chamber of Commerce, Local Media Outlets

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Reflection Methods Journal/Learning Log: Focus Group:
(how individual, team, Students will write several blog posts on learnings from Students will do critical friends protocols for team
and/or whole class will Hero’s Journey presentation work and local hero presentations and individual documentary film work
reflect during/at end of
project) documentary work . Surveys:
Complete Two Google Forms – one following initial
Whole-Class Discussion: research and work, then one after documentary and
Following entry event, during presentation debriefs, during events.
documentary film trailers and more

Other: Other:
Students will receive feedback from judges once their Juniors will be invited to present their Local Hero’s
documentary projects are entered into film festivals, while Journeys to 10th graders at the end of the year to prep
they will also receive feedback once posted on Vimeo, them for the next year.
YouTube, etc.

Notes:
Possible resources: All Purpose Guide to Epic Movies, Multimedia Hero Analysis, The Hero Archetype in Literature, Religion and Popular Culture, The Hero's
Journey, Heroes Are Made Of This, Movie Heroes and the Heroic Journey, The Hero's Journey - Storyboard That, The Hero's Journey - An Overview,

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