Please note: Speaker notes DO NOT APPEAR ON SLIDES. The slides are used for images and only two or three lines of text. The “real work” gets done in the white area beneath each slide, where speaker notes appear. 4-5 good-sized sentences should be offered for each set of speaker notes.

You are once again volunteering at your local library. The visiting group of seventh graders are returning for a presentation on heroes, myths, and modern society. You want the students to relate to how mythology influences contemporary characters they are familiar with today.

This assignment will allow you to demonstrate how effectively you can identify mythological archetypes in contemporary culture (Course Learning Outcome #2).

Select a contemporary story in the form of a novel, movie, or video game that is inspired by a mythological epic or hero’s quest.

Create an 8- to 10-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation with detailed speaker notes of (at least 4-5 good-sized sentences for each set of notes) about the contemporary hero’s or heroine’s quest geared to an audience of seventh graders. No PDF documents please. 

Include the following in your presentation:

• A short explanation of archetypes and heroes
• Brief description of the plight of your selected main character—the feat(s) he or she must execute for the benefit of society in the face of challenges
• Other archetypes within the story and a brief description of their roles in the hero’s quest
• Research about the mythological and cultural origins of the story; explanation of parallels between the myth(s) and the contemporary story it inspired
• Relating these to the conflicts and choices ordinary humans struggle with