Welcome to Myths and Monsters
Dracula

  • Assignment 1 Profile Picture

    Welcome to your first assignment or as I will call it: Assignment 1

    There are two partrs to this assignment and both of them must be completed to receive credit.

    Directions for Part 1:

    1. Find a picture of yourself or take a selfie without your mask on. Because you will be removing your mask, this must be done at home and not on campus.
    2. Change your “Profile Picture” in Teams. Your smiling face should appear instead of initials. Below is a Youtube link on How To Change your Profile Picture.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMk3Cs29sPo

     Directions for Part 2:

    1. Printout your fabulous picture. If you cannot print at home, please email it to me so I can print it out.

    dhellen@washoeschools.net

    Place your fabulous picture in your “White Erase Board." You should get your "White Erase Board" from 4 Period.

     

     

    Assignment #2

    You will pick a medium to tell about yourself. (Follow directions below.) That portion must be done before the due date because you will need to talk about it and show it during your FlipGrid video (Assignment #3) which will be submitted on Sat. 29th at 11:59p. You will then bring Assignment #2 to your next live class where it will be graded and then hung on the wall. Feel free to place your name and period on the back, add color, and be creative, if you would prefer.

     

    ______________________________________

     

    Writing is an important form of communication. As with all communication, the main purpose is to relay information with the expectation that the intended purpose is the one being gleaned.

     

    Types of writings discussed in K-12.

    (This list is non-exhaustive.)

     

    • Non-Fiction Magazine Articles
    • How-To Style Informative pieces and instructions, manuals
    • Fiction works with clear themes
    • Fiction works with less clear themes
    • Novels/Novellas
    • Advertisements
    • Captions/Copy (for newspapers, yearbooks, etc.)
    • Standard 5 paragraph essays with set Hook, Info sentences, Thesis statement, etc.
    • Narratives
    • Argumentative Essays
    • Research Papers
    • Business Letters
    • Resumes
    • Cover Letters
    • Rhetoric
    • College Entrance Narrative Style Essays
    • Allegories
    • Satires
    • Poems

    *You cannot choose an italicized medium

     Each has its own unique vehicle by which to drive the intended message home. Sometimes the intention is clear like in an instruction manual and some are far less overt or deliberate.

     A few things they all have in common, other than their base purpose, are their need to be written, edited, and rewritten. 

     For this assignment, you will choose a method listed (or one I have not listed, but have approved) to tell me about you. Make sure your method of delivery is clear-by using tone, mood, voice, dialogue, etc. as needed- to represent your own character (personality, persona, etc.) and illustrate your ability to communicate in the vehicle you chose.

     *You need a catchy title, if you have chosen something that needs that. Formatting must follow, if dictated by your choice. Stay in “character” throughout the entire piece.

     **You need a Pre-write (that includes the items you wish me to know), Rough Draft, Edit/Revisions, and a Final Draft, remembering that your first pass is NEVER your best. (That means 3 items, 4 grades)

     

     

    Missing Virtual Meeting Norms 

    Creating Rules for Mythical Beast Virtual Meetings

    In Teams, you will find the channel “Virtual Rules.” Your job is to read the rules for our class and then create at least five rules for a class of mythical beasts. You know, the class can be full of Unicorns, Wendigos, ghosts, vampires, or mixture of mythical beasts. You will need to know something about the mythical beast you choose, for example, can vampires really have a virtual meeting? Hmmm.

    How to get there.

    1. Click on “Virtual Rules” channel.
      1. At the top, click the tab, click “Files”
      2. Click on “Copy of Virtual Meeting norms.”
      3. The (rules) Norms will pop up in a poster format.
      4. Read all the Norms (because we will follow them).

    What you need to do (directions):

    1. After reading all the Norms, create a document titled “Virtual Learning for _______ (place the mythical beast here)”
    2. Create a poster of at least 5 Rules for Virtual Learning.
      1. The poster should have a background picture and/or 3-5 pictures on the poster.
      2. Add arrows       to point the direction to read.
      3. You may work by yourself or with one other person (a partner).
      4. If you work with a partner, copy the document in each of your Teams assignment.
      5. Be creative and have fun!
    3. Save the document to your One Drive under Missing Norms.
    4. Download the file in Missing Virtual Meeting Rules so I can grade it.

  • The Fantastical Mythical Beast Project!

    Everyone is required to turn in a groovy project to pass this class with a high grade!  But cheer up!  It can be fun!  Just read the following directions carefully—and pray to Zeus…a lot!

     

    1. You are to choose (if you’re lucky) a mythical beast you are interested in and then study it, research it, and then teach your fellow classmates about it. You will hear lots of stuff in class, use it.  You will know lots of stuff because of movies, video games, and other things. Use them.  When researching keep in mind, you will need to teach the class these things:

             

    • What does it look like and why?
    • Where the beast came from: MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGINS, FAMILY HISTORY, ITS PARENTS
    • What is its historical background? Why did it come about?  Why the myth?
    • How did the beast’s purpose come about?
    • Why does it have this purpose?
    • Does it procreate? Who or what are its offspring?
    • When and where does it do the things it does?
    • Any interesting, weird or funny information?
    • What does the beast represent symbolically?

     

    1. You are then to create an artifact for the beast. Your project should be an emotional, creative, response to the creature.  (In other words, don’t turn in a traced copy of the book’s cover!)

     

    1. Your project should reflect knowledge of legends about the beast and demonstrate in-depth research.

     

    1. Part of your grade will be determined by the knowledge each member of the class will receive from your presentation and project. You will stand in front of the class (they will be discouraged from throwing bricks, tomatoes, or other interesting objects.  Money is okay: no coins).  You may have to explain your project, and that’s okay.

     

    1. Suggestions for projects: poem, drawing, sculpture, song, skit, collage, video.

    Don’t feel limited by these suggestions.  NOTE: please do not write a short story or a research paper!  I want an artifact that will help you teach the class.

     

    1. Your project may be humorous—but it should still show solid evidence of knowledge of the mythical beast and legends.

     

    1. YOU MUST HAVE A BIBLIOGRAPHY OR REFERENCE PAGE.  You cannot receive

    credit without one.

     8. Have the project ready on the due date! Due date DECEMBER 4, 2018

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Myths and Monsters

    List 1

    1. foible: weakness, flaw, short coming in character
    2. Lacerate: to rip, maul, tear, mutilate or mangle
    3. Harangue: mean, nasty, angry, speech
    4. Exact: strictly correct, demand of or from
    5. Abash: embarrass
    6. Tact: skill in dealing with people in difficult situation
    7. Uncouth: crude, unrefined, awkward
    8. Fetish: an abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attraction or attachment
    9. Phobia: illogical fear
    10. Masticate: to chew

    List 2

    1. Laconic: not saying much brief or concise
    2. Malevolent: evil, ill-wishing
    3. Meander: to wander around aimlessly
    4. Apex: the highest point, tip, peak, summit
    5. Nadir: absolute lowest point
    6. Disseminate: to dispense objects to distribute
    7. Emaciated: to be thin or weak
    8. Puissant: powerful, mighty
    9. Citadel: a fortress over looking a city, a stronghold
    10. Atrophy: to wither away

     

    List 3

    1. Ornate: elaborately or excessively decorated
    2. Austere: stern in manner, without excess, unadorned, severely simple and plain
    3. Cerebral: of or relating to the brain, intellectual in nature
    4. Incommodious: inconvenient, uncomfortable, lacking space
    5. Noisome: offensive, disgusting
    6. Cacophony: harsh, disturbing sounds
    7. Veritable: unquestionable, actual, true
    8. Verbatim: using exactly the same words, word for word
    9. Concurrent: at the same time, acting in conjunction
    10. Evade: to elude or avoid by cunning; to flee from a pursuer

    List 4

    1. Impede: to obstruct or interfere with; to delay
    2. Askew: to one side; crooked
    3. Queue: to form or wait in a line; a waiting line
    4. Accolade: award or honor
    5. Torrid: parched by the sun; hot burning
    6. Trepidation: fear, state of anxiety or fear that makes you tremble
    7. Fraught: teeming with, laden; full; causing emotional distress
    8. Temerity: recklessness; wild, craziness, disregard for danger
    9. Wane: to decrease gradually
    10. Oust: to eject, to force out; to blame

    List 5

    1. Connoisseur: an expert, particularly in matters of taste and art
    2. Asunder: in separate parts
    3. Raze: to tear down, to demolish to the ground
    4. Blighted: ruined, destroyed, withered
    5. Aghast: horrified
    6. Milieu: environment or surroundings
    7. Arduous: hard difficult, tiresome
    8. Coterie: a circle of close associates or friends, a close circle
    9. Awry: twisted, crooked, out of whack, askew, wrong
    10. Table: to remove from consideration or postpone

    List 6

    1. Harried: to be troubled or bothered
    2. Irascible: easily angered, irritated
    3. Congenial: pleasant to be around, agreeable
    4. Boisterous: loud
    5. Chimerical: bizarre, far out, fantasy that cannot be true
    6. Vertigo: a sensation of dizziness, confusion
    7. Fallacious: false, wrong, incorrect
    8. Impasse: dead end, impassible
    9. Zeal: enthusiasm
    10. Berate: to scold severely

     

    List 7

    1. Vacillation to swing from one cause or action or opinion to another
    2. Lassitude: listless; torpor, weariness, fatigue
    3. Garrulous: very talkative, loquacious
    4. Myriad: an extremely large amount
    5. Noxious: physically or mentally destructive or harmful to human beings
    6. Accost: to approach or speak to boldly or aggressively as with a demand or request
    7. Beatific: displaying or imparting joy (be a ti fic)
    8. Nuance: subtle variation in color, meaning or some other quality
    9. Quagmire: a difficult or precarious situation; a predicament
    10. Somber: dark; dull; gloomy, grave, serious

    List 8

    1. Unawares: unexpected, by surprise
    2. Suffrage: the right to vote, franchise
    3. Cloister: a tranquil, secluded place
    4. Docile: yielding to supervision, easily taught, obedient
    5. Surfeit: an excessive amount
    6. Incongruous: not appropriate, unsuited to the surroundings, not fitting in
    7. Aloof: distant reserved in manner, uninvolved
    8. Harrowing: extremely distressing, disturbing, or frightening
    9. Chronic: continuing for a long time, continuous
    10. Accentuate: to stress, to emphasize

     

    List 9

    1. Truncate: to shorten by chopping the end off
    2. Baneful: causing woe; destructive, harmful, deadly
    3. Circumspect: prudent, cautious
    4. Admonish: to warn, to caution in counsel
    5. Tantamount: of equal value or significance
    6. Neologism: a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word
    7. Respite: a period of rest or relief
    8. Capitulate: to surrender; to give up or in
    9. Aphorism: a concise statement of a truth or principle
    10. Confute: to prove wrong; to refute decisively

    List 10

    1. Dexterous: adroit or skillful in the use of hands or body
    2. Entice: to lure, to attract, to tempt in a pleasing fashion
    3. Indolent: lazy
    4. Perfunctory: unenthusiastic; careless
    5. Vapid: without liveliness, dull, spiritless
    6. Visage: a face or facial expression
    7. Slovenly: messy, characteristic of a slob
    8. Stolid: showing little emotion or pain, emotionally solid
    9. Taciturn: untalkative by nature
    10. Egregious: extremely bad; flagrant

     

     

  •  

    Basilisk/Cockatrice: Symbolizes sins of lust, treachery and disease (especially syphilis). The basilisk became a symbol of the Antichrist. (Christian) 

    Cerberus: A dog with three heads guarding the entrance to the Greek underworld (Erebus) symbolizes fearful uncertainties of death.

    Centaur: The body of a horse with the torso and head of a man symbolized man trapped by his own sensual impulses, especially lust and violence. (Hindu)

    Dragons:

    • Sumerian (oldest surviving dragon mythology): Symbolizes chaos.
    • Greek: symbolizes great power, chaos and disaster, fertility, and rebirth.
    • Eastern Dragons (Chinese, Japanese): Symbolizes positive qualities and wisdom, strength.
    • Western Dragons: Symbolizes negative forces, the fight between good and evil, greed, inner battle with a covetous nature or resistance to development.
    • Native American: some symbolize benevolent figures while other are forces of destruction
    • Aztec, Mayan, and Quiche of Peru Dragon: (Quetzalcoatl) was a benevolent dragon god who created humankind, civilized the people by teaching them to write and introduced them to agriculture. He introduced the calendar, music and dance. 

    Fairies and Nymph: Symbolize nature as an independent being (Greek). Faeries symbolized forces of fate that influence the human world for either malevolent or benign purposes. (Christian)

     Griffin: Has the head, wings and talons of an eagle, the body of a lion.

    • Persians, Babylonians, and Assyrians: The parts of the eagle symbolized vigilance and sharp-sightedness, and the body of the ion symbolized strength.
    • Greek: symbolized wisdom and vengeance
    • Christian: symbolized strength, protection and solar power, so it became a symbol of Christ and the resurrection. 

     

     Gorgons: Three sisters Medusa, Euryale and Stheno who had scaly skin, fangs and snakes instead of hair symbolizing adversarial evil.

     Harpies: Birds with the breasts and face of a hag symbolizing sudden and early death and were also messengers of the underworld. (Greek)

     Hydra: A swamp creature with the body of a snake with 7 to 100 heads symbolizing the difficulty in conquering our vices.

    Lamassu: A winged bull with a human head was a symbol of power and protection. The head symbolized the power of the sovereign to protect his people, the wings denoted the ability to fly, while the legs represented vigilance against both human and supernatural enemies. (Assyrian)

    Leviathan: A giant snake that was 300 miles long.

    • Mesopotamian: symbolizes the primordial sea monster
    • Judaism: symbolizes the primordial land monster
    • Christian: symbolizes worldly power while its gaping jaws symbolize the gateway to Hell.

     

     Lion Dogs (Foo Dogs):

    • Chinese/Japanese: symbolizes the protection against evil forces and signifies the entrance to a holy or special place.
    • Buddhist: defends Buddhist teachings, and male lion-dogs are sometimes depicted resting a paw on a globe. Unicorn: A one horned horse
    •   Greek: symbolized purity also associated with femininity and chastity  

    Mermaids: Symbolizes temptation, beauty and sexual side of the female.

    Minotaur: Man with a bull’s head and tail symbolizes the dark, bestial side of humanity. (Greco-Roman) 

    Pan: Half man and half animal with the horns of a goat was gentle and benign (Greek), but changed to symbolize sexual excess, with rank smell associated with evil (Hebrew). Pan transforms into the goat-headed Satan.

    Pegasus: A winged horse.

    • Greek: symbolizes the power of transforming evil into good.

     Phoenix: A large red, orange bird of fire.

    • Egyptian, Jewish: Symbol of transformation and immortality
    • Greco-Roman, Hindu: As a solar symbol it is linked with death and rebirth
    • Persian: (Simurg) symbolizes divinity and the mystical journey of the soul toward the light.
    • Chinese: (Fen-huang) symbolizes the union of yin and yang.
    • Japanese: (Ho-O) symbolizes reincarnation of the spirit.  

    Sirens: Demonic figures that are part woman which uses songs to enchant sailors and lure them to their deaths. Cursed because they did not protect Persephone.

    • Greek: sea monsters with an insatiable appetite for blood, lured sailors to their death by shape-changing into beautiful maidens.
    • China: demon spirits associated with violent death and disguised themselves as beautiful girls.
    • India: the true character of a “rakshasi” could be recognized by the way her feet point backward. 

     

    Unicorn: A one horned horse

    • Greek: symbolized purity also associated with femininity and chastity
    • Hebrew: the horn symbolized unity of spirit
    • Christian: symbolized the Virgin Mary and Christ.
    • Chinese/Japanese: heralded times of peace and prosperity and it became to symbolize the wise ruler of an emperor.

    Valkyrie: Supernatural women (9 to 36 valkyries according to different legends), death angels who hover over the battle fields granting victory or defeat to warriors. From Old Norse valr means ‘battlefield-corpse’ and kjosa means ‘to choose.” After death, they took the spirits of the valiant to Valhalla. (Norse)

    Vithafnir: (Norse) is the golden cockerel that lived at the top of the cosmic tree of Yggdrasil. He warned the gods of anything that would harm the worlds of creation. The cock symbolizes the power of day overcoming a long darkness.

    Wendigo: In North American legend, the Wendigo (Windigo) is an amphibious monster like an alligator with bear’s feet or cloven hooves or known like an ogre. Among the Algonquin Indians it is the spirit of a lost hunter who now preys upon humans in a cannibalistic manner. The name is invoked to ensure compliant behavior from children.

     Yeti (Tibetan), Big Foot/Sasquatch (Native American), Wild Man (European folklore): A fearsome, gigantic creature made of snow and ice and symbolizing supernatural spiritual beings.