How to Summative?

What am I expected to do? The Hero’s Journey is one of the most told stories of all time. It is everywhere. From Harry Potter to Katniss to Luke Skywalker to Superman to Rey (Skywalker) to Frodo to Simba to Mulan to Aladdin to Neo to Dorothy to Bill and Ted to…. you get the point. You are tasked with creating a presentation explaining whether or not your story was a unique, original Hero’s Journey.

Presentation Expectations You will create a presentation that will argue whether or not your book(s) has effectively created an original, unique version of the Hero’s Journey. We do not care which side you choose, but you must back up your claims with evidence. Use you Entry-Journals for help in creating your presentations.

What is Presentation Day Going to Look Like? We will have two days set up for presentations. On day 1, half of you will present your arguments to the class in a gallery walk format. Think of it as a Science (Fiction) Fair! If on Day 1 you are a presenter, you will have 3 minutes to present your claims. After 3 minutes, your audience will rotate to the next presenter. This will continue until we have seen all presenters. If on Day 1 you are a listener, you will be asked to view each presentation. There is a form asking you to evaluate each speaker and their arguments. You will be assessed summatively on this as well.

Expectations for Presentation Day It is more than fine if you elect to just talk to your group about their day and the common life interests that you share. It is also more than fine for me to give you a grade that reflects that. While you may not always have me in front of you, I am paying attention. While you may be on task the majority of the time, I can only assess the things I see. Stay focused, stay on topic. Your listeners are relying on you for their grade and vice versa.

Expectations for Presentation Medium You will be aided in your presentation with a digital medium. Prezi, Popplet, Google Slides, Padlet, Slide Rocket. We all know how to use Powerpoint, try something different. You presentation aid is exactly that. It should guide your presentation, but not be word for word what you read off. This is a tool to help you, but not do all the work for you. Do not make your audience read the slides silently to themselves while you stand and do nothing, but also do not just read your slides to them.

Expectations for Digital Media You should include the steps of the Hero’s Journey that your Hero made. Were these steps new and interesting? Were the boring and tired? You should explain in what ways the characters are unique or cliché. Did they do something new to the tired, old character archetypes? Are they normal? Why is this boring or why is this unique and interesting? You should explain in what ways is your setting unique or cliché. Is there anything special? Crazy animals? Weird laws of the land? Are the pieces of setting original and memorable? Finally, would you recommend this novel to others for being, well, novel! Is the story just a regular Hero’s Journey adventure that has been done before and better? Or is this something new and interesting with a twist on the Hero’s Journey story model?

Star Wars: The Force Awakens By Daniel Janbakhsh

Claim Although, The Force Awakens uses almost the exact same Hero’s Journey model as the original Star Wars, its breaking of standard character archetypes, its ability to build new, interesting worlds in a familiar universe, and its slight flips of story telling create a unique, vibrant tale that audiences will universally love.

Hero’s Journey This story sets up two, very different, characters (Finn and Rey) to follow the path of the Hero’s Journey instead of the traditional one. Each one struggles with their identity and, together, they create a new take on the Hero’s Journey. Instead of the traditional background of the white, male Hero saving everyone, this story flips the script. It gives a female character a voice and strength rarely seen in these stories. Rey, constantly, is showing that she does not need to be saved and that she is perfectly capable of doing that herself. Finn is a very non traditional hero. He comes from a background of evil. He breaks out of the First Order’s control and struggles with hiding his past.

Setting While, Jakku bares a remarkable resemblance to that of Tattoine, The Force Awakens creates a brand new world that captures the nostalgia of the old world, but with new, interesting twists that keep the audience intrigued. Stories set in space always create new forgettable planets with terrain entirely similar to that of our Earth, however, Force Awakens creates new worlds that are memorable for the actions that take place there, as well as there breathtaking aesthetics.

Basic Hero’s Journey Ordinary World: Call to Adventure: Rey: Stuck on Jakku, dreaming of a better life, wishing for her family to return. Finn: On first mission for the First Order. Cannot shoot the innocent. About to be reconditioned by Captain Phasma. Call to Adventure: Rey: Decides to help and run off with Finn. She calls the shots and saves the day with Finn, flipping the older, tired, “normal” storytelling. Finn: Decides to save Poe, thus creating the greatest Bromance in modern cinema.

Journey Continued Refusal of the Call: Mentor: Rey: Refuses to help BB-8, but changes her mind. She also, refuses Han’s offer to stay on as his crew. Finn: Tells Poe no that he cannot go back to Jakku. Refuses to help Rey get BB-8 back to the Resistance. Wants to run away. Mentor: Han Solo serves as mentor to both characters. Offers advice to Finn about women and running away. Offers to keep Rey as part of his crew.

Journey Continues Cross the First Threshold Reward/Seizing the Sword Rey: Taking off and leaving Jakku. Finn: Taking off and leaving the Star Cruiser. Reward/Seizing the Sword Rey: Handed a lightsaber by Maz Kanata Finn: Handed a lightsaber by Maz Kanata… He also gets a cool jacket from Poe. Tests: The two escape the Rathtar on Han’s ship. Finn and Rey fight off Stormtroopers outside the Catina.

Journey Continues Even More Allies: Finn: Has Poe, Rey, BB-8, Chewbacca, Han, Resistance, etc. Rey: Has Finn, BB-8, Chewbacca, Han, Resistance, etc. Enemies Stormtroopers, Kylo-Ren, Supreme Leader Snoke, General Hux, Captain Phasma. Approach to the Inmost Cave: Finn: When Rey is taken by Kylo Ren Rey: When she loses Han.

Surely, this is the last slide The Supreme Ordeal: Finn and Rey fight Kylo Ren. Finn is injured in fight. Rey discovers her unique abilities and wins the battle. The Road Back: Rey leaves with Finn back to the Resistance knowing that she has placed a target on her back after victory. Resurrection: Rey leaves in new clothing to find Luke Skywalker. She, figuratively, is shed of her former self by taking new clothing. Return with Elixir Finds Luke Skywalker

In Summation The Force Awakens creates a new adventure, steeped with twists on old expectations. The regular character archetypes are abandoned and replaced with characters that are new, unique, and truly original. The settings create a impact on the story. Taking nostalgia that we have seen many times previously and turning it into something brand new.