Storybook Favorites
Many of the storybooks of former students were very compelling, but in life as well as art, there must be a winner! I have chosen these as my favorites: Flood Myths, Tales on a Train, and the Real Housewives of Greek Mythology.
Flood Myths had to be my favorite. While it may not have been the most dynamic of the story books aesthetically speaking, it combined two of my personal favorites from my past lives. As a child, I always loved "Choose Your Own Adventure" books! As an adult, I've tried to create similar experiences for my daughter with little success. I love the added interest that it gives to this subject matter. Additionally, the subject has always been a favorite of mine. In studying the mythology of various cultures through the ages, it is hard to ignore that each culture has some version of a flood story. The variations are as fascinating to me as the similarities.
Tales on a Train cannot be overlooked. The catchy title that brings the pilgrimage concept to modern day, the colorful, inviting image, and the sheer nerve of taking on Chaucer made this one hard to pass up. Credit must be given for the dedication to the rhyme scheme; you don't see that anymore outside of rap music. I thought this blog was a delight and Chaucer, who, let's face it, was the Chance the Rapper of his day, would be impressed.
Finally, I chose the Real Housewives of Greek Mythology as my last favorite. Who among us hasn't read Greek mythology and thought Zeus was bit of a sleazy, "Wolf of Wall Street" type. Likewise, the antics of the reality show "celebrities" of today and call to mind the schemes of these ancient myths. The parallel is unavoidable, and the script format made it a quick enjoyable read.
What a refreshing idea it is to allow students to see the works of their predecessors! Doing so sparks ideas, sets accurate expectations, and promotes the great work of past students while creating it's own "folklore" so future generations to study. Like a glimpse into the past...
Flood Myths had to be my favorite. While it may not have been the most dynamic of the story books aesthetically speaking, it combined two of my personal favorites from my past lives. As a child, I always loved "Choose Your Own Adventure" books! As an adult, I've tried to create similar experiences for my daughter with little success. I love the added interest that it gives to this subject matter. Additionally, the subject has always been a favorite of mine. In studying the mythology of various cultures through the ages, it is hard to ignore that each culture has some version of a flood story. The variations are as fascinating to me as the similarities.
Tales on a Train cannot be overlooked. The catchy title that brings the pilgrimage concept to modern day, the colorful, inviting image, and the sheer nerve of taking on Chaucer made this one hard to pass up. Credit must be given for the dedication to the rhyme scheme; you don't see that anymore outside of rap music. I thought this blog was a delight and Chaucer, who, let's face it, was the Chance the Rapper of his day, would be impressed.
Finally, I chose the Real Housewives of Greek Mythology as my last favorite. Who among us hasn't read Greek mythology and thought Zeus was bit of a sleazy, "Wolf of Wall Street" type. Likewise, the antics of the reality show "celebrities" of today and call to mind the schemes of these ancient myths. The parallel is unavoidable, and the script format made it a quick enjoyable read.
What a refreshing idea it is to allow students to see the works of their predecessors! Doing so sparks ideas, sets accurate expectations, and promotes the great work of past students while creating it's own "folklore" so future generations to study. Like a glimpse into the past...
Taking a Glimpse into the past. Source: Wikipedia Commons
Wow, Samantha, your post here made my day, both because I was so happy to see you enjoyed looking at the projects, but also because of what you said at the end: you captured exactly the spirit of this assignment and why it comes early in the week. The stories and storybooks that you all create this semester are the most important thing that happens in the class, both for this semester and also extending into the future, sharing with students to come. Future folklore!
ReplyDeleteAnd about those flood stories: that project was built with Twine, which is surprisingly easy to learn to use and free software that works in the browser; you don't even have to download anything to your computer (although you do need an OUCreate account, also free, to upload your stories). You'll see that come up in the Tools assignment later this week; sneak preview here: Twinery.org. The developer added some new features and options this summer; I haven't checked them out yet, but I am excited to see what new things we can do!