Heroes In a Box

Your Hero in a Box blog assignment is due Friday, October 25.

Introduction:

When an anthropologist begins to study a group of people, he or she collects artifacts of the culture. Depending on the group being studied, these artifacts may include writing, songs, pictures, art, etc. As an introduction to our study of hero quests, you will take on the role of digital anthropologist, collecting and studying digital artifacts of heroes.

Assignment:

1. Begin by using an Internet search provider to look for artifacts about heroes. Since heroes will lead you to thousands and thousands of findings, you need to narrow your focus. Think about aspects of heroes that you may be interested in studying. Examples may include: female heroes, Canadian heroes, African-American heroes, local heroes, Hmong heroes, gay heroes, etc.

2. Find as many artifacts as you can about your topic. Types of artifacts may include: literature (poetry, short stories, excerpts from literary works), images (pictures, other digital images), videos, songs, quotes from famous people.

3. Next, it’s time to make sense of these artifacts. Study each artifact you found (watch videos, study images, read literature, etc.). Identify patterns in what you find. Create a tree map to help classify the artifacts that you find by theme.

4. Finally, organize your artifacts and write about the classifications you discovered. Create your final product on your blog. Paste photos, literature, quotes, etc. on to your blog; link videos to your blog; discuss your findings in sentences and paragraphs in the same blog post. What did you learn about heroes from your search? For example, while studying sisters, a student discovered that there are two categories of sisters: sisters who are best friends, and sisters who are enemies. End your study with a final paragraph entitled “Conclusion” in which you discuss your overall findings.

Other Heroes to Consider:

First name heroes (e.g. Jackie heroes)
Nerd heroes
Soccer heroes
Vampire heroes (Twilight fans)
Amish heroes
Alien heroes
Hip-hop heroes
Bassoon heroes