Make Your Life Epic! (Elements of an Epic + Life Application)
This digital and print creative project asks students to imagine their life as an epic quest! Harness the excitement of ancient epics like the Iliad, Odyssey, and Gilgamesh, along with more modern examples like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Legend of Zelda!
This activity includes EIGHT writing prompts that require critical thinking about life goals, obstacles, mentors, and allies. Along the way it teaches elements of an epic including:
- Heroic Action
- Vast Setting
- Elevation of Style
- Supernatural Aid
This download includes:
- 5-page PDF of the activity that teachers can print or upload to their digital learning platform
- A link to a copyable and editable Google Forms version of the activity
From the activity introduction: Epics are long narrative poems that tell the larger-than-life deeds of a hero. Famous examples are The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, Beowulf, and the Inferno. Although many epics are ancient, modern works such as Lord of the Rings hold the title “modern epics” because they use many of the same elements. These epic elements are important to learn for academic purposes, but they can also apply to real life. After all, we are the heroes of our life stories. So here are some ways to make your life epic!
Google Forms Version Note: If you decide to make a copy of the Google Forms version of the activity, please note that I have added "Response Validation" to the main questions: The Hero, Mighty Purpose, Vast Setting, etc. that require the students to type at least 900 characters in their answers. (This is the equivalent of 1-2 large paragraphs.) Once you have copied the activity, you can easily delete this length requirement or change it to a length that you prefer.
