CLT 3370: CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY

Portfolio Assignment 1
Written Communication:
By the end of this course students will demonstrate college-level writing competency as required by
the State of Florida. The student must earn a C (2.0) or higher in the course, and earn at least a C
average on the required writing assignments. If the student does not earn a C average or better on the
required writing assignments, the student will not earn an overall grade of C or better in the course,
no matter how well the student performs in the remaining portion of the course.
Late Assignments:
Written assignments (essays) submitted late owing to documented illness or other excused absences
determined by University policy will not be penalized. Assignments received late and without valid
excuse will be penalized. Assignments submitted up to a week after the due date will be marked down
by 10 points; assignments received more than one week late will be marked down by 20 points.
Submission format:
For each essay, you will hand in a paper copy in class, and you will also submit an electronic copy to
SafeAssign (on Blackboard) for plagiarism checking. Students guilty of plagiarizing a paper can
expect to fail the assignment and the course.
Grading:
Please refer to the grading rubric (found on Blackboard under Course Library) for what constitutes a
good (or not good) essay, and the components upon which essays are scored.
ESSAY 1
Due Date: Monday, September 8, 2014 in class
Points Possible: 10 points
Length: 1-2 pages
Important Information: This essay will be re-used when you write Essay 6.
For this first essay, you are asked the question What is myth? How would you have defined myth
before you walked into this class? What kinds of cultures would you have expected to have myths?
Why do you think people have myths, and how do myths relate to concepts like truth, science and
religion? Consider the definitions and theories offered in class and in the introductory readings in the
Morford and Lenardon textbookdo you find any of these points particularly compelling,
illuminating, or new to your thinking? Do you strongly disagree with any of the interpretive strategies
presented? Please explain all your answers clearly, and cite sources appropriately. Also, for a bonus
point, on a separate sheet of paper, include a modern myth you know, and state what makes it mythic.
Important resources:
Morford and Lenardon readings for Lecture 1
Class slides and notes from Lecture 1