MIDDLE SCHOOL
Eighth Grade Epic Heroes Wellington 8th graders are creating their own epic hero stories.
JAEDYN GAINES ’19, DARIUS MCELRATH ’19
Having previously studied the hero’s journey and story archetypes, students worked in small groups, using post-its and white boards, to brainstorm ideas about their own fictional heroes. They were asked to consider the following: the name of their hero, his/her call to adventure, any supernatural aids, what force will the hero battle, and what obstacles must the hero overcome to complete his or her journey. After drafting outlines, the groups will next share visual representations of their stories with the entire class. “This project relies on group analysis,” middle school English teacher Marianne Crowley said. “Everyone brings something to the table and contributes to the discussion. Students feel free to make very astute observations in this type of setting. I continually learn new things from them.” As Wellington students come to find a deeper understanding of classic literature, they also develop greater insight about the world around them and their place within it as heroes of their own epic journey.
MILAN PARIKH ‘19
The Heroic Ethos Examined in Middle School Ohio State professor and Wellington parent Carolina Lopez-Ruiz P ’19 ’27 shared her insight on Mesopotamian literature with middle schoolers. Having previously studied the hero’s journey and “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” 8th grade English students were able to culminate their own learning experience by hearing from a local authority on the subject. Lopez-Ruiz, a published author of several books and professor in The Ohio State University Department of Classics, spoke to the class about the earliest epic poem preserved about the first known epic hero, Gilgamesh. Lopez-Ruiz detailed the heroic ethos, including good rivalry, heroic flaw, and fame, as well as the traditional hero pattern of separation, initiation, and return. She discussed many of the lessons to be learned from the ancient text and that the epic poem conveys the earliest known expression of the carpe diem, or seize the day, mindset. Students shared their own thoughts on the story with Lopez-Ruiz and received encouraging feedback from the professor who was impressed by their epic understanding of ancient literature. PICTURED RIGHT: EVAN ALBERS ’19, MAC HAMMETT ’19, SOPHIE HASKETT ’19; LOPEZ-RUIZ SPEAKS TO 8TH GRADERS 24 • WELLINGTON MAGAZINE