Myth-Folklore Extra Credit Reading
The extra credit reading each week works the same way as the regular reading: about an hour's worth of reading and note-taking. The difference is that you can do the extra credit reading you can do that any time during the week, and choose from a huge range of things to read. So, here are some different ways the extra credit reading can be helpful:
- Read "ahead" in the UnTextbook. If the topics you are most interested in come later in the semester, you can use the extra credit reading option to do those reading units now. So, for example, if you are excited about Dante's Inferno or the Brothers Grimm or Alice in Wonderland or Beowulf, etc., you do not have to wait until the end of the semester to read those units; you can read them at any time! If you want to read Dante's Inferno, then do Part A, and write up your notes as extra credit reading; then, read Part B, and write up your notes as extra credit reading for the next week. There's no need to wait: all the UnTextbook units are available to read now, and all the extra credit reading Declarations are ready to go too; just pop open the Modules in Canvas, and you can do as much extra credit reading as you want at any time.
- Read BEYOND the UnTextbook. In addition to the reading in the UnTextbook, I have built a library of free online books at the Freebookapalooza. There are over 1500 books there, and I keep adding new books all the time. So, if there is a book you want to read, let me know, and I will divide that up into "chunks" which you can use for extra credit reading. Depending on how long the book is, it might count for one or two or three or more weeks of extra credit. This is a great option if you want to do research for your Storybook project, for example.
- Crash Course Mythology videos. If you like the idea of watching videos for the extra credit reading options, there is a great Crash Course series which I have organized into chunks. Like a reading assignment, each set of videos will take appx. one hour to watch and then to write about in your blog. Start with the first set: Mythology Overview, and then you can choose from the other options in any order: Ancient Mediterranean, More Pantheons, Goddesses and Gods, Tricksters, Epics and Heroes, Creation Stories, Creation and Destruction, Flood Stories, Mythical Places, and Monsters, Horses, Dragons.
Between the UnTextbook, the Freebookapalooza, and the Crash Course videos, there are so many great options — and the more you read, the more you will learn. So, I hope this is an extra credit option you will consider both as a way to deepen your learning, and also as a way to make the class less stressful by accumulating extra credit in the Gradebook too.