Joseph Campbell, a literature professor from Sarah Lawrence College, first recognized that the ancient story, the "Epic of Gilgamesh," followed a pattern of recounting the adventures of an archetypical hero that most stories and myths from all cultures across recorded history have followed. He called these similar patterns the monomyth…

"Literary Imagination and Professional Knowledge: Using Literature in Teacher Education" establishes a foundation for expanding the use of literature in teacher education curricula. The contributors to this collection have a wide variety of education and experience, thus bringing a richness to the content of the volume. Literature can be…

The negative impact of human activity has been known throughout history. The epic tale of Gilgamesh, Koranic and biblical texts all make clear the potential that humans have to destroy the world in which they live. Climate breakdown, biodiversity collapse and zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19 have also been predicted well in advance. The…

This study will explore the omission of the Tower of Babel narrative from middle and secondary school world history, world studies, and world geography textbooks and will consider what might be learned from inclusion of the story in the curriculum. A total of 17 textbooks are analyzed. The Tower of Babel narrative is examined within the context of…

The assessment of human performance is not a new phenomenon. We have evidence that people have been required to prove their worth dating back at least to the Epic of Gilgamesh. What has changed, at least on a large scale, is the importance given to quantitative evidence in the evaluation process. For example, many employers have begun subjecting…

Near the first of every school year, the author has the opportunity to talk to her students about death, usually in the midst of their study of "Beowulf" or "Gilgamesh." Occasionally, the discussion results from the recent news of the death of a public figure or, closer to home, a family member. Regardless of the circumstance, her students learn…

The historical Gilgamesh was a Sumarian king of Uruk around 2700 B.C. Sumarian fragments of the legend that grew up around him have been found dating back to about 2000 B.C. These lesson plans on Gilgamesh were developed during the Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) summer institute on history through literature, in…

Offers a narrative based on a real event, in the form of a "docustory," describing that moment when teaching worked--when, in an instructional setting, communication was "perfect,""best," or "excellent." Offers a teacher's stream of consciousness observations as he teaches the Gilgamesh epic in a high school…

Author commented on the textbook editions of this extremely ancient narrative about a hero who wanted to conquer death. He remarked on the difficulties in the text, differences between the 1964 and 1972 Sandars versions, similarities to Shelley, various literary strategies, and the persistent problem of translation itself. (Editor/RK)

Contends that the ancient Babylonian epic poem "Gilgamesh" makes room for elements that call into question the very nature of heroic. Notes that the opening passage of the poem informs readers that it is going to foster elements contrary to expectations. Provides examples of such surprises. (PM)

Outlines the characteristics of "tall tales." Fills in the historical background of tall tales, from the ancient myth of Gilgamesh to Baron Munchausen, the closest European progenitor of American tall tales. Opines that tall tales appear to have been created as a response to challenges posed by building a new nation. Lists 11…

This paper describes a pedagogic strategy that uses ancient texts for teaching college freshmen academic skills, habits of inquiry, and leadership. Applicability of these pedagogic ideas to a graduate course in leadership is discussed. Among the texts discussed are: (1) Gilgamesh; (2) "The Odyssey"; (3) "Oedipus the King"; (4)…

A paper presented at annual convention of Canadian Council of Teachers of English (2nd, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, August 1969). (RD)

This paper illustrates several examples of visual science fiction use in teaching literary classics, and is based on the philosophy that students share a visual cultural literacy through movies and television, types of representation with which they are more familiar than with literary texts. It claims that visual science fiction can be utilized…