{"id":4985,"date":"2024-11-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-10T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/?p=4985"},"modified":"2024-11-18T10:02:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T15:02:45","slug":"teaching-the-heros-journey-in-high-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/teaching-the-heros-journey-in-high-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching the Hero\u2019s Journey in High School"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you want to teach story structure to your older students, teaching the Hero’s Journey in high school is the perfect method!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hero’s Journey provides a digestible framework for students to use to break down story structures and begin to analyze how events and characters impact the overall tale.<\/strong> In this post, I’m going to break down how to teach the Hero’s Journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to skip the prep?<\/strong> Grab my Hero’s Journey Introduction Lesson here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Why Is the Hero’s Journey Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the Hero’s Journey offers students a roadmap for analyzing narratives. This can be especially helpful for students who struggle with abstract concepts.<\/strong> Giving them concrete “steps” to look for–or even visualize–can help them break down daunting texts into manageable pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a structure found in many genres, making it relevant to both classic and modern texts. This means you can incorporate it into nearly any novel study from remedial to advanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By identifying stages like The Call to Adventure<\/em> or The Return<\/em>, students can better appreciate character development and thematic progression. For advanced readers, knowing the stages of the Hero’s Journey can also help them identify more quickly when authors are breaking convention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This framework also encourages personal reflection.<\/strong> As students connect the hero’s challenges to their own lives, they develop empathy and see universal human experiences in literature. It’s an excellent bridge between textual analysis and personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Teaching The Hero’s Journey in High School Step #1: Make Decisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you create your lesson, decide which terms and definitions you’ll be using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, do you primarily want students to know the framework as “the Hero’s Journey” or the “monomyth?”<\/strong> I think it’s best to introduce both terms but know which one you plan on using in future tests or assessments and primarily stick to that term. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Need a done-for-you lesson on the Hero’s Journey<\/a>? This one includes everything you need: an editable slideshow, visual handouts, lesson plan, exit ticket, and more!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You’ll also need to know which version of the Hero’s Journey you want students to know. The Hero’s Journey has been reworked and revised over the years. Do you want one with seventeen steps or twelve?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a fan of brevity and saving classroom time, I, personally, stick to twelve steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also want to consider if it’s important for your students to know the Hero’s Journey archetypal characters.<\/strong> You can skip these, or, if you think knowing them might help students’ analyses, you can cover them, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decide what exactly you want students to know before you put together your lesson plan. (Alternatively, you can just grab my complete the Hero’s Journey Lesson<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching the Hero’s Journey in High School Step #2: Breakdown the Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step in any literary element is defining the topic for students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Hero’s Journey, you’ll want to give an overall explanation of the concepts and<\/em> a breakdown of the steps. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s helpful to have a visual of the complete journey and examples for each stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my Hero’s Journey Lesson<\/a>, I use a lot of examples from Harry Potter<\/em>, but almost any major work will do. Just try to find something that students will know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, if you have the time, you can watch a movie or read a text with students and stop to showcase each step along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching The Hero’s Journey in High School Step #3: Provide Learning Supports<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As with any lesson, consider the resources you can use to support your learners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my The Hero’s Journey Lesson<\/a>, I include student handouts to help teens remember the different steps and archetypal characters. You can create your own visual, pull one from the internet, or have students create their own. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also want to consider having students take notes or complete visual notes while you teach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever scaffolding your students typically benefit from, consider adding it to your Hero’s Journey lesson.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n