English Language Arts · 9th Grade

Active learning ideas

Modern Epics and Enduring Themes

Active learning works for this topic because students need to see the hero’s journey not as a dusty relic but as a living pattern that shapes stories they already love. When they compare texts side by side and argue about what counts as an epic, they move beyond memorization into analysis and ownership of the material.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7

• 40–55 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Individual

Comparative Analysis: Classical vs. Modern Epic Checklist

Students complete a checklist of classic epic conventions (invocation of the muse, in medias res opening, divine intervention, catalogues of warriors, etc.) applied to both the Odyssey and a modern text of their choice. They then rank which modern epic best fits the classical template and write a one-paragraph argument defending their ranking.

How do modern 'epics' differ from their classical predecessors in form and content?

Facilitation Tip

During the Comparative Analysis checklist, have students mark direct quotations from both texts to prevent vague observations.

What to look for

Provide students with short synopses of a classical epic (e.g., The Odyssey) and a modern 'epic' (e.g., a summary of Luke Skywalker's arc in Star Wars). Ask them to list two similarities and two differences in their narrative structure or thematic focus on a shared digital document.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Socratic Seminar
• 50 min · Whole Class

Socratic Seminar: What Makes a Hero Last?

Students prepare by identifying one classical epic trait and one contemporary equivalent in a modern text. During the seminar, they discuss why certain hero qualities (courage, cleverness, loyalty) recur across centuries and what that repetition suggests about universal human values versus culturally specific ones.

Why do certain hero stories endure for thousands of years across different cultures?

Facilitation Tip

For the Socratic Seminar, assign roles like ‘textual evidence tracker’ and ‘cultural context connector’ to keep the discussion focused.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Is the concept of an 'epic' hero still relevant today, or have modern stories changed what we value in protagonists?' Facilitate a class discussion where students must support their claims with specific examples from texts or media studied.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 55 min · Small Groups

Small Group Debate: Is This Story a True Epic?

Assign different groups a modern 'epic' (Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Black Panther, etc.). Each group prepares a two-minute argument for whether their assigned text qualifies as a genuine epic based on specific criteria, then argues their case to the class. A student panel evaluates each argument and votes.

Compare the challenges faced by classical epic heroes with those of modern epic protagonists.

Facilitation Tip

In the Small Group Debate, require each group to prepare one counterargument before stating their own position.

What to look for

Students complete a Venn diagram comparing a classical epic hero and a modern 'epic' protagonist. They then exchange diagrams with a partner, who checks for accuracy and completeness, providing one specific suggestion for improvement on the Venn diagram.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Parallel Moments Across Epics

Post paired passages: one from a classical epic and one from a modern text showing a parallel narrative moment (the call to adventure, the mentor's guidance, the descent into darkness). Small groups annotate what is the same and what has changed, and one recorder captures the most significant pattern the group notices.

How do modern 'epics' differ from their classical predecessors in form and content?

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, label each station with an epic stage so students can visually map the journey across cultures.

What to look for

Provide students with short synopses of a classical epic (e.g., The Odyssey) and a modern 'epic' (e.g., a summary of Luke Skywalker's arc in Star Wars). Ask them to list two similarities and two differences in their narrative structure or thematic focus on a shared digital document.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by explicitly teaching the hero’s journey as a cultural tool, not a rigid formula. They model how to read against the grain by pointing out subversions in well-known stories. They avoid framing the topic as ‘old stories’ versus ‘new stories’ and instead focus on transformation across time and media. Research suggests that when students trace a pattern across multiple centuries, they develop deeper historical empathy and stronger analytical writing.

Successful learning looks like students identifying structural and thematic patterns with precision, explaining why a modern story adapts or resists epic conventions, and using evidence from both texts to support their claims. You will notice this when students move from ‘it’s the same’ to ‘it’s the same but with a new purpose.’

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Comparative Analysis: Classical vs. Modern Epic Checklist, students may claim that modern epics are just copies and therefore less original.

  During the Comparative Analysis, redirect students to the checklist’s final prompt: ‘How does the modern author reframe or challenge the classical pattern?’ Have them highlight moments where values, identity, or setting transform the hero’s journey.

• During the Small Group Debate: Is This Story a True Epic?, students may treat Campbell’s monomyth as a universal rule.

  During the debate, provide a counter-example text (e.g., The Hunger Games) and ask groups to identify where it departs from the template, then explain why those departures matter.

• During the Socratic Seminar: What Makes a Hero Last?, students may assume epic heroes must be male.

  During the seminar, assign one student to present on a female epic protagonist and ask the group to analyze how the form adapts, using criteria from the checklist.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Socratic Seminar
• Gallery Walk