OBJECTIVES:

In Unit 1 you will study an ancient written epic  -- Gilgamesh from Sumeria, and look at the related story of the Flood from the Hebrew Bible. You may also select one other narrative from the Hebrew Bible to compare with Gilgamesh if you wish.

TASK 1. Write a letter introducing yourself to me and to the other students in the course. Tell us who you are, why you are interested in taking the course, your experiences with literature, with different cultures, with the Internet, and anything else you think is relevant. If you foresee any problems with the course, please explain what you think they may be. Let's get to know one another in this way, so that we can work together more comfortably. Your letter should be a page or two in length. Post this Introduction to the Introductions Forum on  Blackboard. For instructions on using Blackboard, see the Blackboard Instructions Page.

In order to go to the forum, so that you can read other students' entries and post your own writing, you will need to give your user name and password. Your user name consists of the first letter of your first name your last name and the last four numbers of your social security number. My username, for example, could be dthompson1234. If a student's name were Fred Lee, and his social security number were 987651234, his user name would be flee1234. Your password is your nine digit social security or student id number.

The best way to write is on your own word processor. After you have finished writing your Introduction, go to the edit menu and choose the "select all" and "copy" options. Then, close the word processor and click on Blackboard, as above. Select Communication, then select Discussion Board, and then scroll down to the appropriate forum. Click on the highlighted forum name, select "Start New Thread," and then click your cursor in the new message box. Finally, go to the edit menu and select "paste." Your writing will now be in the message box. You can still edit it, clean up the formatting, etc. until you press the "submit" button. 

If your message does not show up after you post it, click on the refresh or reload button of your browser to make it show. 

You will receive up to 50 points for posting this Introduction. 

***Please do not attach files; I will not open them and you will have to repost your message.

TASK 2. Read the Gilgamesh Study Guide, which will give you background information on Gilgamesh to help you to understand this ancient story.

TASK 3. Read Gilgamesh (Volume A, 10 - 41). Be sure to read the introduction as well as the story itself. The introductions in the Norton texts are all excellent and will help you to understand each play, story or poem.

TASK 4. Read through all the Gilgamesh Activities. Then, select one of these questions to answer for Activity 1, prepare the Activity, and post it to the Blackboard Activity 1: Gilgamesh Forum. Worth up to 50 points.

NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: Since you are able to read what other students have written on the forums, any copying of their work without the use of quotation marks and proper attribution by name of the student will be considered plagiarism. Any plagiarized Activity will be given a grade of 0 and cannot be redone. If you find an idea in another student's essay that you would like to include in your discussion, you must quote it exactly (you can use copy/paste to do this), use quotation marks to set it off, and indicate the name of the student and the Activity in parentheses immediately after the quote. Further,  you must use this quote to develop some point of your own, not to simply imitate the ideas of the other student.  

If you find that all of your ideas on a topic have already been used by someone else, choose a different Activity.

ACTIVITIES: The Activity questions will help you to learn more about the literature you are reading. These questions do not have single, simple answers, but are designed to help you to think about what you are reading. Writing these Activities will help you to understand what you are reading and help prepare you to take the exams.

These Activity entries must be thoughtful; each one should be the equivalent of at least a full typed page or more in length (e.g. not less than 250 words) . They may be longer if you need to say more on your topic. You will not be able to do these Activity entries properly unless you have carefully read the assigned literature.

HINT: Read through the Activities Lists before reading the texts. Identifying interesting questions in advance will allow you to focus your most careful reading in your chosen Activities areas. 

ACTIVITY ENTRY GRADING:

TASK 5. 

 Read the Hebrew Bible Study Guide

TASK 6.

Read the "Introduction," and the selections from the Hebrew Bible (Volume A, 52-103).  Pay special attention to "The Flood," since it is clearly related to the story of the flood in Gilgamesh. Or you might focus on another selection from the Hebrew Bible that will make an interesting compare/contrast with Gilgamesh. For example, Job is interesting in relation to Gilgamesh, since both deal with the wills of deities and the fates of human beings. Another good choice might be Jonah, who, like Gilgamesh, tries to avoid divine will, or perhaps Joseph, who is a culture hero of the Hebrews, in contrast to Gilgamesh who is a culture hero of the Sumerians.

TASK 7.

Read through all the Gilgamesh and Hebrew Bible Activities . Then, select one of these questions to answer for Activity 2, prepare the Activity, and post it to the the Blackboard Activity 2: Gilgamesh and Hebrew Bible Forum. Worth up to 50 points. 

TASK 8. Review all the Activities and the Study Guide for this Unit as you prepare to take Exam 1.

You will write Exam 1 in an NVCC Testing Center. Be sure to take the
appropriate Exam Pass and a photo ID with you. Call the Testing Center first to make sure it will be open long enough for you to complete the exam.

If it is not possible for you to get to an NVCC Testing Center, you may arrange for a proctor at another location. If you need a proctor, go to the ELI Policies and Procedures Screen. Select the link for Examination Proctors, from the Table of Contents, for information on how to arrange for a proctor.

Worth up to 100 points. After you complete Exam 1, go on to Unit 2.