Archetypes Teacher Resources

Ideal for a college-level children's literature class or in a story-writing unit, this presentation defines not only the archetypal characters in literature but provides ample examples from fairy tales to modern films. The slideshow...

Here is a full lesson with all the needed materials and PowerPoints attached! Introduce your class to archetypes by showing them the included presentation. The presentation gives definitions and examples of archetypal characters,...

Archetypes help readers connect literature to the world around them. A lesson plan uses elements of pop culture to teach about archetypal traits of common characters  and discuss issues of perception and other literary devices. At the...

The second interactive in a series of 10 introduces young scholars to character archetypes, archetypal plot patterns, and archetypal motifs, including the use of color. Learners read passages explaining the term and study examples from...

A relevant and entertaining presentation, this resource teaches villain archetypes with definitions and examples from popular culture. Class members are sure to laugh and nod in recognition while they take down notes for each villain...

Balor, the Celtic war god of the Fomorians, had an eyelid so heavy that servants had to lift it open. The 15th video from the Crash Course World Mythology series includes many other eye-opening facts. Viewers investigate the archetypal...

As class members continue their study of approaches to literary criticism, readers examine the symbolism and archetypal patterns in John Knowles' A Separate Peace, and how these parallels are used to develop a theme in the story.

Are you are considering a unit on Beowulf or Superman, on myths, or tricksters? Here's a great overview you can use to launch a study of universal themes and archetypes. The focus here is on the oral tradition, but the concepts apply to...

The Chief, the Bad Boy, the Best Friend, the Charmer, the Lost Soul, the Professor, the Swashbuckler, the Warrior. After examining the criteria for each of these archetypes, viewers are ask to generate a list of their own examples of...

Is Luke Skywalker the archetype of a literary hero? Follow the path of the Hero's Journey with an engaging lesson that details the plot structure, applies it to Star Wars: A New Hope, and invites class members to choose their own example...

Students analyze the archetype of 'the fall' in Shakespeare's Macbeth. In this literary analysis lesson plan, students work in tiered learning groups to analyze the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Students use the book of Genesis...

What symbols and patterns are associated with female deities? Scholars use the 13th video of 41 in the Crash Course World Mythology series to consider the mother goddess archetype in mythology. Pupils also learn about a common literary...

Here is a rather esoteric resource that presents the archetypes found in “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” and would be appropriate for a college-level psychology or literature class, or as a teacher resource. Considered the “world’s oldest...

High schoolers take a closer look at archetypes. In this characterization lesson, students examine the setting and the characters of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as they read and analyze the novel. High schoolers consider how Twain...

From Bart Simpson to Bugs Bunny to Jack Sparrow, people love a good trickster. With the 20th video from the Crash Course World Mythology series, scholars explore the mythological trickster archetype. Viewers also listen to the story of...

Many myths focus on gods sacrificing themselves for humans; why is that? Scholars explore the topic using the 19th installment of the Crash Course World Mythology series. They discover the dying god archetype in ancient mythology and...

How were modern thinkers influenced by ancient mythology? Scholars investigate the topic with the 40th of 41 videos in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Viewers meet two psychologists, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and learn about...

Once the class learns about the hero's journey, they'll find it in every story and movie they see! Take characters from their humble beginnings to their atonement and apotheosis with a set of lessons about the hero's journey focusing...

Students analyze the archetypal hero called the monomyth. In this archetypes lesson, students discuss the topic and view a chart of hero figures with related details. Students analyze the monomyth process diagram, read the story of the...

Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...

Should identifying a tragic hero be based on a universal definition or a definition based on the morals and values of a specific culture? As part of a study of Things Fall Apart, class members read Sylvia Plath's "Colossus" and then...

The connections between the epic and contemporary hero are made available to your learners from the information available here. From Beowulf to The Lord of the Rings, the archetypes of epic poetry and the hero are discussed and analyzed....

According to a Norse creation myth, an evil frost giant created humanity from his armpit sweat—and that's the normal part of the story. With the fourth video in the "Crash Course World Mythology: series, scholars explore the myth and...

What do a 10-headed demon, a monkey king, and a fire god have to do with ancient India? Scholars find out using the 27th video from the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology set. Viewers explore the hero archetype in ancient myths and...