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The Hero's Journey

A Guide to Literature and Life---Teacher's Edition

What is the Hero's Journey?

The Hero's Journey is the pattern of human experience. It underlies virtually all literature and film, making it an ideal framework for teaching. Students who understand the archetype learn to see literature and film as "modern myths," stories which both reflect and direct human experience. With the Hero's Journey as a guide, they find new meaning in literature and life.

They better comprehend what they watch and read, interpreting literature in ways which foster insight, growth and discovery.
They find more areas for comparison and contrast between stories and their elements.
They begin to see important connections between the themes in the literature they read and the experiences they have in their own lives.
They learn the importance of accepting responsibility for the choices they make.

A powerful, proven curriculum

Currently in use in 22 states, The Hero's Journey curriculum is a complete instructional program suitable for grades 8 through 12. Its 10 units and 26 lessons take students through the journey pattern and its applications in literature, film and composition. The units may be used in sequence or separately, and they provide enough flexibility to fit any curriculum.

You can approach writing and collaborative learning through character analysis, short story writing, group presentations and reflective essays.
You can teach literature, film, art and speech under a unified theme with a logical, progressive structure.
You can merge the Hero's Journey lessons easily with materials and goals from your own curriculum.

The Hero's Journey curriculum gives teachers a complete program, with all lesson plans, activities, background notes, and supplementary materials. It gives students a powerful tool to interpret and analyze literature and to make constructive sense of their own experience.

About the authors

Reg Harris and Susan Thompson have more than 25 years' combined experience teaching writing and literature in California secondary schools. They have used the Hero's Journey archetype as a framework for subjects as varied as Shakespeare, science fiction and philosophy. They have presented numerous workshops and seminars on the Hero's Journey, including sessions at the state conferences of the California Association of Teachers of English and the Oregon Council of Teachers of English. This Hero's Journey curriculum is the result of more than five years of research, writing and testing.

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