INTRODUCTION:

Welcome all you brave, adventurous souls to the world of the grotesque. Now, you maybe asking yourself: What the heck is the grotesque anyhow?. Well, fear not---on the otherhand, be very, very afraid. If you dare to be bold, explore the unexplainable, test your deepest fears and terrors of realms and ideas this webquest is just for you. As an explorer through the world of the gothic writer and researcher, you will be given the opportunity to express your wild side. The side of your most primitive and passionate desires and longings. Join me on this most excellent journey in uncovering what makes dreams a reality and just how the idea of the "boogie man" really got started?Is he really a figment of you imagination??find out and see. Goodluck!

TASK:

As an explorer, you have been selected by a committee of the most renowned and well-known explorers of the "Mysticism Underground Society" to give an oral presentation and virtual guided tour of the grotesque in our society. Part of your goals will be to present a written paper of analysis, comparing and contrasting the themes of two writers of the grotesque and how each writer reveals their themes through a horror element such as suspenseful settings/moods, ironic twists, heroes/villains, or even pick your own element. Along with your analysis, the "Mysticism Underground Society" has asked you to give a brief cyber presentation on various resources and documentation you had used in developing your analysis. You will be asked to guide the class through a virtual tour of the resources maybe even the pictures you have uncovered that relate to the horror element you have analyzed.

PROCESS:

This will not be an easy mission for you my brave, courageous soul, but as I said fear not. Your fellow peers have not left you in the dark, sorta speak. As part of your preparation, they have left you the following instructions that you need to follow in order to insure the successful completion of your mission. Below you will find their detailed instructions to follow:

Step 1: Develop a web diagram illustrating the multi-definitions of the grotesque. (Look at sample diagrams/charts)

Step 2: Brainstorm a list of ways the grotesque is revealed or shown in our society.

Step 4: Create your Thesis Statement that will prove in an argument format the themes you are going to address and what horror element you are going to be comparing/contrasting in your analysis.

Ex of Thesis Statement: Horror writers depict our own deepest, darkest fears by transforming them in the forms of characters behaviors, actions, and events.

Step 5: Have a peer edit your thesis statement, making sure it is unified, coherent, structured, and created interest for the reader.

Step 6: Create a first draft of your analysis paper & peer-edit

Step 7: Create a Second draft based upon needed improvements discussed in peer-conference.

Step 8: Create a Third draft based upon needed improvements discussed in peer-
conference.

Step 9: Create Final analysis paper based on third draft improvements discussed in peer-conference.

Step 10: Create a list of internet sites that reveal the subject of the grotesque through art forms or art work. You need to show how the art forms or work you chose relates and connects to your chosen horror element.

Step 11: Create a list of resources that you will guide the class through that reveals some aspects of the information you gathered to support your thesis statement.

Step 12: Present your masterpieces and watch as your fellow classmates sit in awe over your creation.

RESOURCES:Here are a list of some very interesting and useful sites I have gathered to help you in the completion of your mission. Websites are arranged for your connivance in categories relating to each step in the process:

Grotesque Art Work/Forms:
http://www.cat.pdx.edu/~caseyh/experiment/horror/book.html
http://www.moonstar.com/~morticia/WWW/horror_list.html
http://server6.ezboard.com/bhorrorliteratureandfilm.html

Articles Discussing the Grotesque in Literature:

http://www.siue.edu/~jvoller/gothic.html
http://www.stephenking.com
http://www.oceanstar.com/horror

E-Text Short Stories/Literature:
http://www.drcasey.com
http://www.geocities.com/area51/corridor/5582/index2.html
 

RUBRIC/EVALUATION: As a final determination of your admission to the "Mysticism Underground Society," they have devised this grading scale that will be used as they observe your presentation and listen to your analysis:

PART I: PRESENTATION /50PTS.

• Speakerís voice is clear, loud, and engaging, keeping the audience entertained.(20%)
• Speakerís moves about his/her given space with ease and confidence, using all available space. (10%)
• Speakerís body posture shows/reveals confidence in subject matter, and little nervousness. (10%)
• Speakerís tone of voice varies keeping the audience focused on topic and entertained.(10%)

• Speaker introduces definition of horror element in an interesting and imaginative manner. (10%)
• Speaker uses supporting evidence gathered from a wide variety of resources. (10%)
• Speaker demonstrates a clear understanding and mastery of horror element and how it is revealed both in art and literature. (10%)
• Speaker bridges the connection between the affect of art on literature. ( 20%)

100%--------85%-------------70%----------60%----------50%-----------20%----0
 

Quality	6	5	4	3	2	1
Meaning: the extent to which the response shows a clear understanding, interpretation, and analysis of the task & texts.	A controlling idea that reveals in-depth analysis of both texts; makes connections between controlling ideas and supporting ideas.	A controlling idea that reveals a thorough understanding of both texts, making explicit connections between controlling ideas and supporting ideas	A controlling idea that shows a basic understanding of both texts, making explicit connections between controlling ideas and supporting ideas	A controlling idea that shows basic understanding of both texts, making few connections between controlling ideas and supporting ideas	Convey a confused or inaccurate understanding of the texts, failing to make connections between controlling ideas and supporting ideas	Provide minimum evidence of text understanding, making no connections between controlling ideas and supporting ideas
Development: the extent to which ideas are elaborated using specific and relevant evidence from the texts.	Develop ideas clearly and fully making use of a wide range of relevant and specific articles	Develop ideas clearly and constantly, using relevant and specific details from both texts	Develop some ideas more fully than others, using relevant and specific details from both texts	Develop ideas briefly, using some details from the texts	Ideas are incomplete or largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the text are vague, irrelevant	Ideas are not developed, showing no evidence or support
Organization: the extent to which the response exhibits direction, shape, and coherence	Focus is established by controlling ideas leading to logical views and opinions	Focus is maintained by controlling ideas leading to logical views and opinions	Focus is  Clear and appropriate by controlling logical sequence of ideas	Focus is weak and not appropriate, lacks some structure and relevant information	Lack an appropriate focus but suggest some organization	No focus of organization
Language Use: the extent to which the response reveals an awareness of audience and purpose	Precise language is used and is engaging, with a sense of voice and awareness of audience and purpose	Fluent language is used, with evident awareness of audience and purpose	Appropriate language is used, with some  Awareness of audience and purpose	Rely on language from the texts or basic vocabulary, with little awareness of audience or purpose	Use language that is imprecise or unsuitable for the audience or purpose	Language is incoherent or inappropriate
Conventions: the extent to which the response exhibits good spelling, paragraphing, capitalization, grammar, and usage	Demonstrate control of the conventions with essentially no errors, even with complex vocabulary	Demonstrate control of the conventions with occasional errors	Demonstrate partial control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors	Demonstrate emerging control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors	Demonstrate frequent errors that make comprehension difficult	Demonstrate minimal control, not recognizable writing and/or language

 

CONCLUSION:

As a result of your effort and hard work, you will be rewarded at the end of your long and perilous adventure with a pizza party. I hope you enjoyed the journey to the other side of reality that not many of us human dare to go. In our quest for understanding ourselves and our worlds, we humans must seek in our daily lives to explore places and think about more that what seems logical but the illogical. Only when we begin the journey into the darker side of ourselves can we begin to understand the true nature of the person that lies within.  {back to top of page}