Due: September 11, 2018
Value: Applying what you have learned about Neolithic
life, arts, and architecture to a creative project. Using both
your imagination and the knowledge you have acquired to interpret the
Neolithic period in England or Ireland.
Instructions:
First:
Listen to class discussions about the Neolithic era in England and
Ireland. Visit the Neolithic websites provided on the course web
page. You may find the information on the following siteshelpful in getting your imagination going: Let's Explore Life in Early Times (intended for a younger audience, but useful for its illustrations of life in Neolithic Ireland), The Bradshaw Foundation's Stonehenge: The Age of the Megaliths, National Geographic "Decoding Stonehenge" Read the assigned readings on Blackboard ("History and
Construction of Stonehenge" and "The Prehistoric Peoples.")
Next:
Try to imagine what it would have been like to live in Neolithic
times. Where would you live? What would you eat? What
would you wear? How would you make your living? What
special times of the year would be important to you, given your
lifestyle? What events might take place at those times?
Finally:
Write a short story that could serve as a springboard for a made-for-TV
movie set in Neolithic England or Ireland or write
a short children's story. You may select the
site for your story--Stonehenge, Avebury, or Newgrange. You
should include in
your story references to what is located at the site (ie. particular
monuments) and their function. Your story might be about a member
of the construction crew who worked on one of the stages of Stonehenge
or about someone who had a loved one buried at Newgrange. You
can speculate on possible conflicts, intrigue, beliefs, rituals that
surround your characters (as long as the speculations are grounded in
what we know about this time and these places). Give your story a
specific time
frame (ie. a particular year during the Neolithic period.) You
may write it in the first or third person. You can include
illustrations if you would like.
Make it fun! Make it interesting! Make it your own. But remember, I will be evaluating your story not only on its imaginative interpretation, effort, and overall quality, but also on its historical accuracy. You must ground your story in knowledge of the Neolithic era and this knowledge must be evident in your work.
The story should be 3-5 pages in length and typed.