ACTIVITY #1:
ATLANTIS: THE SEARCH FOR CULTURE (10 POINTS)
Look around your community for artifacts such as statues and landmarks. What do these things suggest about your community and its culture? Would it be possible for your culture and all traces of it to disappear?
I’m sure you’ve heard of the lost continent of Atlantis. There is speculation that a continent that no longer exists on Earth – Atlantis – once supported an advanced civilization. Further speculation suggests that some catastrophic natural event destroyed Atlantis or caused it to sink into the ocean. Scientists and historians have speculated that Atlantis was located in North Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Aegean Sea and other locations, but no compelling scientific evidence for the existence of Atlantis has ever been found. However, certain phenomena that are unexplainable could be explained by the existence of a lost continent.
A. You are going to do research that will help you decide what you think about the existence of Atlantis. To guide your research, I suggest you start with the following topics.
1. Pangaea
2. Lemuria or Mu
3. Easter Island statues
4. Colossal stone heads of Olmec society on Tiwanaku
5. Nan Madol
6. similarities between certain pre-Columbian languages in South America and early languages once spoken on the Indian subcontinent
7. Plato’s dialogues
Critias and Timaeus
8. Atlantis (www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/Atlantis/index.html) - Start here. This site contains links to:
o the story of Atlantis
o Plato and the Dialogues in
which he describes Atlantis
o Atlantic & Mediterranean maps of possible sites
o theories
o a time line
o further references
9. Ancient & Lost Civilizations -
www.crystalinks.com/ancient.html
One Caution: Please be careful about using
religion as an argument. Using a matter of faith to support a matter of
fact makes no sense. I frequently have students tell me that since the
people of Atlantis supposedly worshipped Poseidon and since Poseidon
isn't real, then obviously Atlantis did not exist. That's a ridiculous
argument. The Romans worshipped the Olympian gods and I assure you that
Rome existed. Too, blaming a god for natural disasters was a common
explanation for primitive peoples. Just because they blamed a god for
Atlantis' demise doesn't mean Atlantis did not exist. I am NOT saying
Atlantis did exist, rather that you need to argue matters of fact by
using matters of fact.
B. When you have completed your research, create a two-column chart with arguments for the existence of Atlantis in one column and arguments against in the other. (The arguments against may be refutations of the arguments for rather than separate arguments.) Your chart should reflect thorough research and logical thinking.
C. Write a
summary of your conclusions that includes the following
in order.
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Which theory, if any, behind the legendary city of Atlantis do you believe? Explain your answer.
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To what extent is Plato's story of Atlantis fact or opinion? Explain your answer.
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Make
specific and
detailed connections to course content.
(Sometimes students do a
good job of summarizing what is in the course material, but do not
connect that summary to an activity they have completed. Other times,
students tell a great story, but fail to connect the story to course
materials.)
-
At the end of your report, include your chart with arguments for and against the existence of Atlantis. While this is not intended to be a full-blown research project, please don't send me a chart with one or two obvious arguments for and one or two obvious arguments against and expect to receive points for the activity.
(If you email software does not allow you to send charts, you may turn
your chart into two lists in order to email it.)
Please be careful
to use correct spelling and grammar.
D. By
the deadline shown in the Course Schedule on the main page of the
syllabus:
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Send your summary containing the four items requested in the
body of a new email to
dramyglenn@earthlink.net.
-
Put only your name and Activity #1 at the
beginning of your email.
-
Be careful to
use the correct subject line. If you are not positive you know
the correct subject line, go back and read your syllabus carefully.
Emails with incorrect subject lines will not reach me. At best,
you'll correct your mistake later and your assignment will be late. At
worst, your assignment will never reach me and you'll receive no points
for it.
-
Late summaries will lose one point per day late, including weekends and holidays.
READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION OF THE MARGIN NOTES.
