What It Means

Quest – an assignment.

Challenge – a smaller component of a quest. Examples of challenges:

  • Tavern Talks – threaded discussions or live discussions. In fantasy lore, the local tavern is where tales are told and where adventures begin.
  • The Hero’s Journal – a place for personal reflection. Though readable by other Heroes, no discussion is permitted.

IRL – gamer lingo for “in real life.” These challenges take place primarily outside the game.

Adventures in Azeroth – These challenges take place primarily inside World of Warcraft.

Lore and Legend – These challenges relate specifically to our book study and literature circles for learners.

XP/Level – experience points. Really, this is how games like World of Warcraft indicate to the player their mastery of content. As learners complete challenges, they earn experience points, these accumulate as the player completes content, and subsequently they gain player levels. There are rubrics included to show what must be done to earn certain levels of experience points for certain challenges.

Lorekeepers – experienced guides alongside learners.

Heroes – students.

Literature Circles - groups of heroes who come together to share and discuss a famous legend at great length. This hero centered approach is not driven by your Lorekeeper. Instead, every week you will be responsible for reading a chapter of The Hobbit on your own for independent study. Then, you will be required to complete a discussion log for your meeting preparation. Finally, you will setup a weekly meeting with 2 - 5 other guild mates to discuss a chapter of the book. During this meeting, you will be responsible for positively participating in the group and giving feedback on your participation and preparation of your guild mates. Click here to review guidelines for completing each step of the literature circle process.

 


Based on - WoW In School: A Hero's Journey, by Lucas Gillispie and Craig Lawson - which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
We are grateful for the support and experience shared by humanities teacher Peggy Sheehy and the students of Ramapo Middle School for their support as we design our own Hero's Journey.

Q24-Against Impossible Odds - Strategic Thinking for Dungeons

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."
-Sun Tzu, Chinese Military Commander

Overview
By now you've probably had several challenging quests and have explored dangerous dungeons, facing all sorts of foes. It's probably a safe bet to say that you're better at facing new challenges today than you were when you
began your journey.

When faced with big challenges, heroes have to use strategy. Thinking strategically helps us overcome what seem like impossible challenges and can help a hero defeat his or her greatest foes.

In this quest you're going to be thinking about strategy and testing strategy with a fellow hero. Will your plan succeed or fail? What will you learn in the process?

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 24

Q25-For Future Heroes - Writing Strategy Guides

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."
-Ben Sweetland, Author

Overview
Consider the work that you did for Quest 24, where you created and tested a strategy for overcoming a challenge in the game. For this quest, you'll build on what you learned and write a detailed strategy guide for future Heroes. By doing so, you'll help them overcome challenges just as others have helped you.

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 25

Q26-Villains - A Study of the Villains of Azeroth

"An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable; A villain, like the beams of a balance, is always varying, upwards and downwards."
-John Locke, English Philosopher

Overview
Some suggest that without villains, we have no need for heroes. In any heroic tale, a villain is sure to play an important role. They challenge our heroes. They provide a mirror for the hero and society.

World of Warcraft is not without its villains. In fact, there are plenty of them. But, do we ever stop to consider these characters? Who are they? What motivates them?

That's exactly what this quest is all about. It's time to spend some time with the villains of Azeroth, and in the process we may learn a bit about ourselves.

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 26

Q27-The Villain Inside - A Hero's Struggle to Do What's Right

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
-J.K. Rowling, Author, Harry Potter Series

Overview
We've talked about choices in previous quests. Did you think just because you chose to walk the path of a hero that your choices would be easy? If so, think again.

Heroes still have to choose between right and wrong, long after their journey is underway. Not all heroes persevere until the end. In fact, some villains were once heroes. Many suggest that we all have that inner villain struggling to control choices. We know that heroes can overcome the villains of the world, but sometimes it's the villain on the inside that is a hero's toughest challenge.

In this quest, we'll imagine our heroes in World of Warcraft as if they'd chosen another path. How would it change their journey? How would affect the world and those they love?

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 27

Q28-My Enemy Is My Friend? - Exploring the Horde Perspective

"The face of the enemy frightens me only when I see how much it resembles me."
-Unknown

Overview
The Alliance and the Horde have long been at war. Each claims the right to live on Azeroth. Though tensions are as high as ever, recent events in the world have forced them into uneasy alliances as they face common enemies. Perhaps there aren't as many differences as we once thought? Could the Horde and the Alliance live in peace? In this challenge, you'll spend some time exploring a different perspective. You'll create and play a Horde character

through the first few levels. In what ways is their story similar to your Alliance characters’? How are they different?

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 28

Q29-Telling the Tale I - (Machinima Project) - Storyboarding

"Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sisters star in it. Put your name on it as director. Now, you're a director. Everything after that you're just negotiating your budget and your fee."
-James Cameron, Director

Overview
Every heroic journey, including yours, needs to be documented. Such a journey has value, and the telling of it brings about the growth and change in others for the better. In days of old, your stories would be sung about by bards and whispered into the ears of leaders by sages.

It is time to show the world what you have learned through the execution of a vast array of multimedia tools. Whereas a bard would use a lute, melody, parchment, or ink, you will use the latest in 21st-Century technology to create an adaptation of your experiences in this class and World of Warcraft.

This is it, your chance to shine. No longer are you being led by the Loremasters. Instead, you are in the director's chair!

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 29

Q30-Telling the Tale II - (Machinima Project) - Collaborative Script Writing and Scene Planning

"Learning to make films is very easy. Learning what to make films about is very hard."
-George Lucas, Director

Overview:
Lights! Camera! Action! Trolls? Now that you’ve planned your short video, it’s timeto learn the tools that will make you and your fellow heroes into the next stars of the big screen… or, at least YouTube. Quest 30 is part two of our Epic Machinima Project. By now, you’ve planned your film with a storyboard and that will help you and your group mates to get just the right shots and scenes for your film.

Now, you will practice capturing scenes and editing them using all the tools available to you.

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 30

Q31-The Hero’s Goal - Setting Goals and Reaching Them in Azeroth and the Real World

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
-C.S. Lewis, Author

Overview
Walking the path of the hero is really all about goals. Sometimes they may seem small, but soon, we find that the world gets bigger, our challenges get tougher, and so to do our goals.

As you've explored World of Warcraft, you've probably set goals for yourself along the way. Maybe it was to reach level 23 before the end of the day, or maybe it was to acquire that magical sword you saw that Night Elf carrying in Stormwind, or maybe it was to make a new friend. Game play is often about having goals, and they don't necessarily have to be winning.

Do you have some unfinished goals in this adventure? What are they? See if you can achieve one of them in this quest!

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 31

Q32-The Journey Home - Making the World Better for Other Players

"What we do for ourselves dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."
-Albert Pine, English Author.

Overview
Our journey is in its final stretch. It is now time to set our sights on home. We have all been changed by our journey. It has shaped us.

The journey has grown us. How can we settle for average now? We are heroes. We are called to inspire and help those around us, to help them set out on their own heroic journey. Those who went before helped us, now it's time for us to help others.

In this quest, we're going to surprise unsuspecting World of Warcraft players with random acts of kindness. We're going to help them out and as a result, we'll honor the legacy of those who came before us.

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 32

Q33-The Hero’s Reward - Reflecting on the Hero's Journey

"The journey is the reward."
-Chinese Proverb

Overview
Your hero's journey is near its end. You have faced countless challenges and have overcome them to arriveat this point and time. You have grown, too. You are now smarter, stronger, and wiser for having accepted this adventure. The experience is the hero's greatest reward.

It's time to reflect on the adventure, to consider where you started and where you'll go next. What parts of your journey were the most challenging? Where did you experience the most growth? Where will these experiences take you next?

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 33

Q34-Putting the Pieces Together - (Machinima Project) - Video Capture and Editing

"Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of the people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms."
-Alfred Hitchcock, Director

Overview
The pieces are coming together. You’ve drafted your storyboard, written your script, practiced filming and editing, recorded audio, and more. Now it’s time to put together your masterpiece, the trailer for your epic machinima. To do this will require hard work and lots of teamwork with your fellow Heroes. When you’re done, you’ll have a product for all the world to see.

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 34

Q35-The Legacy - Leaving a Legacy Behind for Future Heroes

"What makes greatness is starting something that lives after you."
-Ralph Stockman, Professor, University of Glasgow

Overview
We, your Lorekeepers, have watched you closely along the way. We are proud to see you arrive here having overcome the challenges set before you. We never doubted that you could achieve great things. Now, we ask that you aid us as we prepare for the heroes who'll follow you.

Other journeys lie ahead, to be sure. In fact, this is only the beginning for you. Those who came before you left a legacy and so will you. Others will surely follow in your footsteps, learning, as you did, as they embark on their own heroic journey. What advice would you leave behind to guide their adventures? What would you tell them to help them be successful? Would you change their path in any way? When we are gone, what we've done for those who follow is all that will matter.

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 35

Q36-An Epic Tale - (Machinima Project) - Machinima Film Festival

"That's what heroic stories do for us. They show us the way. They remind us of the good we are capable of."
-Sam Raimi, Director

Overview
This is it! Can you believe you’ve arrived at your final quest, and what a better way to celebrate than by holding a film festivalwith your fellow Heroes? Sit back, grab some popcorn and share the conclusion of your epic hero’s journey with your fellow heroes as you enjoy each others’ films!

CHALLENGES FOR THIS QUEST

n. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

 

n. Tavern Talk - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This challenge is worth 250 XP.)

Tavern Talk Forum

n. Hero's Journal - The Beginning of a Journey (This challenge is worth 500 XP.)


n. Lore and Legend Literature Circle - Chapter n - (This challenge is worth 350 XP.)

 

End of Quest 36