Dublin Core
Title
The Snallygaster Essay
Subject
Essay; Lesson planning
Description
Essay assignment on Patrick Boyton's account of the Snallygaster legend in Frederick County, including objectives and additional resources.
Creator
Alicia Drumgoole
Publisher
Bridging the Antietam
Date
2020
Contributor
Patrick Boyton
Rights
Copyright Alicia Drumgoole, educational use permitted
Format
PDF
Language
eng
Type
Text
Identifier
The_Snallygaster_Essay_Assignment_1
Coverage
Hagerstown
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
The Snallygaster
ENG Essay Assignment
Image Source: http://carrollcounty.life/2018/08/21/meet-the-sykesville-snallygaster/
Background:
When immigrants moved into the South Mountain area of Maryland, they brought their stories and their monsters with them. The Snallygaster, The Snarly Yow, and other local legends indicate local beliefs in lore and magic, and the larger underlying themes that inform those stories.
The Snallygaster by Patrick Boynton discusses the local legend of the Snallygaster, including the history of yellow journalism and fake news, how the racial divide in the area birthed the legend of the monster, and the consequences of the hysteria produced by what was effectively a case of “fake news”.
Objectives:
- To read and understand the metaphorical connections between folklore, history, and culture in the local area (Critical Thinking and Reading);
- To discern the difference between factual and fictitious source material (Rhetorical Knowledge (Critical Thinking and Reading);
- To gather primary and secondary source information and incorporate it into an essay (Critical Thinking and Reading, Rhetorical Knowledge/Processes/Conventions); and
- To interpret historical events in a modern context (Critical Thinking and Reading/Conventions);
Essay Assignment:
The Snallygaster by Patrick Boynton speaks to not only an entertaining monster story, but larger issues of race, culture, and local identity. In a paper that is approximately 3-4 pages long, discuss the underlying social issues present in the Snallygaster, and how those issues are still relevant in our society today. You may wish to use secondary research and source material on this book - if you search, you should be able to find many ideas related to the overarching themes in this book.
Please submit a draft of approximately 4 pages to begin. We will review drafts in a peer review session. I will also give you feedback on the paper. As you revise, you will refine the paper into a longer, researched discussion on the implications of local legend and storytelling.
The paper should be completed in MLA format, be double spaced, and feature a Works Cited page containing three sources, including your primary text.
Optional Project:
Students could, as part of process, create a presentation discussing their findings in groups. You could assign them to find and summarize articles or other resources in the Snallygaster bibliography, or have them conduct independent research on the topic.
Resources:
Books:
Boyton, Patrick. Snallygaster, The Lost Legend of Frederick County, by Patrick
• Have students research Boyton’s bibliography
Fair, Susan. Mysteries and Lore of Western Maryland: Snallygasters, Dogmen, and Other Mountain Tales. The History Press, 2013.
Websites:
• Hoax journalism link from Snallygaster: http://www.unmuseum.org/jourhoax.htm
• Snallygaster Wikipedia site : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snallygaster#:~:text=In%20American%20folklore%2C%20the%20snallygaster,area%20of%20Frederick%20County%2C%20Maryland.
• Chambers, Whittaker. “Is Academic Freedom in Danger?” Life Magazine. Vol. 34, No. 25, 22 June, 1953, https://books.google.com/books?id=CEgEAAAAMBAJ
• Youtube links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=_R3Sz1on1t8&feature=emb_logo
• https://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/snallygaster-monster/
ENG Essay Assignment
Image Source: http://carrollcounty.life/2018/08/21/meet-the-sykesville-snallygaster/
Background:
When immigrants moved into the South Mountain area of Maryland, they brought their stories and their monsters with them. The Snallygaster, The Snarly Yow, and other local legends indicate local beliefs in lore and magic, and the larger underlying themes that inform those stories.
The Snallygaster by Patrick Boynton discusses the local legend of the Snallygaster, including the history of yellow journalism and fake news, how the racial divide in the area birthed the legend of the monster, and the consequences of the hysteria produced by what was effectively a case of “fake news”.
Objectives:
- To read and understand the metaphorical connections between folklore, history, and culture in the local area (Critical Thinking and Reading);
- To discern the difference between factual and fictitious source material (Rhetorical Knowledge (Critical Thinking and Reading);
- To gather primary and secondary source information and incorporate it into an essay (Critical Thinking and Reading, Rhetorical Knowledge/Processes/Conventions); and
- To interpret historical events in a modern context (Critical Thinking and Reading/Conventions);
Essay Assignment:
The Snallygaster by Patrick Boynton speaks to not only an entertaining monster story, but larger issues of race, culture, and local identity. In a paper that is approximately 3-4 pages long, discuss the underlying social issues present in the Snallygaster, and how those issues are still relevant in our society today. You may wish to use secondary research and source material on this book - if you search, you should be able to find many ideas related to the overarching themes in this book.
Please submit a draft of approximately 4 pages to begin. We will review drafts in a peer review session. I will also give you feedback on the paper. As you revise, you will refine the paper into a longer, researched discussion on the implications of local legend and storytelling.
The paper should be completed in MLA format, be double spaced, and feature a Works Cited page containing three sources, including your primary text.
Optional Project:
Students could, as part of process, create a presentation discussing their findings in groups. You could assign them to find and summarize articles or other resources in the Snallygaster bibliography, or have them conduct independent research on the topic.
Resources:
Books:
Boyton, Patrick. Snallygaster, The Lost Legend of Frederick County, by Patrick
• Have students research Boyton’s bibliography
Fair, Susan. Mysteries and Lore of Western Maryland: Snallygasters, Dogmen, and Other Mountain Tales. The History Press, 2013.
Websites:
• Hoax journalism link from Snallygaster: http://www.unmuseum.org/jourhoax.htm
• Snallygaster Wikipedia site : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snallygaster#:~:text=In%20American%20folklore%2C%20the%20snallygaster,area%20of%20Frederick%20County%2C%20Maryland.
• Chambers, Whittaker. “Is Academic Freedom in Danger?” Life Magazine. Vol. 34, No. 25, 22 June, 1953, https://books.google.com/books?id=CEgEAAAAMBAJ
• Youtube links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=_R3Sz1on1t8&feature=emb_logo
• https://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/snallygaster-monster/
Original Format
Document