Unit 6: Assignment: Memes

Memes


You've written about the history of writing and where you think we as a civilization are headed. You're likely already familiar with the concept of the Meme even if you don't know what it is or have never heard the word before.

The idea of the meme was first presented by evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins after he determined similarities between these ideas and genes. From his book, The Selfish Gene (1989), "We need a name for the new replicator, a noun that conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation."

Meme \mēm\

1. Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

2. A self-propagating unit of cultural evolution having a resemblance to the gene (the unit of genetics).

(Wiktionary.org)

Memes are often viral and connect with people in a way that encourages others to spread and build off of the idea. If it is not viral then it may not be considered an actual meme because the whole concept means that it has spread and has cultural meaning behind it. Check out the slideshow below and see what history might have been like if memes had existed throughout time. Can you identify the image and the sources of the text that go along with it? (Don't worry, you won't be quizzed on that.)

Now it's your turn.

1. Take an image from a historical event and put your own twist on it using the idea of the meme.

2. Create your own text to go along with it by playing off of an existing meme. Remember, the idea is to take an idea or concept that has penetrated the collective consciousness and apply it to your image.

If you're not sure how to create your image, open Google Drive, Create a Drawing and upload the image you find online. From there you can click on Insert and select Word Art. Enter your text and hit Enter. Then you can select your text fill color and drag the text where you'd like it to go. Share your Drawing so that anyone with the link may view it and paste that link into your assignment submission below.

For more fun with memes, check out this article on 9 Regular People Who Became Memes. Be careful what you post online. I'm guessing you wouldn't want to be one of them.

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