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The Odyssey:

A New Twist on an Old Classic Unit Plan

Rationale/Text Importance:

The purpose of this unit plan is to examine the text, The Odyssey, in detail while making

connections with concepts relevant to the plot as well as integrating various themes that transcend into

contemporary society. Each lesson will be designed to check for understanding throughout the unit. The

overall goal will be make an old classic of new interest to high school aged students.

By teaching The Odyssey, students will take a glimpse inside Greek mythology. Epic Greek

heroes generally are faced with making moral decisions and suffer from the consequences of such

decisions, much like high school students. The validity of the text is apparent in its many themes:

heroism and hospitality. During the reading of the text, students will discover how these themes have

survived into modern times.

The Hook:

“Sirens, and Circe, and Cyclopes, oh my!

The epic story will be introduced to students through the use of a YouTube movie trailer. After

viewing this short clip, the class will make predicts based off of what was just seem and any prior

knowledge of the plot. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuBBJxfaM58)

Reading Schedule:

Day In-Class Reading At-Home Reading

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Lesson Plan: The Odyssey Graphic Novel

Rationale:

A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art with brief phrases and sentences for the plot. The book(s) assigned to your group from The Odyssey is the basis for your graphic novel.

Standards:

Common Core: RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Activities:

Students will read their assigned book with their group Students will write a lengthy summary of important events. (Remember that there are

important and descriptive details in The Odyssey, so the summary will guide you to a successful graphic novel.)

Develop a character chart for all the characters in your book with name, description, purpose and importance to the plot.

Create a 15-25 page graphic novel with your group that explains the main events of your book to be presented to the class.

Note: Explain to students that graphic novels are similar to comic books and provide an example.

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Lesson Plan: Survival Packs

Rationale:

Survival is essential for Odysseus and his men. Therefore, building a survival kit provides students with an opportunity to collect items and gear designed for use when your safety. The overall goal is to include objectives that will be useful tools in an outdoor emergency in securing the three main necessities: shelter, water, and food. The fun part is to gather items that are small and often have multiple, creative uses. Multiple use items are important because you can carry fewer items, which keeps your travel kit small and light. The question to ask students is, “Why carry two tools for two tasks if one tool will do them both?”

Standards:

Common Core: RL 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.RI 8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.W 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Activities:

Present students with the following scenario: Imagine your group was in on Odysseus ship that crashed alongside an abandon shoreline. Your assignment is to keep everyone in your group alive. Before the ship sinks, the group only has enough time to get themselves and the 8-10 items out of it.

Explain to the group that we will be in a simulated survival exercise for this class. Lay thecontents out.

Have the group choose 8-10 items. The items they chose should represent those items the group feels are most important or most useful. If you want you might also ask the students to rate them from 1-5 with 1 being the most important item.

The group should be able to give the reasons for the top 5 selections in specific detail, but all items in their “pack” must be justified.

Tarp- Shelter. Probably top choice Metal can - Boil water, cook food, collect or carry thingsFirst aid kit – Important to be prepared. Hat –Extra clothing–hypothermia, cooler temp. at nightFlashlight – signaling (three flashes) Flint & Steel/Lighter-a fire needs spark, air & fuelWhistle-signaling – 3 whistles for help Pocket knife- versatile, helpful with shelters, fire, foodGarbage bags –provides shelter, poncho Steel Wool – One of the few things to make fire fromNewspaper – Fuel for fire Reflecting device – Signaling, reflect sunlightMap & compass –Knowledge needed Bandana– versatile, signal, rope, trail markerSnack – Extra food - people need food Water bottle – people need water, can’t boil in plasticWatch – Determine direction, & time

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Lesson Plan: Video SparkNotes Quiz

Rationale:

As a during-reading strategy, students will be able to see a visual of what they read the day/night before.

Standards:

Common Core: RL 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the textsays explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Activities:

Students will watch the Video SparkNotes for the corresponding book. While the clip is being played, students will take a fill-in the blank quiz. The videos will be used to trigger the students memory and knowledge of what was

read (or supposed to be read) the night before. However, the videos only provide basic information and therefore student must have read in order to fill in the details that the short clips leave out.

Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=video+sparknotes+the+odyssey&oq=video+spark&aq=2&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=1&gs_upl=555l3220l0l5227l13l12l1l2l2l0l300l1224l4.4.0.1l9l0

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Lesson Plan: Imagery Pictures

Rationale:

Homer’s well-known epic opens with a descriptive image of the story’s background to set the stage for the reader. This type of descriptive writing is found in several places throughout the text. Students will be able to illustrate the imagery used by the author in a picture form as a during-reading strategy.

Standards:

Common Core: 3.12.5 Evaluate the use and purpose of imagery

Objective/Activity:

Students will draw pictures of scenes that are vividly described during their in class reading daysExamples: Book 9- Odysseus and his men drive the red-hot staff into Polyphemus’ eye.

Book 9- Odysseus and his men escape from the cave by clinging to the bellies of the monster’s sheep as they go out to graze

Books 10-11- Description of Circe turning Odysseus’ men into swine

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Lesson Plan: Monster Glogsters

Rationale:

A Glogster is used as a way to digitally express yourself, or in this case a monster from The Odyssey. It is a better alternative to offline, hand-made boards, posters, or collages.

Standards:

Common Core: RL 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters,

and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Activities:

Students will pick a monster from the reading and make a collage on Glogster for that character. Students will watch a short YouTube video on what a Glogster is and how they work. Students will need to log on to the site and create a username. Then the fun and creativity

begins.

Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zmLiFqjG8

http://www.glogster.com/ (Free)

http://edu.glogster.com/ (Subscription required)

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Lesson Plan: Letters from Penelope

Rationale:

Variations in speech and slang are used all the time even without our knowledge, especially in our contemporary society. People of all ages are frequently adapting ways to shorten their speech, simplify catch phrases, and spunk up their “writing” with small icons or pictures. This activity gives students a chance to demonstrate their knowledge of contemporary “text talk.”

Standards:

Common Core: W 3: Write narrative to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well structured event sequences.

W 3D: Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experience, events, setting, and/or characters.

Activities:

Students will look at examples of “text talk” such as the Fresh Prince of Bell Air theme song (see below)

Students will write a letter from Penelope to Odysseus explaining what is happening back home. In their letter, students will use “text talk,” acronyms, and emoticons (provided by the teacher)

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Lesson Plan: Twitter Predictions

Rationale:

Making predictions as a during-reading strategy is a great way to check for understanding. A way to make it relevant and up-to-date is to incorporate elements students use every day and in this case it’s through the use of Twitter.

Standards:

Common Core: RL 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text

says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Activities:

Students will respond to predication questions as to what will happen in the next book of The Odyssey.

At the end of every class period during the unit, students will make their predictions on colorful strips of paper and “post” them on the Twitter board.

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Resources:

http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/eng9/homer.html **These had other lesson plans (delete me!!!)

http://www.unm.edu/~abqteach/gods_cus/abstracts_from_gods.htm **These had other lesson plans (delete me!!!)

http://csam.montclair.edu/njsoc/sessions/survival.pdf (Survival Guide)

YouTube.com

****In the rationale, I said the themes of heroism and hospitality were important, so you might include two more lesson plans of that!*****

And you don’t really need this resource page because I added them to the lesson plans!