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Learning Experience/Unit

The Odyssey by Homer Unit Overview

Subject

English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)

Grade Levels

Commencement, 9th Grade

Objectives

In this unit, students will:

Take notes on the background of Homer and the Trojan War.
Read and respond to The Odyssey by Homer.
Identify and analyze the literary elements and literary devices Homer uses in The Odyssey.
Identify the various gods the Greeks believed in and the roles the gods played.
Define vocabulary words, create visuals to help remember the words, and use the words in sentences.
View the movie, "The Odyssey" and analyze the differences between the text and the movie.
Discuss their opinions on whether or not Odysseus is a hero and why.
Define "epic" and identify the traits of an epic.
Define and give examples of an epic simile.
Identify characters and main plot events in the epic.
Discuss the stages of the hero cycle Odysseus experiences in The Odyssey.
Identify themes from the epic and give examples from the text that relate to the themes.

Learning Context/ Introduction

In this unit, students will read and analyze excerpts from Homer's The Odyssey.

Duration

This unit consists of eight lessons that take place during 80-minute block periods.

Essential Questions

Why is it important for people and cultures to construct narratives about their experience?
What is a hero?
What is the role of a hero in a culture?
How are belief systems represented and reproduced through literature?
To what extent do belief systems shape and reflect culture and society?
How do our values and beliefs shape who we are as individuals and influence our behavior?

Associated Lesson Plans

Please see the following NYLearns.org Lesson Plans:

Student Work

Students will be participating in class activities, reading in class, creating a Mind Map to use as an active reading strategy, and connecting the literature to their own personal lives and experiences.