Odysseus: Noble Leader or Arrogant Risk Taker

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

9

Overview

This activity is an introduction to Homer's "Odyssey". Students will be introduced to the great poet Homer and his epic poem The Odyssey. Students will have an understanding of King Odysseus and the battles he faced while trying to return home to his family. This activity will also introduce students to terms such as epic, epic poem, hubris, and tragic hero.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

Phase

Before/Engage
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.R5

Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

UP:ELA21.9.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, revise, edit, and rewrite.
  • Editing can be completed by the writer or by a peer.
  • Peer-editing skills.
  • Completed writing projects should be focused, organized, and coherent, and written for a specific purpose and intended audience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing.
  • Compose a writing piece for a specific purpose and intended audience.
  • Engage in the peer-editing process.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.5

Analyze the impact of context and organizational structures on theme, tone, and the meaning of the work as a whole.

UP:ELA21.9.5

Vocabulary

  • Context
  • Organizational structure
  • Tone
  • Theme

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The context and organizational structure of a text will impact the theme, tone, and meaning of the work.
  • Strategies to identify the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.
  • Analyze the impact of context and organizational structure on the theme, tone, and meaning of written work.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • A text's context and structure can affect the tone, theme, and meaning of a work as a whole.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.24

Utilize responsible and ethical research practices to write clear, coherent products with a command of language suitable for a particular target audience and purpose.

UP:ELA21.9.24

Vocabulary

  • Responsible research practices
  • Ethical research practices
  • Command of language
  • Target audience
  • Purpose

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Responsible and ethical research practices.
  • Writing skills.
  • The conventions of standard, formal English.
  • Strategies to modify writing for a particular audience and purpose.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write clear, coherent documents using responsible and ethical research practices.
  • Incorporate conventions of formal, standard English into clear, coherent writing products.
  • Modify writing to be suitable for a particular audience and purpose.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Ethical and responsible research practices are necessary when writing academic and workplace documents.
  • The conventions of standard, formal English are necessary for effective academic and workplace communication.
  • Written language should be adapted, depending on the audience and purpose.

Learning Objectives

Following this activity students will be able to:

1. determine how Homer's manipulation of time by telling the story through a series of flashbacks creates suspense and adds to the story delivery.

2. identify and discuss the Trojan War through research.

3. produce clear and coherent writing using the O-R-E-O paragraph strategy.

Activity Details

This activity will begin with students viewing a short video, Introduction to the Odyssey. While viewing the video, students will jot down things that stood out to them from the video. After viewing the video, students will share things that stood out to them (the teacher will jot student answers on the board). The next activity is the completing of an  Introduction to the Odyssey Webquest (see handout available for download). This webquest will provide students with the necessary background information to transition to the reading of the Odyssey. Once students have completed the WebQuest, they will complete an opinion paragraph graphic organizer responding to the following prompt:  Based on the video and information obtained from the Webquest, would you consider Odysseus an insightful leader or arrogant risk taker? Students will use the O-R-E-O Graphic Organizer to complete this activity. Once they organize their opinions, they will write the final paragraph and turn it in for submission. A standard rubric is attached to formally assess the paragraph. 

Assessment Strategies

The following activities will be used to evaluate student mastery of objectives:

1. The Odyssey Webquest: The webquest can be used to assess student's background knowledge of the Trojan War and King Odysseus. Teachers should check for student accuracy. To successfully complete this, students will need to:

a. conduct research on the Trojan War and answer related questions. 

b. conduct research on King Odysseus (his strengths/weaknesses and his travels) and answer questions related to him and his travels.

2. O-R-E-O graphic organizer and O-R-E-O (final product): The organizer will be used to assess the student's opinion of Odysseus's hero status. Teachers will use this activity to assess the students' ability to do the following:

a. form an opinion.

b. find textual evidence to support their opinion.

c. write a full explanation of the text support provided.

d. use the information in the O-R-E-O graphic organizer to write a well-written, organized opinion paragraph.

 

Background / Preparation

To prepare for this activity teachers should:

1. have Chromebooks with WiFi accessibility.

2. make copies of the webquest or post the link on Google Classroom.

3. make copies of the O-R-E-O graphic organizer handout or have the organizer template visible for students to view.

*Students should have background knowledge of writing an opinion piece.

Intro to The Odyssey Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS4jk5kavy4

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

sbonner3
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