Narrative Premise
Genre of Text(s)
IA 2 –Fighting Fate in The Odyssey
Unit Overview
Epic Poetry—A Hero’s Quest
Duration
Novel
Primary Authors
7-8 weeks
In 9th grade Literature, scholars will continuously explore the question of why some stories transcend place and time.
While many answers address this question, at the root of many of these answers is the notion that certain stories
enable reader to share in the human experience through a set of common narrative premises.
Connection to
Course Narrative
Specifically, the texts within IA Cycle #2 all represent the lasting narrative premise of “the heroic journey,” in which the
protagonist, subject, or author of the text engages in some form of a quest through which this person sacrifices for another
person or a larger idea. Embedded within these texts are also messages about human purpose and fate that beg us to question
our own existence: does Homer’s vision of what makes life worth living resonate with our own modern lives? Does Homer’s
vision of the gods and fate connect to our ideas of self-made men and luck?
After reading texts that give historical background on Homer’s life, the values of Ancient Greece, and oral tradition, students will
read sections from eight books from Homer’s epic. After exploring ideas of heroism, fate, honor, and family, students will engage
in comparative work where they will read poems and works inspired by The Odyssey and perhaps watch clips from the film O
Brother Where Art Thou? Ultimately, students should gain an understanding of the thematic relevance of the epic from past to
present, while improving reading and analytical skills.
Why The Odyssey?
Overview of Unit
The Odyssey was selected as the anchor text for this IA cycle for a number of reasons:
1. Institutional memory around the text. The Odyssey is referenced by numerous works of modern art.
2. Historical significance of the text. Reading The Odyssey is a way for students to learn about the lives and
values of Ancient Greeks.
3. Author and narrative add diversity to the core texts
4. Text easily excerpts to allow for more close reading rather than having to devote numerous instructional days
to reading
5. Text level allows for more whole text thematic analysis and tracking, appropriate for IA cycle 2.
Nearly three thousand years after they were composed, the Iliad and the Odyssey remain two of the most celebrated and widely
read stories ever told, yet next to nothing is known about their author. He was certainly an accomplished Greek bard, and he
probably lived in the late eighth and early seventh centuries B.C.E. Authorship is traditionally ascribed to a blind poet named
Homer, and it is under this name that the works are still published. Greeks of the third and second centuries B.C.E., however,
already questioned whether Homer existed and whether the two epics were even written by a single individual.
Most modern scholars believe that even if a single person wrote the epics, his work owed a tremendous debt to a long tradition
of unwritten, oral poetry. Stories of a glorious expedition to the East and of its leaders’ fateful journeys home had been
circulating in Greece for hundreds of years before the Iliad and Odyssey were composed. Casual storytellers and semiprofessional
minstrels passed these stories down through generations, with each artist developing and polishing the story as he told it.
According to this theory, one poet, multiple poets working in collaboration, or perhaps even a series of poets handing down their
work in succession finally turned these stories into written works, again with each adding his own touch and expanding or
contracting certain episodes in the overall narrative to fit his taste.
Although historical, archaeological, and linguistic evidence suggests that the epics were composed between 750 and 650 B.C.E.,
they are set in Mycenaean Greece in about the twelfth century B.C.E., during the Bronze Age. This earlier period, the Greeks
believed, was a more glorious and sublime age, when gods still frequented the earth and heroic, godlike mortals with
superhuman attributes populated Greece. Because the two epics strive to evoke this pristine age, they are written in a high style
and generally depict life as it was believed to have been led in the great kingdoms of the Bronze Age. The Greeks are often
referred to as “Achaeans,” the name of a large tribe occupying Greece during the Bronze Age.
But Homer’s reconstruction often yields to the realities of eighth- and seventh-century B.C.E. Greece. The feudal social structure
apparent in the background of the Odyssey seems more akin to Homer’s Greece than to Odysseus’s, and Homer substitutes the
pantheon of deities of his own day for the related but different gods whom Mycenaean Greeks worshipped. Many other minor
but obvious anachronisms—such as references to iron tools and to tribes that had not yet migrated to Greece by the Bronze
Age—betray the poem’s later, Iron Age origins.
Of the two epics, the Odyssey is the later both in setting and, probably, date of composition. The Iliad tells the story of the Greek
struggle to rescue Helen, a Greek queen, from her Trojan captors. The Odyssey takes the fall of the city of Troy as its starting
point and crafts a new epic around the struggle of one of those Greek warriors, the hero Odysseus. It tells the story of
his nostos, or journey home, to northwest Greece during the ten-year period after the Greek victory over the Trojans. A tale of
wandering, it takes place not on a field of battle but on fantastic islands and foreign lands. After the unrelenting tragedy and
carnage of the Iliad, the Odyssey often strikes readers as comic or surreal at times. This quality has led some scholars to conclude
that Homer wrote the Odyssey at a later time of his life, when he showed less interest in struggles at arms and was more
receptive to a storyline that focused on the fortunes and misadventures of a single man. Others argue that someone else must
have composed the Odyssey, one who wished to provide a companion work to the Iliad but had different interests from those of
the earlier epic’s author.
(Source: SparkNotes)
The chart below outlines the core books and close reading excerpts of The Odyssey, as well as the accompanying
myths and articles. They are prioritized in terms of essential excerpts (green) and those where teacher may exercise
choice instead of using suggested texts (yellow):
Text
Various Myths
Content
From Edith Hamilton’s
Mythology:
 “The Trojan War”—
background on The
Trojan War
 “Hercules”—
background on heroism
 “Daedalus and
Icarus”—background
on Ancient Greece
 “The House of
Atreus”—background
on gods and their
relationships with men
Teacher’s choice.
Necessary Background—
Teacher’s choice in how
to use it.
 Intro provides
Introduction to
information about
The Odyssey;
Homer’s life
Joseph
 Campbell provides
Campbell
insight on a hero’s
interview; Greek
journey
Values 1 pager
 Greek values gives
students a window
into the lives of
ancient Greece
Significant Literary Devices
Length
Each is between
5-10 pgs
10 pgs
altogether
Book I (lines 125; 53-95)
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Introduces themes of
fate and homecoming;
introduces the role of
Athena, Zeus and
Poseidon in Odysseus’
life; sets the larger
narrative premise
Odysseus begins to tell
his tale to the Phaecians
and starts directly after
the Trojan War.
Odysseus and his men
raid the Ciccones,
encounter The Lotus
Eaters, and face peril with
the Cyclops, Polyphemus.
Odysseus and his men
are set back after foolish
mistakes; O and his men
are turned away from
Aeolus’ land because he
fears the gods; O
encounters the witch
Circe


Text begins “in media res”
Epic trope of calling on a muse “Sing to
me muse..”
 Summarizes the whole story right away
 Characterization of Athena and Zeus
 Conflict: Gods vs Men
 Thematic Development: the gods’ role in
the lives of men
Central Conflicts: O vs Gods (fate); O vs
Polyphemus; O vs Men (characterization)
Characterization of Odysseus:





concern for his men (lines 48-49)
intellect and cunning (lines 50-53)
discipline (lines 50-53)
courage (lines 288-290, 420-422)
intellect and cunning (lines 316-319, 404-411,
461-463, lines 469-474)
 concern for his men (lines 469-471)
 desire for glory (line 355)
 special weapon (sack of wine)(lines 218-219)
Thematic Development:
 Perseverance and struggle as O and men
undergo each obstacle on their journey home
 Heroism through O’s character development
 Fate and freewill as evidenced through
conflicts between Odysseus and the gods
Central Conflicts: Odysseus’ desire to give up vs.
desire to continue journey; O vs Laestrygonians; O
vs his crew; O vs Circe
Characterization of Odysseus:


discipline - ability (ultimately) to resist or
overcome temptation
quick-thinking (lines 137-140)
2.5 pgs
19 pgs (1-630
lines)
Odysseus encounters
Scylla and Chalbdis, the
sirens, and Helios, where
his men eat the forbidden
cattle
Characterization of Odysseus:

discipline - ability to resist or overcome
temptation (especially in the form of
women)(lines 172-179)
 courage (lines 224-230, 245-250)
 concern for his men (lines 119-125, 280-282)
 supernatural helper (Circe)(lines 21-30)
 Discipline - ability to resist or overcome
temptation (lines 293-299, lines 344-348)
Thematic Development:
 Perseverance and struggle as O and men
undergo each obstacle on their journey home
 Heroism through O’s character development
 Fate and freewill as evidenced through
conflicts between Odysseus and the gods
 Desire to return home and the importance of
homecoming
Chapter 12
Chapter 21
 concern for his men (lines 287-290, 299-301)
 authoritative (lines 483-489, 299-301)
 cunning
 devotion to his men (lines 422-428)
 special weapon (potion)(lines 305-341)
 supernatural helper (Hermes)(lines 305-341)
Thematic Development:
 Perseverance and struggle as O and men
undergo each obstacle on their journey home
 Heroism through O’s character development
 Fate and freewill as evidenced through
conflicts between Odysseus and the gods
 Desire to return home and the importance of
homecoming
Central Conflicts: Odysseus’ desire to for
pleasure vs. desire to continue journey; O vs
monsters; O vs his crew; O vs Helios
Odysseus returns home
Central Conflicts: Odysseus vs Suitors
in disguise; encounters
the suitors
Characterization of Odysseus:




cunning (lines 303-307)
military and physical prowess (lines 451-470)
special weapon (Odysseus’ bow)(lines 1-48)
return home (Odysseus returns with enhanced
ability to deceive and defeat suitors despite
overwhelming numbers)
Thematic Development
 Fate and freewill—is Odysseus’
Odysseus encounters the
suitors
homecoming successful because of the
gods or is it successful because of his own
character?
 Significance of family through
homecoming
Central Conflicts: Odysseus vs Suitors
Characterization of Odysseus:



Chapter 22
military and physical prowess (lines 15-20, 8394, 119-126, 306-324)
authoritative (lines 36-42)
supernatural helper (Athena/Mentor) (lines
216-219)
Thematic Development
 Fate and freewill—is Odysseus’
Chapter 23
Odysseus and Penelope
solidify their homecoming
homecoming successful because of the
gods or is it successful because of his own
character?
 Significance of family through
homecoming
Central Conflicts: Odysseus vs Penelope
Characterization of Odysseus

authoritative (lines 185-192, 203-213)
 achievement of goal (lines 337-340)
Thematic Development
 Fate and freewill—is Odysseus’


“Homer’s
Polytheism”
O Brother
Where Art
Thou?
“Feminist
Criticism in
Departments of
Literature”
“Siren Song”
“An Ancient
Gesture”
Literary criticism—great
information and extension
for teachers and students.
Use to discuss relevance of
Odysseus’ themes.
Film clips if deemed
applicable
homecoming successful because of the
gods or is it successful because of his own
character?
Significance of family through
homecoming
Power of love as symbolized through O
and P’s bed.
Thematic Development and comparison to the
original
Literary criticism and
background on Feminist
Lens
Poem for Feminist analysis
Poem for Feminist analysis
Allusion
Allusion
Unit Goals:
The goals of the IA2 cycle require students to demonstrate relative independence with the cores skills of tracking
theme and analysis of theme. At this point in the year, students’ ability to effectively and accurately summarize will
be put to the test. At this point in the year students should be comfortable with summary; however, summarizing
The Odyssey independently requires serious attention to detail and self-monitoring for meaning. These are skills that
must be taught. During the first weeks of the unit, a lot of attention will be placed on accurate summary during
reading phase lessons. As the unit progresses, this focus will remain as a basic aim, but teacher should only focus on
modeling as the class needs. If students continue to struggle with this during latter parts of the unit, it is
recommended that you replace one of the current aims to ensure that students are clear on the core parts of the
summary and how to craft an effective summary. This emphasis on summary is foundational in how students will
demonstrate comprehension.
Beyond summary, there are two core goals where scholars are expected to show proficiency, namely:
 Tracking theme, conflict, and characterization (particularly when discussion how themes of fate, homecoming
and heroism develop)
 Analysis of theme (particularly where Odysseus’ character development and conflict illuminate theme)
Other significant textual features to be aware of:
The plot structure of The Odyssey as a whole is nonlinear; the poem opens in medias res with prior events described through
flashbacks or storytelling. Students will get a small sample of this arc when performing a close reading of Book I and by examining
other passages from the novel apart from our core books. When Books 9, 10, 12, 21, 22, and 23 are read and analyzed as a single
unit somewhat independently of the rest of the work (as this unit presumes), a more traditional plot structure emerges. The
rising action comprises all of the action of the poem within Books 9, 10, 12, 21 and 22 as Odysseus continuously struggles to
return home to Ithaca and resume his throne. Odysseus’ reunion with Penelope and their return to their wedding bed (XXIII,
Lines 338-9) represents the climax – his journey home now complete. The remaining lines within Book 23, in which Odysseus and
Penelope recount the events of the past twenty years, represent the falling action, while Odysseus’ departure to see his father
and the family of the suitors represents the resolution.
Within this plot structure, students will notice many recurring themes. It is suggested that your class follow at least three: family
and homecoming, heroism and honor, and fate and freewill. However other ideas about justice, principles, pride, loyalty,
tradition and custom, hospitality, suffering, and perseverance will enter the text as well.
****Note that this list is not exhaustive and it is up to the teacher’s choice to decide what to track and how.
Some suggestions include tracking the above themes and introducing themes after reading the first two books
of the novel. It is also suggested that teachers employ the use of post it notes or in-text annotations to track
themes. If you do so, check these annotations regularly.
Moreover, each of the books above contains its own plot structure, as do each of the conflicts within each book.
Homer employs several methods of direct and indirect characterization in order to characterize Odysseus as a
heroic figure. Through Odysseus’ speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions and appearance, Homer reveals
Odysseus as a hero, albeit according to Ancient Greek tradition and culture. In fact, in many respects, Odysseus can only be
considered as a hero through this lens as several of his traits may strike readers today as decidedly unheroic. Throughout Books
9, 10, 12, 21, 22 and 23, Homer reveals the defining traits of a Homeric leader that align to prescribed Ancient Greek gender
roles:
 physical strength and military prowess
 courage
 concern for personal honor
 devotion to his men/tribe/family
 desire for glory
 commanding
o
The decision as to whether to reveal these common heroic traits at the beginning of the unit, thus giving
scholars to opportunity to track these qualities from the start, or discover these traits over time is left to
individual teachers. If teachers lack confidence in scholars’ abilities to independently identify these qualities
through inferences using Odysseus’ STEAL, teachers may want to front-load the qualtieis or post them in the
classroom. Thus, the emphasis is placed on scholars identifying clues that prove these traits, making easier the
process of making inferences, rather than identifying clues about Odysseus generally and making an accurate
inference.
What sets Odysseus apart from other Homeric leaders, such as Achilles of The Illiad, is his intellect and cunning. While not
traditionally a trait assigned to Homeric heroes, Odysseus’ many successes that come as a result of this intellect and cunning
reveal the theme of the power of intellect over physical strength. When addressing the final PBA prompt, teachers should pose
questions about Odysseus’ exemplary character and its relationship to the ideas of fate and freewill.
The point-of-view of the narrator plays an important role, particularly in the transition from Books 9, 10, 12 to Books 21, 22 and
23. In the first three books, Odysseus serves as the narrator, as he tells the story of his adventures to the court of Alcinious. As
noted by Robert Fagles in the introduction to his translation of The Odyssey, Odysseus’ narration is typical of that of an Ancient
Greek storyteller, and, moreover, his version of events can be questioned for their veracity given that he is the character
discussing past events occurring to him and his crew. The reader could question his motivation to emphasize his own heroic traits
to the court.
Homer also establishes Odysseus’ identity as an epic hero through the use of epic conventions common to other stories of
heroes and the heroic journey. Specifically, The Odyssey is littered with the following conventions (also noted in the chart above):
 talisman or special weapon
 supernatural helper
 the call to adventure
 return home with heightened wisdom, perspective, skills
 achievement of goal
 trials (constitute nearly all of the events within Books 9, 10, 12, 21, 22 and 23)
(Source: ReadWriteThink.org)

As indicated in the aim sequence, teachers should introduce these conventions as the start of the unit to allow for
scholars to look for them and track them throughout the text as they simultaneously track for conflicts.
Homer employs epithets throughout The Odyssey. Epithets are descriptive titles issued to different characters and objects, and
they are typically repeated throughout the text. Some of the most famous examples include:
 Odysseus, the great tactician…
 …the wine-dark sea
 …wily Odysseus…
 Athena, the clear-eyed goddess…
Homer employs a variety of figurative language throughout The Odyssey. This figurative language is often meant to provide an
image for the reader regarding a particular character’s actions. The most common form of figurative language that Homer
employs is the extended simile. A comparison between two things using like or as that continues for multiple lines of the poem.
An example of an extended simile that Homer uses would be:
 “The attackers struck like eagles, crook-clawed, hook-beaked, swooping down from a mountain ridge to harry smaller
birds that skim across the flatland, cringing under the clouds but the eagles plunge in fury, rip their lives out – hopeless,
never a chance of flight or rescue – and people love the sport – so the attackers routed suitors headlong down the
hall…” (XXII, Lines 316-321)
Homer also intentionally employs sensory details and, thus, imagery throughout The Odyssey to highlighter particular elements
of the setting and, oftentimes, the violence of a character’s actions.
Because of the selections of The Odyssey, it would be a missed opportunity to read the text without noting the rich
figurative language and exploring the point of view. In literature class, our instruction must be targeted to core unit
goals without ignoring the demands of the text itself. Figurative language must be noted and unpacked and quality
responses are expected to ensure both literal and inferential comprehension.
Scholars will develop the necessary skills, thinking and reading comprehension through four key lesson types:
Close Reading
During these lessons, scholars will work through layers of meaning (literal
comprehension, analysis and inferencing, and thematic understanding) through
multiple readings, ultimately building deep and independent thinking. The aim for all
close reading lessons is the same: SWBAT closely read a text and demonstrate deep
understanding through paraphrasing (literal comprehension), responses to inferential
Reading Workout
or
Reading Phase
questions (analysis), and by analyzing theme through response or debate (theme).
While achieving this aim, scholars must always provide textual evidence for their
responses (oral and written) and during discussions. At its core, close reading requires
students to grapple, and this purpose should live in all close reading lessons in every
unit.
Scholars will frequently engage in “reading workout” lessons, which serve to both
ensure miles-on-the-page and rich, text-based thinking around a variety textdependent questions. At the end of these lesson, scholars will ultimately answer one,
juicy TDQ – called a “Culminating TDQ” –about what they have just read, generally in
response to a pattern or core literary element emerging in the text . Over the
course of the lesson, scholars answer smaller, more comprehension based TDQs –
called “Scaffolding TDQs” – that (a) offer access points for scholars to deeply thinking
about, engage with, and understand the text, and (b) build the necessary thinking and
understanding to answer the Culminating TDQ. The aim varies depending on the
comprehension and inferential demands of the text, though always stays
grounded in the idea that the primary purpose is deep understanding of the
text.
ContentAcquisition /
Reading to Learn
Analysis / Skill
Practice / I-We-You
Scholars will occasionally engage in lessons where the purpose is to build the world or
background knowledge necessary to understand the core text and build the relevant
knowledge-based schema about the core text. The selected knowledge should work to
deep scholar access and understanding of the core text. During these lessons, scholars
will read texts (frequently informational texts) that require them to acquire the
necessary information to access and understand the core text and concepts. The aim
varies from class to class, but is phrased in a way that dictates the knowledge that
scholars should be able to demonstrate by the end of class (i.e., through an exit ticket).
Scholars will occasionally engage in lessons where the purpose is to acquire and
practice a skill aligned to the common core and the demands of the text. The selected
skill should work to deepen scholar access and understanding of the core text. During
these lessons, scholars will learn and practice a skill with gradually increasing
independence. Ultimately scholars will be able to demonstrate mastery and transfer of
the skill. The aim varies from class to class, but is heavily rooted in the language of the
common core in order to (a) prevent myopic instruction, and (b) dictate the skill that
scholars should be able to demonstrate by the end of class (i.e., through an exit ticket
on a new text, new section of text, or in a new scenario).
Seminar
2-3 times a unit, scholars will engage in seminar, or a whole class discussion
meant to drive at essential understandings. Students will prepare for seminar
either for homework or in class the previous day by generating evidence and an
appropriate claim to the focus question. Students will then engage in the
seminar for the entirety of the period to build collective interpretations,
challenge claims and enrich their understanding of juicy, nuanced questions
meant to drive at the unit or text’s central ideas.
Unit Assessment:
Given the complexity of assessment in ELA, there are three assessments intended to monitor student progress:
 IA2 – on-demand assessment of independent reading ability, transfer of key skills, engagement with fresh
prompts and pulse check on general performance with text based questions.
 Seminar or passage research?
 PBA Response: The unit will build to a culminating Performance-Based Assessment on the themes of fate and
freewill. This will require students to adequately track the themes over the course of the novel and perform
several close reading/seminar/passage identification activities with these themes in mind. The prompt is
below:
PBA Prompt:
In Book I of Homer’s The Odyssey, Zeus states: “Ah, how shameless—the way the mortals blame the gods. From us
alone, they say, come all their miseries.” This statement establishes an underlying theme pertaining to the ideas of
fate and free will and the degree to which men and women are in control of their future. Based upon Homer’s
portrayal of Odysseus and his journey home to Ithaca, to what extent can we attribute Odysseus’ challenges, failures,
and successes to the strengths and flaws in his character? To what extent are external forces (gods and goddesses,
other people, the natural environment, etc.) responsible for these challenges, failures, and successes?
Flow of Unit:
Week 1 Focus: Who was Homer? Where did he come from?
 How do the experiences, values, beliefs or cultural expectations of an author shape the nature of a literary work?
 Texts: Internet resources, Greek Mythology, Introduction to The Odyssey, and Joseph Campbell’s interview
 Skill Focus: Reading to Learn

Introducing: Ancient Greece, Oral Tradition, Heroism, and Gods and Goddesses
The unit begins with students acquiring critical content about the culture and values of Ancient Greece by reading
selections from Edith Hamilton’s mythology and accompanying non-fiction texts. By reading selections about the
Trojan War and other myths, students will gain the backstory that will make reading The Odyssey more relevant as
well as underscore particular themes or values of life in Ancient Greece. During this first week, scholars will also gain
valuable content about Homer and critical theories about his life and who he was by reading an introduction to The
Odyssey that elaborates on his life and oral tradition. Next, students will grapple with defining heroism in Ancient
Greek society by applying Campbell’s definition to a short passage from The Odyssey. Lastly, students will perform a
close reading of the initial pages of the book in order to reinforce the idea of the gods and their ability to meddle in
mortals’ lives. Please note that the content acquisition days involve summarizing; the rationale is that not only is
summary an integral part of the Common Core Standards, it is also a unit goal and foundational for more complex
close reading students will do later in the unit.
Week 2 Focus: Has the definition of heroism changed over time?
 Defining the hero: How have heroes been defined throughout the course of literary history?
 Texts: Book 9-10 of The Odyssey
 Skill Focus: Reading for understanding; Characterizing Odysseus
 Introducing: Odysseus as a flawed hero; strategies to read epic poetry
The following week, students return for the reading of the text with an extended reading phase. Since students will
begin to grapple with the difficulties of ancient epic poetry, it makes sense to slow down for comprehension. Teacher
should focus on modeling reading and tracking for understanding. Analysis will happen during an initial seminar
where students will make connections between Odysseus’ heroism and larger themes of heroism and fate. During
the analysis phase, it makes sense for teachers to highlight the conflicts in Odysseus’ character. He has traits of
heroism that were noted in the previous week, but he is also deeply flawed. Most notably, be sure to highlight
passages with Polyphemus at the end of Book IX.
Week 3 Focus: Reading The Odyssey with a focus on theme
 Introduction to Theme: What ideas have recurred in The Odyssey so far?
 Texts: Book 10
 Skill Focus: Tracking and identifying theme; passage presentations
 Introducing: Definition of theme and possible themes to track for reading; For PBA Prompt: External forces that get in the
way of Odysseus’ return, namely his crew
Teachers should define theme and begin highlighting more explicitly big ideas and important passages for the PBA
prompt during the third week of instruction. Teachers may want to introduce the PBA prompt this week, but could
hold off until next week as well. The passage analysis work at the end of the week works to define passages that
could be very useful for theme. Suggested passages are noted in weekly plans, but there may be other passages
individual teachers wish to highlight.
Week 4 Focus: Reading The Odyssey with a focus on theme
 Defining the quest: Can an individual overcome fate? Does man determine his life’s outcomes or do outside
forces determine it for him?
 Texts: Books 12
 Skill Focus: Seminar/Fishbowl Discussion
 Introducing: Highlighting the themes of the PBA prompt more specifically, connections between theme and other
literary devices.
Although students have already engaged in seminars by this point in the year, introducing a fishbowl seminar has
benefits to promote student critical thinking and discussion. Teachers can use this format more regularly throughout
the year to prompt greater student participation, more thorough note taking, and even peer to peer evaluation by
assigning students to track a particular peer throughout discussion. By week 4, it is encouraged to use this two day
seminar format to promote analysis of literary devices, namely conflict and characterization, and their relationship to
the PBA prompt of fate and freewill. Be sure to encourage students to name particular elements and devices as they
come up and connect these devices to theme.
Week 5 Focus: Reading The Odyssey with a focus on theme
 Author’s Craft: How does Homer structure his work? How does this inform theme?
 Texts: Books 21-22 of The Odyssey
 Skill Focus: Plot and Structure Analysis
 Introducing: Plot structure; reintroducing a greater discussion around the significance of homecoming for the PBA
prompt; highlights the suitors as an external obstacle that Odysseus must face
During week 5, it is important to note and review plot structure as we are nearing the climax of the novel. Analysis lessons
during this week should prompt students to reflect on Homer’s choices in structuring the epic. After students identify plot
structure for particular books and for the work as a whole, teacher asks students to connect the form of the epic to its function:
how does this structure highlight particular themes?
Week 6 Focus: Why has The Odyssey stood the test of time?
Defining themes: What themes are most important in The Odyssey? What are the lasting impressions these themes
leave on a modern reader?
Texts: Books 22-23 of The Odyssey
Skill Focus: Tracking Theme and meaning—how do particular themes develop throughout the text? Evaluation:
Which themes resonate with modern readers?
Introducing: Whole text evaluation; highlights the importance of family and Odysseus and Penelope’s love
Week 6 marks the end of our reading and a summative seminar in which students end by evaluating thematic
focuses. Be sure to build in time before the end of the unit to give students the PBA prompt On-Demand.
Week 7 Focus: Thematic Relevance and Allusion
Defining and Reading Literary Criticism: How do allusions and revisions to original works add new meaning?
Texts: “Homer’s Polytheism”; excerpts from the film O Brother Where Art Thou?
Skill Focus: Literary Criticism; Allusion; discussion of director’s choice in film critique
Introducing: Allusion; bridging a gap between ancient texts and modern interpretations
Week 7 introduces the ideas of allusion and an on-going discussion that happens when works as significant as The
Odyssey spark other works of art.
Week 8 Focus: Feminist Readings and Close Readings
Defining and Reading Literary Criticism: How do allusions and revisions to original works add new meaning?
Texts: “Feminist Criticism in Departments of Literature”; “Sirens”; “An Ancient Gesture”
Skill Focus: Literary Criticism, Allusion
Introducing: Feminist Criticism
The final week closes with a closer look at the female characters in The Odyssey through close reading of poetry. Use
this week to gain deeper understandings of themes tracked throughout the novel: fate and freewill, heroism,
homecoming and family, honor and loyalty.
Goals to
By the conclusion of Unit 3, scholars should have mastered the following big ideas:
Mastery/Quality
Annotation Focus
IA Aligned
Questions
Core
Texts

While art and literature are created under the constraints of specific cultural context (time and place), great works of art that
stand the tests of time connect to the human experience.
 Homecoming, heroism, and human purpose are three themes that appear in The Odyssey but also appear in other works of
literature.
 Specific authorial choices, such as the use of simile, epithets, and imagery contribute to the development of larger literary
devices, including characterization, conflict, and ultimately theme.
 There are multiple ways to interpret a work of literature, but interpretations must be backed up with accurate readings and
logical inferences.





Thematic focus and its relationship to other devices and elements: Homecoming, Fate, Freewill, Heroism
Conflict
Character traits (Heroic Qualities of Odysseus)
Character development
Unpacking figurative language
TBD
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles
 Books 9, 10, 12, 21, 22, 23
Mythology:
 “The Trojan War” in Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
 Readings on Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, and the Trojan War from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
 “Daedalus and Icarus”;
Supplemental
Texts by Genre
Historical Context:
 Pericles Funeral Oration—values of Ancient Greece
 Nonfiction articles about Life in Greece, The Battle of Marathon, Women in Ancient Greece

Podcast on the Trojan War: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01j6srl
Literary Criticism:
 “Homer’s Polytheism” from the book All Things Shining by Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly. In attachment
o
This is a GREAT text for further teacher-reading, but sections of this are very applicable to the PBA prompt and
could inform some very strong lesson


“Feminist Criticism in Departments of Literature”
Excerpts from Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces”

Visual text of the hero’s journey:
http://www.thewritersjourney.com/graphictwo.gif
Works that references to Ancient Greece and The Odyssey:
 Poetry
o “Sirens” by Margaret Atwood:
o
o
o

Films:
o
http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=98
“An Ancient Gesture” by Edna St Vincent Millay: http://allpoetry.com/poem/8476191-An-AncientGesture-by-Edna_St._Vincent_Millay
“The Makers” by Howard Nemerov: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-makers/
Telemachus Poems by Louise Gluck (In attachment)
O Brother Where Art Thou?
Other Ancient Works that fit the theme of Fate:
 Plays: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
 Mythology: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Knowledge & Text:
 Is Odysseus a quintessential hero? How have heroes been defined throughout the course of literary history?
 Can an individual overcome fate? Does man determine his life’s outcomes or do outside forces determine it
for him?
Essential
Questions
Prioritized
Transferable Skill:
 What themes recur throughout literature’s history?
 What makes a great story? What is the relationship between great stories and how they connect to the human
experiences?
 How do the experiences, values, beliefs or cultural expectations of an author shape the nature of a literary work?
 How do an author’s choices create a central message or theme in a novel?
 RI.9-10.2. (Central Idea) Determine a central idea of a text and analyze 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
Learning
Standards
text.
 RI.9-10 3. (Whole text level analysis) Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events,
including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections
that are drawn between them.
 RI9.4. (Word, phrase level analysis) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning
and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone)
 RI.9-10.6. (POV & Culture) Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author’s
cultural context influences his point of view or purpose.
Below are descriptions of the diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments for Unit 9. The formative
assessments may be used daily, weekly, and in combination to measure scholars’ progress toward unit goals. The
summative assessment should be delivered uniformly across the grade in order to accurately measure scholars’
achievement.


Assessment(s)


Diagnostic:
F&P and STAR
scores
Summative data
from Catcher in the
Rye unit
On-demand writing
prompts and EBQ
responses
Prior close reading
performance





Formative:
Do Nows, as
deliberately
linked to
necessary world
knowledge
Class work
artifacts from
reading
notebooks,
annotations,
summaries, class
or small-group
discussions, etc.
Scholar-teacher
conferences
Close reading
performance
Weekly Quizzes,



Summative
IA2
PBA 2A


either about
knowledge and
the text, skills
and the text, or
both
Homework
Exit tickets
M
Reading to Learn
Suggested aim:
Given the excerpt “The
Trojan War,” SWBAT
analyze the cultural values
of Ancient Greece.
Suggested text:
Edith Hamilton’s “The
Trojan War”
Suggested exit ticket:
-After reading the account
of The Trojan War,
determine at least three
ideals the Greeks valued.
Why were they valued?
Cite at least three passages
from the text to support
your response.
Suggested agenda:
-Do now: complete unit
anticipation guide or
complete a KWL chart
about Greek and Roman
Mythology
-Text hype: The Odyssey!
Love! Loyalty! Violence!--
T
Reading to Learn
Suggested aim:
After reading an excerpt
from the introduction to The
Odyssey by Bernard Knox and
reviewing a graphic
illustrating the hero’s
journey, SWBAT describe the
concept of oral tradition, the
hero’s journey, and at least
three different theories
about who Homer was.
Suggested text:
An introduction to The
Odyssey by Bernard Knox
(in appendix)
Suggested exit
ticket/quiz:
1. Describe the hero
cycle.
2. Describe oral tradition
3. List at least three
different theories of
who Homer was. Cite
passages of the
introduction to
support. Why do you
think so many
Aim Sequence
Week 1
W
Reading to Learn
Th
Close Reading Analysis
F
Close Reading Analysis
Suggested aim:
Given a brainstorm of
heroic traits, a list of
ancient Greek ideals and
an excerpt from an
interview w Joseph
Campbell, SWBAT apply
two definitions of heroism
to a passage of The Trojan
War.
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
the first 52 lines of The
Odyssey.
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 52-102 of Book I
Suggested text:
 Ancient Greek Ideals
handout
 Interview w Joseph
Campbell
 Short excerpt from
Edith Hamilton’s
Hercules.
Suggested text:
Beginning of Book I: Lines
1-52
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
(1)Based on Greek Ideals
and Joseph’s Campbell’s
interview, what is a hero?
(2) Read the excerpt from
Edith Hamilton’s
Analysis: Given the first 52
lines of The Odyssey,
SWBAT explain and
analyze the overarching
conflict of man vs gods.
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
1. Zeus says: “Ah, how
shameless—the way the
mortals blame the gods.
From us alone, they say,
come all their miseries.”
What does Zeus mean by
this? Why do men blame
the gods for “all their
miseries”? What does this
line suggest about the
relationship between men
Analysis: SWBAT analyze
how Homer has crafted
the beginning of his epic.
Suggested text:
Book I: Lines 53-102
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ: Why does Homer
begin his tale “in media
res”? How does this
chapter frame the epic?
Suggested agenda:
1st read: Literal
comprehension and CfUs.
2nd read: analysis of
Athena’s argument: How
does she convince Zeus to
let Odysseus come home?
3rd read: analysis of craft:
Why does Homer begin
it’s a Telenovela. Get the
kids pumped!
-Framing: Quote from
Edith Hamilton’s
introduction:
“Greek and Roman
mythology is quite
generally supposed to
show us the way the
human race thought and
felt untold ages ago.
Through it, according to
this view, we can retrace
the path from civilized man
who lives so far from
nature, to man who lived
in close companionship
with nature…”
This is the frame through
which mythology will be
read—it’s a way for us to
learn what mattered to
people in ancient times.’
-Class reading: “The Trojan
War” through the lens of
what did Greeks value;
teacher stops to ask
relevant TDQs; Students
annotate for values.
Possible annotations or
patterns to suggest: H for
different theories
about Homer exist?
4. How will this
information inform
our reading of The
Odyssey?
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now: Short definition
of oral tradition or
question to access student
prior knowledge about
story telling.
-Frame for reading:
Define cultural context.
“Hercules”. In what ways
does Hercules exemplify
the definition of a hero
derived from Greek Ideals
and Joseph Campell’s
interview? In what ways
does he differ
Suggested agenda:
Do Now: Begin this activity
with a brainstorm that is
generated by students.
Ask them how heroes of
today might be dependent
on what we value today.
Group or Independent
reading: After debriefing
as a class, hand out
“Ancient Greek Ideals” to
students and have them
Today is all about defining read and discuss:
Homer’s cultural context:
1. How is this similar
 Who was he?
or different to
 What are the theories
what we value?
behind who he was?
2. Based on these
 What kind of world did
ideals (and what
he live in?
you know about
 What are the
Ancient Greece,
implications of this for
what would an
the text we are about
to read?
ancient hero look
like?
The cultural context an
author writes in will have
an impact on his work.
and gods?
2. How does Homer craft
this conflict at the
beginning of the novel?
Suggested agenda:
1st read: literal
understanding and CfUs.
Teacher will need to break
down sentences and
discuss student selfmonitoring for meaning.
2nd read: analysis of
conflict—Men vs Gods;
teacher should ask
relevant TDQs connected
to the meaning of the
conflict.
3rd read: analysis of
author’s craft—How does
Homer craft the beginning
of his epic? How does he
present this conflict? Why
does he present it this
way?
this way? How does this
frame Odysseus’ journey
for the reader?
Sugested homework:
Chapter 15
Honor; T for Tradition; L
for Loyalty; F for Family
-Guided Practice: students
continue reading and
identifying values of
ancient Greeks through
annotations.
-Doc cam review of
randomly selected
students
-Class reading:
“Introduction” through
the lens of “Who was
Homer?”; teacher stops to
ask CfUs and relevant
TDQs
-Guided Practice: students
continue reading and
monitoring for theories
about who Homer was
and the history of the text
-Discussion: What values
are students noticing?
Why? What is their
reasoning?
-Doc cam review of
randomly selected
students
-Independent Practice:
Paragraph response to Exit
Ticket
-Discussion: Why does it
matter if Homer existed or
not?
Suggested Homework:
-Review of the Hero’s
quest
Assign other myths or
nonfiction reading on
Ancient Greece as
homework
-Independent Practice:
Response to Exit Ticket
Suggested Homework:
Assign other myths or
nonfiction reading on
Ancient Greece as
homework
Hand out or view Joseph
Campbell’s interview with
Bill Moyers.
1. Is there any truth
in what Campbell
says about
modern values:
“[We have] no
notion of having
to give ourselves
in order to achieve
something.” Why
do you think he
says this?
Independent Practice:
Have students synthesize
the ideals from ancient
Greece, Campbell’s
interview, and the short
passage from Hercules to
answer the day’s TDQ.
Suggested Homework:
Students read Edith
Hamilton’s account of the
“House of Atreus.”
Author’s note:
Other myths or a passage
from The Odyssey may be
used in place of Hercules.
M
Reading Phase
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 1-259 of Book 9
T
Reading phase
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 260-486 of Book 9
Week 2
W
Reading phase
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 486-630 of Book 9
Analysis: Given lines 1-259
of Book 9, SWBAT
characterize Odysseus.
Analysis: Given lines 260486 of Book 9, SWBAT
characterize Odysseus
Suggested text:
Book 9 Lines 1-259
Analysis: Given lines 486630 of Book 9, SWBAT
characterize Odysseus
Th
Quiz/Seminar Prep
Suggested aim:
Inferential:
Given Odysseus’
characterization, SWBAT
describe his conflicts and
relationships with the
gods.
F
Seminar
Suggested aim:
Seminar:
SWBAT articulate claims
about heroism, fate, and
Odysseus’ relationship to
gods and goddesses in the
novel.
Suggested text:
Book 9 lines 260-486
Suggested text:
Book 9 lines 486-630
Suggested text:
Book 9
Suggested text:
Book 9
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
At the end of this section,
Odysseus’ men beg to
“make away with the
cheeses, then come back—
hurry drive the lambs and
kids from the pens to our
swift ship, put out to sea at
once!’” What do the men
want? Why might
Odysseus want something
different? How does this
relate to Odysseus’
character?
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
Suggested exit ticket:
Quiz Preparation:
Identify 3 key passages
that reveal something
about Odysseus’
character. Explain what
they reveal and justify
your selection: why are
these passages more
significant than others you
could have chosen?
Suggested
Comprehension Quiz:
Students write a welldeveloped paragraph on
the following question:
Suggested exit ticket:
Seminar reflection and
seminar notes
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now and Entry
Procedure
-Independent writing:
students answer
culminating TDQ as an exit
slip.
How does Odysseus trick the
Cyclops? What does this
trick reveal about Odysseus’
character?
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now and Entry
Procedure
-Combination of CTG and
independent reading
during reading phase
lesson to get through the
chunk of text.
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now and Entry
Procedure
-Combination of CTG and
independent reading
during reading phase
lesson to get through the
What does Odysseus
reveal to the Cyclops at
the end of the book? Why
does he do this? What
does it reveal about his
character?
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now and entrance
procedure
-Socratic seminar:
Possible questions:
1. During Book 9,
Odysseus makes some
choices, like telling
Suggested agenda:
Polyphemus his name,
--Comp Quiz (20 min)
that make Poseidon
--Quiz Review and Seminar
preparation: After teacher
and other gods angry.
collects quizzes, teacher
First, name some of
and students review
these choices that go
-Combination of CTG and
independent reading
during reading phase
lesson to get through the
chunk of text.
Possible Leading TDQs to
help students reach the
culminating exit slip:
1. Right now, Odysseus is
beginning his story to
his hosts, the
Phaecians. He has
been their guest for
quite some time (3
books previous!) How
does Odysseus
introduce himself?
What do you think that
means about how he
views himself?
2. Do the gods interfere
w Odysseus’ travels
and adventures?
Which gods? When?
Why?
3. How does Odysseus
react to setbacks? Cite
at least one passage
that shows Odysseus
chunk of text.
Suggested homework:
Re-read today’s chunk for
better understanding and
improved annotations.
There will be a quiz on this
weeks’ readings on
Thursday.
-Independent passage
selection:
Students can do this
individually, in pairs or in
groups, depending on
teacher’s preference.
-Share-out—students
should share significant
passages so that they can
review for tomorrow’s
comprehension quiz.
Suggested homework:
Re-read today’s chunk for
better understanding and
improved annotations.
There will be a quiz on this
weeks’ readings on
Thursday.
Author’s notes:
exemplary responses,
which should hit the
following key points:
 O reveals his real
name
 He reveals it because
he believes he’s
gotten away
 This reveals pride or
hubris
After reviewing this,
teacher should preview
tomorrow’s seminar
questions:



Heroism: Is O a hero?
Fate and freewill: Do
the gods prevent O
from getting home?
The connection
between these two:
Does O escape
Polyphemus on his
own or with the help
of the gods?
-Students begin by listing
questions they have about
book 9. Begin with level 1
or comprehension
questions, but then move
on to analysis questions
on the above themes.
against the gods’
wishes in Chapter 9.
Why does Odysseus
make these choices?
What do these choices
reveal about
Odysseus’ character?
Does his disobedience
make him heroic or
too stubborn for his
own good? Explain.
2. Odysseus manages to
escape against
Poseidon’s wishes.
How does he escape?
Does he have any help
from the gods, or does
he do it on his own?
First, find evidence
that the gods did or
did not interfere with
his escape from
Polyphemus. Then
determine if Odysseus
is the master of his
own fate or if his
journey lies in the
hands of the gods.
-Seminar reflection
reacting to set back.
What does this
reaction reveal about
Odysseus’ character?
Students may draft these
questions individually or in
groups, but teacher should
make sure there is a way
to collect these questions
for the class.
-Independent writing:
students answer
culminating TDQ as an exit
slip.
-Students then begin
looking for answers to
their questions and the
previewed seminar
questions in the book.
Suggested homework:
Re-read today’s chunk for
better understanding and
improved annotations.
There will be a quiz on this
weeks’ readings on
Thursday.
M
Analysis Practice/
Reading Phase 2
Suggested homework:
Graphic organizer or post
it notes that track
evidence for the upcoming
seminar.
T
Reading Phase 2:
Week 3
W
Assessment/Flex Day
Th
Analysis Practice
Author’s notes:
If wanted—a two day
seminar could be
beneficial to promote
more student discussion.
To set this up, teacher
would split class in two
and create an inner and
outer circle seating
arrangement. Group 1
would answer the seminar
questions on the first day
while Group 2 would take
notes. On the second day,
the two groups would
switch. I’ve found that
two day seminars aid
student comprehension
and it allows some of the
quieter students a chance
to speak. If this is wanted,
teachers will need to
budget in time for this. In
later seminars, I will
budget in this time.
F
Analysis Practice
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 1-251 of Book 10.
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 252- end of Book 10.
Analysis: Given lines 1-251
of Book 10, SWBAT
connect Odysseus’ internal
conflict to a theme.
Analysis: Given lines 252end of book 10, SWBAT
describe Odysseus’
heroism towards his crew
and connect it to a theme.
Suggested text:
Book 10, lines 1-251
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
Why does Odysseus say
“should I leap over the side
and drown at once or grit
my teeth and bear it, stay
among the living?” on lines
55-57? Describe his
internal conflict. Why is
this internal conflict
significant to the rest of
the passage? How does it
relate to a larger idea or
theme?
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entrance
procedure
After entrance procedure
and Do Now, teacher
presents an overall
Suggested text:
lines 252- end of Book 10.
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ: At the beginning of
this section, Eurylochus
says, ”Don’t force me back
there, captain king—leave
me here on the spot,. You
will never return yourself,
I swear, you’ll never bring
back a single man alive.
Quick, cut and run with
the rest of us here—we
can still escape the fatal
day!” What is Odysseus’
response? Connect his
response to a larger
theme that is present
within The Odyssey and
explain your rationale.
Suggested agenda:
-Do now: Entrance
Suggested aim:
SWBAT show mastery of
comprehension and
analysis of The Odyssey on
a comprehension quiz.
Author’s notes:
Purpose of the quiz:
To Assess:
-Students’ comprehension
skills
-Students’ analysis skills
Author’s Note:
The most high impact
quizzes might be giving
students a section of text
and then asking them to
annotate and interact with
it in paragraph form.
This day can also be used
as a flex day for reading.
Suggested aim:
SWBAT identify passages
that exemplify a theme.
SWBAT justify their choice
of passage through close
reading.
Suggested text:
Books 9-10
Suggested exit ticket:
Students provide a
paragraph rationale that
explains how the theme
presents itself in the
passage.
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entrance
procedure
-Framing: Teacher returns
back to the class list of
themes from Monday.
Asks students to
brainstorm any other
themes they’d like to add.
Asks students to
determine or vote for
which themes they think
are the most significant
and why, prompting
Suggested aim:
SWBAT present an oral
justification of their
chosen theme and
passage.
SWBAT respond to the
question: What is the role
of the gods and the
goddesses in The Odyssey?
Suggested text:
Books 9-10
Suggested exit ticket:
What is the role of the
gods and the goddesses in
The Odyssey? How do
they connect to the
themes of fate and
freewill?
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now/entrance
procedure
-Framing: teacher asks
students to get back in
yesterday’s groups.
Together, they will review
the passage and response
they created yesterday
and edit it with teacher’s
comments. Then, they will
definition of theme:
THEME: A message or idea
about life that recurs
throughout the novel. It is
not necessarily a moral or
lesson, but something the
author believes to be TRUE
about the human
experience.
-Teacher then presents the
following question to small
groups to answer:


What ideas or
messages about life
have recurred in The
Odyssey thus far?
Create a list of as many
as you can in two
minutes.
Teacher will present
these guidelines to
help students generate
themes:
o Is it repeated
throughout the
text?
o Does it
Procedure
class will be a combination
of CTG reading and
independent reading and
conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to TDQ at the end.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading
chunk in class and this
must either be assigned as
homework or take an
extra day to finish the
reading.
students to cite textual
evidence in the book.
-Teacher explains that one
of the reasons The
Odyssey has endured over
time has been because of
its ability to speak to and
about many facets of
human life. One of the
biggest facets it speaks to
is human purpose and the
idea of fate or freewill:
Does man decide his life’s
outcomes or does some
external factor outside of
his control decide it for
him?
**Introduce PBA
Prompt—could be a good
place
-Teacher defines terms if
necessary.
-Teacher splits class into
pre-assigned groups and
will assign one of the
themes, fate or freewill, to
each group.
prepare to present their
passage and justification
to another group in a
jigsaw, so that they can
learn from each other’s
responses and answer an
ultimate question at the
end.
**Note to teacher:
Reviewing the previous
days’ responses for
accuracy and depth is a
must. Be sure to give
students enough feedback
so they can revise their
responses.
-Jigsaw procedure:
***Teacher’s note:
Keep groups to 4 max—2
with the theme of freewill,
2 with the theme of fate.
Each student has three
minutes to:
1. Summarize the
passage and direct
peers to specific pages
and line numbers
2. Justify how it connects
to the theme of fate
or freewill, providing
at least 3 smaller
o
o
motivate the
characters?
Is it an idea
found in other
texts?
Can it be
generalized to
have meaning
in our lives?
-Teacher directs students
to pre-selected passages.
Here are possible
selections:



-Students will generate
their list and present to the
class through a whip
around.
-Teacher will emphasize or
add to the list the
following ideas:




The significance of
homecoming/
importance of family
Perseverance in times
of struggle
Glory and heroism
Fate/Freewill—does
man control the course
of his life or is it up to
some greater
being/greater force?

Beginning of Book
IX, lines 45-84
End of Book IX,
lines 580-620
Beginning of Book
X, lines 49-89
Middle of Book X,
lines 366-445
(longer than
others and could
be cut)
Each passage exemplifies
an idea about the theme
of fate or freewill



Students must identify
what theme is
presented in their
given passage
Students provide a
paragraph rationale
that explains how the
theme presents itself
in the passage.
Student identifies
quotes within the
passage to support.
3. Identify any literary
devices within the
passage that support
the given theme.
4. Peers ask questions or
provide feedback.
5. Student presenters
switch.
-Reserve time at the end
of the jigsaw to engage in
the exit slip questions or in
a peer assessment.
-Exit slip question can also
be used as homework.
other literary
elements (conflict, O’s
characterization) and
explains how these
contribute to the
overall theme
-The rest of the class will
be a combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to TDQ at the end.
Author’s notes:
Be sure to think through
group work procedures
and pairings as well as any
significant roles or
protocols you’d like to put
in place to make sure
group work runs smoothly.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading chunk
in class and this must
either be assigned as
homework or take an extra
day to finish the reading.
Author’s note:
Teacher may decide to give
significant themes for
tracking immediately after
the group brainstorm, or
wait until later in the week
to reveal.
M
Reading Phase:
T
Reading Phase:
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
Week 4
W
Seminar Prep:
Suggested aim:
SWBAT identify conflicts
Th
Seminar/Fishbowl
Seminar
Suggested aim:
SWBAT articulate claims
F
Fishbowl Seminar/
Flex Day
Suggested aim:
SWBAT articulate claims
book 12 lines 1-149
book 12 lines 149-end
Analysis: SWBAT recognize
a pattern of foreshadowing
and discuss its relationship
to plot and suspense.
Analysis: SWBAT connect
the obstacles Odysseus
faces to
Suggested text:
Book XII Lines 1-149
Suggested exit ticket:
What is the purpose of
Circe’s advice in Book XII?
Why has Homer chosen to
include it? What effect
does it have on the
reader?
Suggested agenda:
-Do now: Entrance
Procedure
-Framing: Literary devices:
Foreshadowing. Teacher
reviews definition and asks
students to be on the
lookout for this device. As
they’re reading, find it, and
think about the purpose.
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
Suggested text:
XII Lines 149-end
Suggested exit ticket:
What stands in the way of
Odysseus’ goal? Name at
least two obstacles and
provide textual evidence
to support. Why can’t
Odysseus overcome these
obstacles? Connect these
obstacles to relevant
literary elements and
themes.
Suggested agenda:
-Do now: Entrance
Procedure
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to TDQ at the end.
that block Odysseus’
success.
SWBAT connect these
conflicts to the theme of
fate and freewill in
paragraphs.
Suggested text:
Books 10-12
Suggested exit ticket:
Students provide a
paragraph rationale that
explains how the theme
presents itself in the
passage, citing specific
literary elements and
devices.
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now/entrance
procedure
-Framing: Teacher takes
time to remind students of
the work that they did last
week with theme and
close reading.
Teacher will pre-select
between 4-6 passages for
students to review. Some
of these passages may
have been highlighted in
about fate, freewill and
Odysseus’ relationship to
gods and goddesses in the
novel.
about fate, freewill and
Odysseus’ relationship to
gods and goddesses in the
novel.
SWBAT take thorough and
accurate notes to guide
individual understanding
and analysis.
Suggested text:
Books 10-12
SWBAT take thorough and
accurate notes to guide
individual understanding
and analysis.
Suggested exit ticket:
Seminar reflection
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entrance
procedure
Suggested text:
Books 10-12
Suggested exit ticket:
Seminar reflection
Suggested agenda:
Day built in for two day
seminar. Same agenda as
-Framing seminar/fishbowl Thursday.
-seminar
Suggested homework:
Possible Seminar
Re-reading, re-writing,
Questions:
reviewing
Throughout the epic,
Odysseus has come into
Author’s notes:
conflict with Zeus,
Poseidon, his men, and
2 day seminar built in to
himself. In chapter 12,
allow students more time
examine the obstacles to
to discuss and reflect.
Odysseus’ journey home
that Homer presents.
To set up, split class in two
How many of these
and set up room with an
problems are caused by
inner and outer circle.
-Students write response
to TDQ at the end.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading chunk
in class and this must
either be assigned as
homework or take an extra
day to finish the reading.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading
chunk in class and this
must either be assigned as
homework or take an
extra day to finish the
reading.
analysis work last week or
in the initial week’s close
reading, but teacher
should account for some
variety.
Students will then take
time (15 min) to identify
passages in teacher
assigned thematic groups
(fate or freewill). Then
students will do the initial
annotations silently before
reading in groups to
answer the following
questions:
1. What’s the first thing
you notice about this
passage? What’s the
second thing? Are
they related?
2. What conflicts are
present in this
passage?
3. How does Homer
present these
conflicts?
4. How does the passage
make us think about
certain characters?
5. What literary devices
Odysseus? How many are
caused by a force outside
of his control? Is man the
master of his fate? How
do the conflicts Odysseus
faces internally and
externally shed light on
this question? Besides
conflict, be sure to
highlight other elements
of author’s craft that lead
to your conclusions:
elements such as
characterization and
symbolism, as well as
devices such as imagery,
and figurative language
-Seminar reflection
Suggested homework: n/a
Day 1, 1st half sit inside
and engage in discussion.
2nd half sits outside and
takes notes. Day, groups
switch—who was outside
is now inside.
Rationale: Pushes students
to engage in more heavy
lifting.
Concerns about outer
circle can be mitigated by
collecting notes or
assigning students a peer
to track and assess during
the seminar.
are used in this
passage (imagery,
metaphor, simile,
allusion, alliteration)?
6. What effect do these
devices have on the
text? (Why are they
used?)
7. How do these
techniques relate to
the theme of fate or
freewill?
-After answering these
questions in groups,
students will individually
write literary analysis
paragraphs that connect
the form of the passage to
the themes present.
M
Reading Phase:
T
Reading Phase:
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 1-213 of The Odyssey.
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 213-end of Book 21
Suggested homework:
Teacher could assign
further passage
identification for
homework.
Week 5
W
Analysis:
Suggested aim:
Skill: SWBAT identify the
plot structure in The
Th
Assessment/Flex Day
Suggested aim:
SWBAT show mastery of
comprehension and
F
Reading Phase
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 1-161 of Book 22
Odyssey.
Analysis: SWBAT apply the
hero’s quest to Odysseus.
Analysis: SWBAT apply the
hero’s quest to Odysseus.
Suggested text:
Book 21, Lines 1-213
Suggested text:
Book 21, Lines 213-end
Suggested exit ticket:
Describe Odysseus’
homecoming from one of
three perspectives:
Penelope, Telemachus or
Odysseus. How does your
chosen character feel
about the test that is about
to happen? Why? How do
you know? Cite evidence
to support.
Suggested agenda:
- Do now: Entrance
Procedure
-Hype this and the
upcoming chapter—this is
the climax!
-Framing should be around
the hero’s journey—you
may want to present the
visual map of the hero’s
quest to your students so
that they can identify
where Odysseus is within
Suggested exit ticket:
At the end of book 21,
Odysseus says to
Telemachus, “My son,
your guest sitting here in
your house has not
disgraced you.” Describe
the father/son
relationship between
Odysseus and Telemachus
and how this hero’s
journey has impacted it.
How could Odysseus have
disgraced Telemachus?
What happens instead?
Why is this significant?
Skill: SWBAT connect this
plot structure to the
theme of homecoming.
Suggested text:
Book 21
Suggested exit ticket:
What themes seem most
important at the climax of
the book: fate and
freewill, heroism, or
homecoming? Explain
your rationale.
Suggested agenda:
-Do Now/Entrance
Procedure
-Framing/INM: Plot
structure introduction or
review.
analysis of The Odyssey on
a comprehension quiz.
Author’s notes:
Purpose of the quiz:
To Assess:
-Students’ comprehension
skills
-Students’ analysis skills
The most high impact
quizzes might be giving
students a section of text
and then asking them to
annotate and interact with
it in paragraph form.
This day can also be used
as a flex day for reading.
Analysis: Given lines 1-161
of Book 22, SWBAT
determine author’s tone
and purpose for
slaughtering the suitors
mercilessly.
Suggested text:
lines 1-161 of Book 22
Suggested exit ticket:
We’re in the middle of
major slaughter! Does
Homer approve or
disapprove of Odysseus’
actions? Are his actions
justified? Provide
evidence in the text to
prove your response.
Suggested agenda:
- Do now: Entrance
Procedure
Suggested agenda:
Do now: Entrance
Procedure
Questions to pose:
-Does The Odyssey have a
traditional plot structure?
-Hype this and the
upcoming chapter—this is
the climax!
-Hype this and the
upcoming chapter—this is
the climax!
Modeling/Think-a-loud:
Teacher models finding
the plot structure for Book
9. Asks, why is this book
set up this way? What are
the benefits of this
-Framing should be
around identifying
author’s purpose and
tone. Guide students to
pay close attention to the
language Homer uses to
-Framing should be
around the hero’s
his journey now.
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to exit ticket at the end.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading chunk
in class and this must
either be assigned as
homework or take an extra
day to finish the reading.
Author’s notes:
Exit activity is a form of
what’s commonly called
RAFT (Role, Audience,
Format,Topic) writing. It’s
a creative activity that
requires students to use
textual inferences to take
on the voice of a character.
If teacher prefers, use a
more traditional TDQ in its
journey—you may want to
present the visual map of
the hero’s quest to your
students so that they can
identify where Odysseus is
within his journey now.
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to exit ticket at the end.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading
chunk in class and this
must either be assigned as
homework or take an
extra day to finish the
reading.
traditional plot structure?
What themes does this
bring forth?
GP: Students in pairs
identify the plot structure
of Book X. Ask the same
questions: why is this book
set up this way? What are
the benefits of this
traditional plot structure?
What themes does this
bring forth?
IP: Students identify
individually or in pairs the
plot structure of The
Odyssey thus far. What
themes seem most
important right now: fate
and freewill, heroism, or
homecoming? Explain
your rationale.
Suggested homework:
Teacher’s discretion
describe the slaughter and
Odysseus’ and
Telemachus’ actions. It’s
gory stuff. Why are we
reveling in violent
imagery? What does
Homer want his audience
to feel?
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to exit ticket at the end.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading
chunk in class and this
must either be assigned as
homework or take an
extra day to finish the
reading.
place as an exit ticket.
M
Reading Phase
T
Reading Phase
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 162-end of Book 22.
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
lines 170-422 of Book 23.
Analysis: Given lines 162end of Book 22, SWBAT
evaluate the heroism of
Telemachus and Odysseus.
Analysis: Given lines 170422 of Book 23, SWBAT
describe how the major
themes of fate and
freewill, family and
homecoming, and honor
and heroism develop in
bigger ideas by the end of
the novel.
Suggested text:
lines 162-end of Book 22.
Suggested exit ticket:
Odysseus and Telemachus
kill all the suitors in this
chapter. Evaluate their
actions. Are they heroic?
Does this episode fit in
with the visions of heroism
we reviewed at the
beginning of the unit?
Provide evidence in the
text to prove your
response.
Suggested agenda:
Do now: Entrance
Procedure
Suggested text:
lines 170-422 of Book 23.
Suggested exit ticket:
Choose one of our major
themes:
 Fate and freewill
 Heroism and
honor
 Homecoming and
family
Write a well-developed
paragraph about this
theme and its significance
Week 6
W
Seminar Prep:
Th
Fishbowl/Seminar:
F
Fishbowl Seminar/
Flex Day
Suggested aim:
SWBAT connect passages
to particular themes
within the text by
examining literary
elements and authorial
techniques.
Suggested aim:
SWBAT articulate claims
about the most significant
themes in the novel: fate
and freewill, homecoming
and family, honor and
heroism
Suggested aim:
SWBAT articulate claims
about the most significant
themes in the novel: fate
and freewill, homecoming
and family, honor and
heroism
SWBAT justify their
selections with
annotations and
paragraph responses.
SWBAT take thorough and
accurate notes to guide
individual understanding
and analysis.
SWBAT take thorough and
accurate notes to guide
individual understanding
and analysis.
Suggested text:
Whole book, with focus on
chapters 21-23
Suggested text:
Whole book, with focus on
chapters 21-23
Suggested exit ticket:
Seminar Reflection
Suggested exit ticket:
Seminar Reflection
Suggested agenda:
Do now/entrance
procedure
Suggested agenda:
Day built in for two day
seminar. Same agenda as
Thursday.
Suggested text:
Whole book, with focus on
chapters 21-23
Suggested exit ticket:
Students provide a
paragraph rationale that
explains how the theme
presents itself in the
passage, citing specific
literary elements and
devices.
-Framing seminar/fishbowl
-seminar
Suggested agenda:
Suggested homework:
Re-reading, re-writing,
reviewing
-Hype this and the
upcoming chapter—this is
the climax!
-Framing should be around
identifying author’s
purpose and tone and
matching this episode with
other visions of heroism
we’ve looked at in other
texts. Guide students to
pay close attention to the
language Homer uses to
describe the slaughter and
Odysseus’ and
Telemachus’ actions. It’s
gory stuff. Why are we
reveling in violent
imagery? What does
Homer want his audience
to feel?
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
-Students write response
to exit ticket at the end.
to The Odyssey. How does
this theme develop over
the course of the novel?
What literary elements
help create this theme?
What general truth about
this overarching theme
does Homer suggest
through his work?
Suggested agenda:
Do now: Entrance
Procedure
-Framing: This is a really
beautiful chapter—O and
P finally get to be
together—after all that
violence we finally get to
see love. It’s also the
“end” of the novel. It’s a
good time to review and
to look backwards at the
themes we’ve seen.
-class will be a
combination of CTG
reading and independent
reading and conferring
-Teacher stops to model
tracking theme, ask CfUs
and relevant TDQs.
Do Now/entrance
procedure
Possible Seminar
Question:
-Framing: Teacher takes
time to remind students of
the work that they have
done previously with
theme and close reading.
Theme-Off:
1. Over the course of
the novel, we’ve been
tracking theme and
analyzing how
elements of author’s
craft have helped
develop specific
themes. Which theme
is most significant to
the novel as a whole?
Which themes are
most relevant to our
modern lives?
2. Your PBA prompt, as
you know is touches
on the themes of fate
and freewill. Are
these the most
significant themes in
the novel? How have
these ideas developed
over the course of the
novel? How are they
relevant to our
modern lives?
Teacher will pre-select
between 8-10 passages for
students to review.
Students will then take
time (15 min) to identify
passages in teacher
assigned thematic groups
(fate and freewill,
homecoming and family,
heroism and honor, etc).
Students must select a
passage that relates to
their given theme.
Then students will do the
initial annotations silently
before reading in groups
to answer the following
questions:
1.
What’s the first thing
you notice about this
passage? What’s the
second thing? Are
Suggested homework:
Author’s notes:
2 day seminar built in to
allow students more time
to discuss and reflect.
To set up, split class in two
and set up room with an
inner and outer circle.
Day 1, 1st half sit inside
and engage in discussion.
2nd half sits outside and
takes notes. Day, groups
switch—who was outside
is now inside.
Rationale: Pushes students
to engage in more heavy
lifting.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading chunk
in class and this must
either be assigned as
homework or take an extra
day to finish the reading.
-Students write response
to exit ticket at the end.
Suggested homework:
Scholars will not complete
the assigned reading
chunk in class and this
must either be assigned as
homework or take an
extra day to finish the
reading.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
they related?
What conflicts are
present in this
passage?
How does Homer
present these
conflicts?
How does the passage
make us think about
certain characters?
What literary devices
are used in this
passage (imagery,
metaphor, simile,
allusion, alliteration)?
What effect do these
devices have on the
text? (Why are they
used?)
How do these
techniques relate to
your chosen theme?
-After answering these
questions in groups,
students will individually
write literary analysis
paragraphs that connect
the form of the passage to
the themes present.
Suggested homework:
Teacher could assign
further passage
identification for
homework.
Author’s notes:
M
Reading to Learn
T
Reading to Learn
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
important arguments in
“Homer’s Polytheism”
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
important arguments in
“Homer’s Polytheism”
Synthesis: Given “Homer’s
Polytheism,” SWBAT
explain the relationship
between the modern idea
of luck and the ancient
idea of gods.
Synthesis: Given “Homer’s
Polytheism,” SWBAT
explain the relationship
between the modern idea
of luck and the ancient
idea of gods.
Suggested text:
“Homer’s Polytheism”
Suggested text:
“Homer’s Polytheism”
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
At the bottom of page 61,
it states: “Excellence in the
Greek sense involves
neither the Christian
Suggested exit ticket:
REVISE yesterday’s TDQ
response to the following
question:
At the bottom of page 61,
Week 7
W
Analysis
Th
Analysis
F
Assessment day/Flex Day
Suggested aim:
Given clips from a modern
interpretation of The
Odyssey, SWBAT explain
the modern relevance of
the heroic journey.
Suggested aim:
Given clips from a modern
interpretation of The
Odyssey, SWBAT explain
the modern relevance of
the heroic journey.
Author’s notes:
Use this day to administer
unit assessment of add in
time for analysis.
Suggested text:
Clips from O Brother
Where Art Thou?
Suggested text:
Clips from O Brother
Where Art Thou?
Suggested exit ticket:
Students chart similarities
and difference between
this modern interpretation
and the original work.
Suggested exit ticket:
Students write a welldeveloped paragraph
answering the following
question: Where does O
Brother Where Art Thou
depart from Homer’s
original text? Why does
the director make these
changes? How does this
Suggested agenda:
-do now/entry routine
-INM: teacher introduces
definition for allusion.
notion of humility nor the
Roman ideal of stoic
adherence to duty.
Instead, excellence in the
Homeric world depends
crucially on one’s sense of
gratitude and wonder.”
What do the authors mean
by this? How is the
Ancient Greek attitude
towards life different from
our modern attitude
towards life? What can we
learn from this?
Suggested agenda:
-do now/entry routine
-Framing: Why has The
Odyssey stood the test of
time? What relevance
does it have to our modern
lives?
-INM: Intro to literary
criticism:
Lit Crit : the study,
evaluation and
interpretation of literature.
It offers new lenses
through which to view
literature and may offer
new meaning on an
existing piece of work.
it states: “Excellence in the
Greek sense involves
neither the Christian
notion of humility nor the
Roman ideal of stoic
adherence to duty.
Instead, excellence in the
Homeric world depends
crucially on one’s sense of
gratitude and wonder.”
What do the authors
mean by this? How is the
Ancient Greek attitude
towards life different from
our modern attitude
towards life? What can
we learn from this?
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entry routine
-short quiz on last night’s
reading/review hw
- CTG and Independent
reading, teacher stops for
CfUs and relevant TDQs
-hand back exit slip
responses from yesterday
-Independent writing and
synthesis to revise
yesterday’s exit slip
When authors allude to a
previous work, they are
calling on the cultural and
historical knowledge of
the audience and asking
them to put that
knowledge in dialogue
with the current text.
Often times, this leads to a
new interpretation of the
text or work referenced.
add to our understanding
of the original text?
-Independently students
chart similarities and
differences.
Suggested agenda:
do now/entry routine
-INM: teacher introduces
definition for allusion.
When authors allude to a
previous work, they are
calling on the cultural and
historical knowledge of
the audience and asking
them to put that
knowledge in dialogue
with the current text.
Often times, this leads to a
new interpretation of the
text or work referenced.
Suggested homework:
teacher’s discretion
-Clip viewing and
discussion
Author’s notes:
-Independently students
write a response to exit
slip question.
-Clip viewing and
discussion
Suggested homework:
teacher’s discretion
Author’s notes: Great
recording of Atwood
commenting on and
reading poem at this link:
-CTG and Independent
reading, teacher stops for
CfUs and relevant TDQs
Suggested homework:
n/a
-Independent writing and
synthesis to answer the
day’s exit slip.
Suggested homework:
Assign a chunk of the
reading and
comprehension questions.
Author’s notes:
**Text is 16 pages long.
Teacher should chunk into
sections for class reading
and sections for
homework.
M
Reading to Learn
Suggested aim:
Literal: SWBAT summarize
“Feminist Criticism in
Departments of Literature”
Given “Feminist Criticism
in Departments of
Literature,” SWBAT explain
the rationale for looking at
T
Skill: Analysis of Character
through Feminist Lens
Suggested aim:
SWBAT perform a close read
to gain better understanding
of how Homer has used
imagery and figurative
language to craft the
character of Penelope.
Suggested text:
Mini-Close reads—short
Week 8
W
Close Reading: Poetry
Th
Close reading: Poetry
Suggested aim:
Suggested aim:
Given “An Ancient
Gesture,” SWBAT provide
an alternate interpretation
of the relationship
between Odysseus and
Penelope.
Given “Siren Song,”
SWBAT analyze how
Atwood has crafted her
poem to make a comment
about male and female
relationships.
F
Assessment/Flex Day
Author’s notes:
Use this day to administer
unit assessment of add in
time for analysis.
literature through a
Feminist Lens.
SWBAT apply a feminist
lens to three female
characters in The Odyssey.
Suggested text:
“Feminist Criticism in
Departments of Literature”
Suggested exit ticket:
Application:
Students will answer the
following question for the
three main female
character studied in The
Odyssey: Penelope,
Athena, and Circe
1.
What does the
examination of
(female character)
tell us about the
lives of women in
Ancient Greece?
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entry routine
-INM: Feminist lens
-CTG and Independent
reading; CfUs and TDqs
-Independent/Group work:
passages found in
Appendix C plus teacher’s
choice on other passages
that highlight Penelope
Suggested exit ticket:
How has Homer crafted
Penelope? What qualities
has he ascribed to her?
What does this tell us
about the role of women
in Ancient Greece?
Suggested agenda:
Do now/entry routine
-INM: Feminist lens
-Group work: Mini-close
reads
-Independent writing: exit
ticket
Suggested homework:
Author’s notes:
-Teacher may choose
other passages to
highlight Penelope’s
character.
Suggested text:
“An Ancient Gesture” by
Edna St Vincent Millay
Suggested text:
“Siren Song” by Margaret
Atwood
Suggested exit ticet:
TDQ:
What does Millay suggest
about Penelope’s
relationship with
Odysseus? How does
Millay’s poem use allusion
and imagery to convey this
meaning?
Suggested exit ticket:
TDQ:
What does Atwood
suggest is “irresistible”
about the Sirens’ song?
How does Atwood relate
this ancient song to the
lives of men and women?
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entry procedure
-INM: Reading poetry and
diving deep line by line.
Review allusion and
imagery definitions
-1st read for meaning and
summary :
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
-2nd read for analysis:
Read poem line by line for
summary and relevant
TDQs
-3rd read for author’s craft
Have students ID images
and allusions.
Suggested homework:
Teacher’s discretion.
Suggested agenda:
-Do now/entry procedure
-INM: Reading poetry and
diving deep line by line.
Review allusion and
imagery definitions
-1st read for meaning and
summary :
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
-2nd read for analysis:
Read poem line by line for
summary and relevant
TDQs
-3rd read for author’s craft
Have students ID images
and allusions.
Suggested homework:
Students answer the
following questions about
Athena, Circe and
Penelope:






How is this woman’s
life portrayed in the
work?
How does this
character relate to
male characters? Are
these relationships
sources of conflict?
How are these
conflicts resolved?
Does this character
challenge or affirm
traditional views of
women?
What marital
expectations are
imposed on this
character? What
effect do these
expectations have?
What behavioral
expectations are
imposed on this
character? What
effect do these
expectations have?
How does the
marital status of this
character affect her
decisions or
happiness?
Other poetry.
Teacher’s discretion.
Other poetry.
Author’s notes:
Link to Atwood reading
and commenting on poem
here
Suggested homework:
n/a
Author’s notes:
**Teacher may decide to
split class into groups
based on character to get
a deeper dive
Appendix A:
Name: ___________________________________
Period: __________
Date: _____________
Directions:
1) Read the information below on the Greek Ideals.
2) Identify examples of each of the Homeric Greek Ideals within the myths we’ve read and explain your rationale.
3) Given these Greek ideals, what might an Ancient Greek Hero look like?
4) On a separate sheet of paper paraphrase, individually and in your own words, what you think the four ideals mean.
HOMERIC GREEK IDEALS
RECIPROCITY
The cornerstone of ancient Greek values was reciprocity, or mutual exchange between two or more people. In Homeric Greece,
there was no "national", formal system of government or trade. Greek-speaking people relied on reciprocity, a simple system of
transaction. For instance, if I offered you a jar of olive oil for your spear, and if you considered this a fair trade, then both of us would
benefit from this reciprocal transaction. On the other hand, if I was not a very nice person, I could hit you over the head and take the
spear. This kind of trade is called negative reciprocity. Negative reciprocity only works if the victim cannot retaliate. Negative
reciprocity took place because there were no national or local laws (or police) to govern behavior. The raiding of cities became an
acceptable, allowable behavior.
However, there may be times when I may want to give a gift, not expecting something in return immediately. Suppose that
something terrible happens to my home like a fire, or someone has stolen all my belongings. I might come to you and ask for some
provisions. Since I have nothing to repay you, there is no question of an exchange. A long-term loan is not really practical because
there is no writing at this time. So you reason that if you give me some food, I may not repay you, but some day if something terrible
happens to you, I could help you out as you did me. You do this because you would like to rely on the kindness of others at some
future date, which is still an act of belief in reciprocity. You are simply not expecting reciprocity at the moment. This is known as
deferred reciprocity. This sort was used extensively by travelers (especially in The Odyssey). Deferred reciprocity, indeed any form of
positive reciprocity, relies on the honor and good will of all participants. Honor, or areté, became an essential value for the ancient
Greeks.
ARETÉ
The idea of areté is perhaps the strongest and clearest value of Homeric Greek culture. Translated as "virtue", the word actually
means something closer to "being the best you can be", or "reaching your highest human potential". From Homer’s time onwards,
areté was applied to both men and women. Homer applies the term to both the Greek and Trojan heroes as well as the female
figures such as Penelope, wife of Odysseus. In Homer’s poems, areté is often closely associated with bravery, but even more often
with effectiveness. The man or woman of areté is a person of the highest effectiveness. They use all their faculties – strength,
bravery, intelligence and deceptiveness – to achieve real results. In the Homeric world, areté involves all of the abilities and potential
available to humans. The importance of areté implies that the Greeks saw their universe as one in which human actions are of
extreme importance – that the world is a place of conflict and difficulty, and human value and meaning are measured against how
effective each individual is in the world. In many ways, the Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are celebrations of areté. In Homer, even nonhuman beings such as noble horses and powerful gods may possess areté.
Areté became the ideal of human excellence, and quickly became fused to the ideal of leadership. The Greeks believed that the
qualities areté and leadership were inseparable. Unusual or exceptional strength, and bravery or wit were seen as natural
manifestations of both areté and leadership. Odysseus’ clever escape from and defeat of Polyphemus are examples of his natural
areté, the qualities that make him a leader.
Two other values became intertwined with those of areté and leadership. Those values are kleos, or glory, and aidos, the sense of
duty. A noble’s areté, in Homer, is illustrated by his skill and strength as an soldier in war, and as an athlete in peace. War provided
the opportunity for the display of areté and the winning of kleos. Achilles is probably the Greek hero most closely associated with
kleos as an aspect of areté – though Achilles often displays characteristics that the modern person may consider negative, the
ancient Greek would recognize him as clearly possessing areté. The second important aspect of areté is aidos. In his personal
conduct as a leader or noble, a Homeric heroine such as Penelope displayed this sense of duty as evidence of areté. Penelope
remains true to her absent husband and cleverly avoids her impatient suitors (the old weaving trick – more evidence of her areté!).
Ultimately, areté meant the union of intellectual and physical excellence – the realization of a person’s full potential. In Homer’s
Iliad, Achilles is reminded by his tutor Phoenix to seek the aristocratic ideal of areté – he must be a speaker of words and a doer of
deeds.
XENIA
Xenia means guest-friendship or hospitality. In Homeric Greece, Xenia was practiced with great enthusiasm. The idea of xenia is
closely linked to the idea of aidos – it was one’s duty to be hospitable. Xenia is also a form of deferred reciprocity. Both guest and
host were expected to act with respect and courtesy. It was expected that a guest would be treated to the finest a household had to
offer. Poor treatment of a guest could bring down the wrath of Zeus, protector of travelers and guests. The Odyssey is filled with
examples of bad hosts (Polyphemus) and bad guests (Penelope’s suitors). According to the traditions of xenia, a guest of any social
class must be treated with extreme respect. As if to test this value, many Greek characters, human and divine, often travel in
disguise.
Xenia evolved from the simple fact that if a lone traveler is turned away from a house, he or she could die from starvation or
exposure. Xenia ensured that a traveler would not be turned away from any house. The poet Hesiod illustrates the importance of
the guest-friend’s relationship to the host by placing the murder of a guest-friend on a level with the most heinous crimes he could
think of:
Has there not abounded in them murder of brothers and fathers and guest-friends; matricide and incest and
begetting of children by sons with their own mothers; feasting of a father on the flesh of his own sons, plotted by
those nearest of kin; exposure of infants by parents, and drownings and blindings and other iniquities so many in
number that no lack of material has ever been felt by those who are wont each year to present in the theatre the
miseries which transpired in those days? (Hesiod, Works & Days)
ERGON
This society also valued ergon, or good hard work. Without it, no society can exist. The value of ergon became associated with areté,
as Hesiod explains:
...work...so that Hunger may hate you, and venerable Demeter richly crowned may love you and full your barn with
food...Both gods and men are angry with a man who lives idle, for in nature he is like the stingless drones who waste
the labor of the bees, eating without working; but let it be your care to order your work properly, that in the right
season your barns may be full of victual. Through work men grow rich in flocks and substance, and in working you will
be much better loved both by gods and men; for they greatly dislike the idle.
Work is no disgrace: it is idleness which is a disgrace. But if you work, the idle will soon envy you as you grow rich, for
fame and renown attend on wealth. And whatever be your lot, work is best for you, if you turn your misguided mind
away from other men's property to your work and attend to your livelihood as I bid you. An evil shame is the needy
man's companion, shame which both greatly harms men; shame is with poverty, but confidence with wealth. (Hesiod,
Works & Days)
Even for a kings like Odysseus and Priam, manual labor was seen as a sign of virtue. Priam built the palace at Troy with his own
hands; Odysseus is an accomplished carpenter.
Appendix B:
Name: ________________________________________________
Mr. Huber
Literature
DATE
Advisor: ___________________
Selections from
The Power of Myth
by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers
Campbell, The Power of Myth, 1991
The conversation between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell took place in 1985 and 1986 at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch and later at the Museum of
Natural History in New York…The idea for a book arose from the desire to make this material available not only to viewers of the [Public Broadcasting
Service] series [in which the interview is shown] but also to those who have long appreciated Campbell through reading his books.
MOYERS: You taught mythology for thirty-eight years at Sarah Lawrence College. How did you get these young women, coming to college from their
middle-class backgrounds…how did you get them interested in myths?
CAMPBELL: Young people just grab this stuff. Mythology teaches you what’s behind literature and the arts, it teaches you about your own life. It’s a
great, exciting, life-nourishing subject. Mythology has a great deal to do with the stages of life, the initiation ceremonies as you move from childhood to
adult responsibilities, from the unmarries state into the married state. All of those rituals are mythological traditions. They have to do with your
recognition of the new role that you’re in, the process throwing off the old one and coming out in the new, and entering into a responsible profession.
When a judge walks into the room, and everybody stands up, you’re not standing up to that guy, you’re standing up to the robe that he’s
wearing and the role that he’s going to play [rather than the man himself]. So what you’re standing up to is a mythological character. I imagine some
kings and queens are the most stupid, absurd, banal people you could run into, probably interested only horses and women, you know. But you’re not
responding to them as people, you’re responding to them in their mythological roles. When someone becomes a judge, or President of the United
States, the man is no longer than man, he’s the representative of an eternal office; he has to sacrifice his personal desires…in order to fulfill that new
role that he now signifies.
MOYERS: So there are mythological rituals at work in society. The ceremony of marriage is one. The ceremony of the inauguration of a President or
judge is another. What are some of the other mythological rituals that are important to society today?
CAMPBELL: Joining the army, putting on a uniform, is another. You’re giving up your personal life and accepting a socially determined manner of life in
the service of the society of which you are a member. This is why I think it is obscene to judge people…[for their behavior during] a time of war. They
were acting not as individuals, they were acting as agents of something above them and to which they had by dedication given themselves. To judge
them as though they were individual human beings is totally improper.
MOYERS: You’ve seen what happens when…societies [like the Native American tribes of U.S history are uprooted by the conquest of another
civilization.] They go to pieces, they disintegrate, they become diseased. Hasn’t the same thing been happening to us since our myths began to
disappear?
CAMPBELL: Absolutely, it has.
MOYERS: [You’ve said in the past that myths across time and space share remarkable similarities.] Take the creation story in Genesis, for example. How
is it like other stories?
CAMPBELL: Well, you read from Genesis, and I’ll read from creation stories in other cultures, and we’ll see.
MOYERS: Genesis 1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face
of the deep.”
CAMPBELL: This is from “The Song of the World,” a legend of the Pima Indians of Arizona: “In the beginning there was only darkness everywhere –
darkness and water. And the darkness gathered in thick in places, crowding together and then separating, crowding and separating…” [The Pima
Indians had never read Genesis 1 when they invented this myth. There is no copying occurring. Yet, the similarities between the beginnings of both
myths are startling.]
MOYERS: Genesis 1: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed
them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’
CAMPBELL: Now, this is similar to a legend from the Bassari people of West Africa: “Unumbotte made a human being. Its name was Man. Unumbotte
next made an antelope, named Antelope. Unumbotte made a snake, named Snake…And Unumbotte said to them, ‘The earth has not yet pounded. You
must pound the ground smooth where you are sitting.’ Unumbotte gave them seeds of all kinds, and said: ‘Go plant these.’” [Once again, the Bassari
never read Genesis, and yet both myths share remarkable similarities.]
MOYERS: Why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology?
CAMPBELL: Because that’s what’s worth writing about. Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done
something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
MOYERS: So in all of these cultures, [the appearance or personality of the hero matters less than the deed?]
CAMPBELL: Well, there are two types of deeds. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous acts in battle or saves a life. The
other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero [comes to the deepest understanding of his or her spiritual beliefs] and then comes back with a
message.
MOYERS: [Are all heroes men?]
CAMPBELL: Oh, no. The male usually has the most conspicuous role, just because of the conditions of life [for most men throughout history.] He has,
traditionally, been out in the world, and the woman has been in the home. But among the Aztecs, for example, who had a number of heavens to which
people’s souls would be assigned according to the conditions of their death - the heaven for warriors killed in battle was the same for mothers who
died in childbirth. Giving birth was definitely a heroic deed, in that it is the giving over of oneself to the life of another.
MOYERS: Don’t you think we’ve lost that truth in this society of ours, where it’s deemed more heroic to go out into the world and make a lot of money
than it is to raise children?
CAMPBELL: Making money gets more advertisement…So the thing that happens and happens and happens, no matter how heroic it may be, is not
news. Motherhood has lost its novelty, you might say.
MOYERS: That’s a wonderful image, though – the mother as hero.
CAMPBELL: It has always seemed so to me. That’s something I learned from reading these myths.
MOYERS: What’s the significance of the trials, and tests, and ordeals of the hero?
CAMPBELL: [One way to think of these trials] is that they are designed to see to it that the person claiming to be a hero should really be a hero. Is he
really a match for this task? Can he overcome the dangers? Does he have the courage, the knowledge, the capacity, to enable him to serve?
If you realize what the real problem is – losing yourself, giving yourself to some higher end, or to another – you realize that this itself is the
ultimate trial. When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves…we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.
MOYERS: So does heroism have a moral objective?
CAMPBELL: The moral objective is that of saving a group of people, or saving a person, or supporting an idea. The hero sacrifices himself for something
– that’s the morality of it. Now, you might saw that the person or idea for which this hero sacrificed himself should not have been respected, but it
doesn’t destroy the fact that the hero sacrificed himself for that idea or person.
MOYERS: Do you have a favorite mythic hero?
CAMPBELL: When I was a boy, I had two heroes. One was Douglas Fairbanks; the other was Leonardo da Vinci. I wanted to be a synthesis of the two.
Today, I don’t have a single hero at all.
MOYERS: Does our society have a single hero?
CAMPBELL: It did have. It had Christ. He paid the ultimate sacrifice in giving himself to death for the sake of mankind. And then America had men like
Washington and Jefferson and, later, men like Daniel Boone, who sacrificed themselves for the larger American idea. But life today is so complex and it
is changing so fast, that there is no time for anything to constellate itself before it’s thrown over again.
MOYERS: We seem to worship celebrities today, not heroes.
CAMPBELL: Yes, and that’s too bad. A questionnaire was once sent around one of the high schools in Brooklyn which asks, “What would you like to
be?” Two thirds of the students responded, “A celebrity.” They had no notion of having to give themselves in order to achieve something.
MOYERS: They just want to be known.
CAMPBELL: Just to be known, to have fame – name and fame because the end goal. It’s too bad – because being a hero once meant so much more. It
required sacrifice.
MOYERS: But people ask, isn’t a myth a lie?
CAMPBELL: No, mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical – it represents ideas, people and situations that go beyond the actual
text. When a person thinks in mythological terms – they consider their life in terms of the myths we read – they learn to recognize the positive values in
what appears to be the negative moments. These negative moments are now seen as heroic tests. The big question is whether you are going to be able
to say a hearty yes to your adventure.
MOYERS: The adventure of the hero?
CAMPBELL: Yes, the adventure of the hero – the adventure of being alive.
Appendix C:
Mini Close Reads
Directions:
Each of these passages gives us insight into the character of Penelope. Read each one carefully once in order to
summarize for meaning. Then, read them a second time in groups to answer the analysis questions in the right
hand column.
Comprehension questions:
1. Who is speaking to whom?
Book I, Lines 409-419
Telemachus:
“‘…So Mother,
Go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks,
the distaff and the loom, and keep the women
working hard as well. As for giving orders,
men will see to that, but I most of all:
I hold the reigns of power in this house.’”
Astonished,
she withdrew to her own room . She took to heart
the clear good sense in what her son had said.
Climbing up to the lofty chamber with her women,
she fell to weeping for Odysseus, her beloved husband,
till watchful Athena sealed her eyes with welcome sleep.”
Summary:
2. What are they talking about?
3. What is the speaker’s tone?
4. What does the listener do in return?
Analysis questions:
1. What does this tell us about Penelope?
2. What kinds of literary devices are used?
(look at the last two lines!)
3. What do these devices “do”?
Comprehension questions:
5. Who is speaking to whom?
Book II, Lines 90-119
Antinous:
“So high and mighty, Telemachus—such unbridled rage!
Well now, fling your accusations at us?
Think to pin the blame on us? You think again,
It’s not the suitors here who deserve the blame,
it's your own dear mother, the matchless queen of cunning.
Look here. For three years now, getting on to four,
she's played it fast and loose with all our hearts,
building each man’s hopes—
dangling promises, dropping hints to each—
but all the while with something else in mind.
This was her latest masterpiece of guile:
She set up a great loom in the royal halls
and she began to weave, and the weaving fine-spun,
the yarns endlsess, and she would lead us on: ‘Young men,
my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more,
go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until
I can finish off this web…
So my weaving won’t all fray and come to nothing.
This is a shroud for old lord Laertes, for that day
when the deadly fate that lays us out at last will take him down.
I dread the shame my country women would heap upon me,
Yes, if a man of such wealth should lie in state
without a shroud for cover.’
Her very words,
and despite our pride and passion we believed her.
So by day she’d weave her great and growing web—
by night, by the light of torches set beside her,
she would unravel all she’d done. Three whole years
she deceived us blind, seduced us with this scheme…”
6. What are they talking about?
7. What is the speaker’s tone?
Analysis questions:
4. What does this tell us about Penelope?
5. What kinds of literary devices are used?
What do these devices “do”?
Book IV, Lines 819-827
Penelope:
But now my son,
my darling boy—the whirlwinds have ripped him
out of the halls without a trace! I never heard
he’d gone—not even from you, you hard, heartless…
not one of you even thought to rouse me from my bed,
though well you knew when he boarded that black ship.
Oh if only I had learned he was planning such a journey,
he would have stayed, by god, keen as he was to sail—
or left me dead right here within our palace.
Comprehension questions:
8. Who is speaking to whom?
9. What are they talking about?
10. What is the speaker’s tone?
Analysis questions:
6. What does this tell us about Penelope?
Summary:
7. What kinds of literary devices are used?
8. What do these devices “do”?
Book XIX, Lines 236-245
Narration:
...As she listened on, her tears flowed and soaked her cheeks
As the heavy snow melts down from the mountain ridges,
snow the West Wind piles there and the warm East Wind thaws
and the snow, melting, swells the rivers to overflow their banks—
so she dissolved in tears, streaming down her lovely cheeks,
weeping for him, her husband, sitting there beside her.
Odysseus’ heart went out to his grief-stricken wife
but under his lids his eyes remained stock-still—
they might have been horn or iron—
his guile fought back his tears.
Comprehension questions:
11. Why is Penelope crying?
12. How does Odysseus respond? Why?
Analysis questions:
9. What does this tell us about Penelope?
What does this tell us about her
relationship with Odysseus?
10. What do these devices “do”? What effect
do they have on the reader? (why didn’t
Homer just say, Penelope wept?)