21 (1 day = 50-55 minutes)
In this unit, students are introduced to the epic hero and the epic journey as they read The Odyssey.
Their understanding of the epic hero and journey will prepare them to read the novel Zeitoun independently.
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Analyze the development and characteristics of an epic hero.
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Draw conclusions about characters’ motivations based on their responses to various factors.
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Judge the relevance of evidence from various sources.
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Write a persuasive essay to oppose or support a statement about Zeitoun and Odysseus.
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Identify and discuss the critical attributes of epics and epic heroes.
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Examine the roles and motivations of various characters within an epic poem.
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Identify facts and passages that support a position or argument.
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Use graphic organizers as tools for analyzing and writing about claims and counterclaims.
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What distinguishes heroes from everyone else?
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What are some examples of how Zeitoun’s misguided deeds and Odysseus’s hubris prevent them from being reunited with their loved ones?
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Why should an individual be held responsible for his actions when there is interference from other characters and outside factors?
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Why do sacrifices have to be made to survive an epic journey, and in what ways do these sacrifices affect all individuals/characters?
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Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days)
Key Ideas and Details
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Craft and Structure
RL.9-10.4 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).
Text Types and Purposes
W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days) Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by
Shakespeare]”). b. Apply to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”).
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues , building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed. c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
SL.9-10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
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Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days)
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.9-10.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
In this unit, students are introduced to the epic hero and the epic journey as they read The Odyssey.
Their understanding of the epic hero and journey will prepare them to read the novel Zeitoun independently.
Work started in this unit will continue into the next unit.
New to this grade span is a focus on complex characters who have conflicting or multiple motivations.
Students will analyze and compare/contrast the epic heroes Odysseus and Zeitoun in consideration of the element of hubris. Deep analysis of character should also focus on how the characters interact with other characters, advance the plot, and develop the theme across the text. In an end-of-unit essay, students will be expected to cite textual evidence of their character analysis.
Students will be able to:
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Prepare for and participate in collegial discussions that incorporate new vocabulary and domain-specific terminology.
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Discuss aspects of the theme of The Odyssey and its development via plot, dialogue, and characters’ motivations and interactions.
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Evaluate and integrate information from multiple sources to write a formal essay.
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Use graphic organizers to develop and analyze claims, counterclaims, conclusions, and textual evidence for use in a formal essay in response to questions about The Odyssey and Zeitoun .
Literature Course 4 , Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009
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Epic and Myth: The Odyssey (pp. 822-906)
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Interactive Read and Write, Course 4 (pp. 227-
266)
Bellringer Transparencies, Course 4 (pp. 4, 6, 11,
14, 26, 27, 31-35, 38, 52, 58, 60, 64, 70, 77, 90,
121, 130, 154, 161, 163)
Grammar and Composition Handbook , Glencoe
(pp. 330-332)
Literary Terms Handbook , Glencoe (pp
Literary Elements Transparencies
100, 21, 41, 92, 60, 77, 54, 22, 103)
. R1-R19)
(Transparencies
Assessment Resources , Course 4 (pp. 185-192)
Zeitoun , by Dave Eggers, Vintage, 2010
The Odyssey (TV movie, 1997), Andrei
Konchalovsky (Director)
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days) Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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archetype epic hero epic poem flaw (tragic) hubris inference personification symbolism
The Odyssey , Part I: plunder, valor, guile, ponderous
The Odyssey , Part II: shun, ardor, tumult, shroud
The Odyssey , Part III: cower, impudence, guise, renowned
The Odyssey , Part IV: jostle, implacable, lavish, aloof
In this unit, students are introduced to the epic hero and the epic journey as they read The Odyssey.
Their understanding of the epic hero and journey will prepare them to read the novel Zeitoun independently.
Work started in this unit will continue into Units 2 and 3: In Unit 1, students will collaborate to write the critical attributes of “heroes,” gather information about the heroes from the readings, and organize that information for use in writing an essay. In Unit 2, students will use the organized information to prepare for and participate in debates about Odysseus and Zeitoun as heroes. Finally, in Unit 3, students will use their knowledge of heroes as they create their own heroes and write original narratives.
BEGINNING of the unit (2-3 days)
Introduce the unit, briefly discussing the Essential Questions.
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Define the critical attributes of “heroes,” using the following resources:
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Characteristics of an epic poem (pp. 824-828, 832-833)
Qualities of the epic hero (pp. 830-831)
Any other resources you choose to provide for background information.
Have students create a 3-column T-chart or other graphic organizer to organize a list of the critical attributes of ideal heroes (shoot for at least 5 attributes). Column titles might be “Characteristics,”
“Zeitoun,” and “Odysseus.” Students will revisit and add to the chart as they work through the readings and lessons.
Teachers with access to the necessary technology may want to enhance understanding of The Odyssey by presenting excerpts of the film The Odyssey (1997) by director Andrei Konchalovsky. Video clips from this valuable resource are available online.
Pages 31–35 of the Bellringer Transparencies are great sources of visual representations of The Odyssey .
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Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days)
To build background knowledge and help students better understand the epic, you may have students research the following: Trojan War, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon.
MIDDLE of the unit (14-16 days)
While The Odyssey is being discussed in class, students will read Zeitoun independently and record their responses to the questions listed below in their reader response journals. Students’ responses will be used in the next unit, when they have finished reading The Odyssey , to make comparisons between the two texts.
Introduce Zeitoun to the students with a “book walk,” examining and discussing the cover and reviews and discussing a single page of the text (p. 148). Present the following questions:
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What does the cover tell us about the book? Describe the houses, cars, person, etc.
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Who is the story about?
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Why is the person on the cover paddling a canoe through a neighborhood?
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What do the pictures in the book tell us?
What does Timothy Egan’s review (behind the front cover) tell us about the book?
Read page 148 aloud. Is this in line with what we thought the book was going to be about? What does this tell us about the setting? The character (Zeitoun)? The problem? What do you think the outcome will be?
At least once each week, divide the class into small groups for literature circles. Have the students discuss the prompts below for Zeitoun , then record their responses in their reader response journals.
Respond to question 1 at any time as you read the novel.
1. This reminds me of . . .
Make a text connection (text to text, text to self, text to world). Identify what type of connection you are making, explain the part of the story you are connecting to, and describe specifically what your connection is. a. Type of connection: b. Part of the story connecting to: c. My connection:
Respond to question 2 at any time as you read the novel.
2. “It is all in the name.” What is the connection between the title of the book and the plot? Where did the title come from?
Read the first 54 pages before answering.
3. Would you be friends with any of the characters you have met so far? Pick one character that you like or dislike and explain why.
Read to page 81 before answering.
4. Hmmm, I’m wondering . . .
Write two questions about something you are wondering about in the story. Base the questions on something you’ve already learned from the plot or clues the author has given. Be specific about what it is that you want to find out during the next few chapters ( not at the end of the book).
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days) Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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Read to page 170 before answering questions 5–7.
5. Is it inside or out? Conflict can be inside a character ( internal conflict ) or between the character and another person, society, or nature ( external conflict ). Explain one conflict a character in the book encounters and identify whether it is internal or external. Describe what struggle/dilemma/problem the character faces in the story at this point. a. Type of conflict: internal or external b. Describe the struggle/dilemma/problem
6. Based on what you already know about the character, setting, and plot, make a prediction about how the conflict you described will get resolved. Be true to the plot!
7. Did I find out?
For question 4 you wrote two questions. Write the answers to these questions that you discovered as you read the rest of the book. a. Answer 1: b. Answer 2:
Discuss aspects of the theme of The Odyssey and its development via plot, dialogue, and characters’ motivations and interactions.
Meeting Individual Needs: Part I of The Odyssey is included in each of the Interactive Read and Write texts that may be photocopied. The interactive resources will help the students clearly understand the epic.
The following pages contain strategies for teaching the concepts being studied:
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Internal and external conflicts (Literary Element questions at the bottom of student edition pages
858-869)
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Characters’ motivations and how they influence or cause the occurrence of certain events
(Literary Element questions at the bottom of student edition pages 872-883)
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Inferences about theme (Reading Strategy questions at the bottom of student edition pages 872-
883)
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Cause and effect and how they influence characters’ behavior (Reading Strategy questions at the bottom of student edition pages 887-894)
The following concepts have student-support resources in the Literary Terms Handbook (pp. R1-R19) and in Literary Elements Transparencies :
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Symbolism (Transparency 100)
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Characterization (Transparency 21)
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Figurative Language (Transparency 41)
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Simile (p. R16 and Transparency 92)
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Metaphor (p. R11 and Transparency 60)
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Personification (p. R13 and Transparency 77)
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Irony (p. R10 and Transparency 54)
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Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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Conflict (p. R5 and Transparency 22)
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Theme (pp. R18-R19 and Transparency 103)
The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days)
Have students complete a T-chart responding to this statement: “Identify the roles played by hubris and misguided deeds in Odysseus’s and Zeitoun’s struggles to return home.” The T-chart must contain three or more reasons/pieces of evidence for each hero. For example, in The Odyssey , as Odysseus leaves
Polyphemus, he calls back, “How do you like the beating that we gave you?” taunting the Cyclops
(p. 853), creating yet another obstacle to returning home. In Zeitoun , we see an example of
Abdulrahman’s hubris when he is on the couch at home talking on the phone with Kathy, who is stuck in traffic with other evacuees, and he says, “Told you so” (p. 56).
END of the unit (3-4 days)
Again in their literature circles, have the students complete and discuss their reader response journal entries for Zeitoun.
Finish reading the book before answering the last three questions.
8. What REALLY happened? For question 6 you made a prediction about how a conflict would be resolved. What really happened? Was your prediction accurate?
9. Who is responsible for the character’s problems? Himself? Someone else?
10. You name it! The publisher is going to reprint this book with a different title and a different cover.
What should the title be? Explain how you came up with that title. Draw a sketch of a cover design you think would attract a teen to read the book.
Students will analyze the actions of Odysseus and Zeitoun and write a five-paragraph essay in response to the summative assessment (see below).
Selection Test, The Odyssey, Part 1, questions 1-18 ( Assessment Resources , Course 4, pp. 185-186)
Selection Test, The Odyssey , Part 2, questions 1-14 ( Assessment Resources , Course 4, pp. 187-188)
Selection Test, The Odyssey , Part 3, questions 1-13 ( Assessment Resources , Course 4, pp. 189-190)
Selection Test, The Odyssey , Part 4, questions 1-11 ( Assessment Resources , Course 4, pp. 191-192)
To check for understanding, periodically review the reader-response journal entries for the reading of
Zeitoun given in the Planning and Instructional Delivery section.
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days) Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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Have students write an essay that compares the problems of the main characters in The Odyssey and
Zeitoun . Provide the following prompt:

Some people argue that these men were victims of their own hubris and misguided deeds in their respective journeys—that their own motives and actions prevented them from being reunited with their families. Analyze the journeys of the two main characters to support or oppose the following position: “Both of the men (Zeitoun and Odysseus) fit the critical attributes for an epic hero.”
The essay will have five paragraphs—an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Remember to use evidence from the text and your notes to support your argument.
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Introduction to Literary Studies, Quarter 4, Unit 1
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The Journey: The Odyssey and Zeitoun (21 days)
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