Unit 5: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the Service of Others." -Ghandi
Length: 7 weeks
January 6th-Febraury 20th
Rational:
Unit five will be centered on Homer’s epic The Odyssey. Due to time restrictions and the difficulty level of the text, our class will be reading the translated version by Robert Fagles. The unit will be 7 weeks long in order to provide enough time to thoroughly explore the epic poem. This unit will include a working definition of heroic journey, personal journals, discussions, and various clips from the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou. By having mandatory journaling and using the modern movie, I plan to teach the epic in a way that students can relate to and become accustomed to. There are multiple themes (journey, loyalty, appearance vs. reality) that the epic addresses that are still common in today’s society. This being said, there is value in teaching The Odyssey as a reflection of today as well as a text that reflects the past.
The Odyssey will be a challenging text for 9th grade students. In order to address this text, personal journals will be required for the unit. Personal Journals serve as “an open ended opportunity for students to write whatever they think or feel in response to the unit’s content and processes, however they might be experiencing them” (Smagorinsky, 84). These journals will be for students to think about the epic in a more personal, in depth way than simply having them just do the reading. Not only is this a useful tool for the students, but it also is a great way to assess student learning and understanding. “Journals serve as useful tools form many teachers and students for thinking through their ideas about a topic” (Smagorinsky, 84). We will also spend time to assess the definition of a heroic journey. By using an extended definition to explore a variety of texts, students will “develop a formal understanding of what they think good literature is” (Smagorinsky, 57).
Unit Goals:
-To explore the theme of heroic journey and epic poetry
-To compare and contrast the journey of Odysseus to current times
-To define what it means to be a hero
Texts
-Epic Novel: The Odyssey translated by Robert Fagles
-Poem: “Odysseus to Telemachus” by Joseph Brodsky
-Movie: “O Brother Where Art Thou” (selected scenes)
Activities:
-Think Aloud: In order to get students processing and translating the difficult language in The Odyssey, we will be performing think-alouds. In this activity, students (and myself) read a passage from the text while stopping periodically to write down notes and explain our thinking process. This helps students to grapple with challenging language.
-What would you do?: Students will be asked to think and explore what they would do in situations that Odysseus faces throughout the epic. For example, what would you do if you could not get back home? What would you do if you were stuck in a cave with a Cyclops, etc. This activity will be done in groups and each member will share what they would do.
-I used to Think…Now I think…: When nearing the end of the epic poem, we will revisit what a heroic journey is and what makes a hero. Students will first reflect on what they used to think these terms meant and will later express what they think now.
-Trivia: Trivia will address what it means to be a hero and specific events and themes from The Odyssey. Students on the winning team will receive
Assignments:
-Photo Collage: A group assignment that is designed to get students to think about and express the common themes and important plot points of The Odyssey. Students will work together to express their ideas in a well-organized, creative collage.
-Vocabulary Quiz: This unit’s vocabulary quiz will be a student choice take-home quiz. Students will have a week to find 10 words from the assigned text. They will then define these words, use them in a sentence, and research where they came from.
-Journals: At the end of the unit, students must have completed 10 journal entries on their thoughts and concerns about The Odyssey. Some of the journal entries will answer a specific question that I give them while other entries will be open to student choice.
Culminating Texts:
-Heroic Journey Essay: Students will write an explorative essay on what a heroic journey means to them. They must use textual evidence from The Odyssey as well as personal reasoning to back up their thesis on heroic journey. These essays will be 2-3 pages in length.
Assessment Tools:
Rubric: A rubric using standard-based grading will be used to assess the culminating text of heroic journey.
Unit Calendar:
Unit five will be centered on Homer’s epic The Odyssey. Due to time restrictions and the difficulty level of the text, our class will be reading the translated version by Robert Fagles. The unit will be 7 weeks long in order to provide enough time to thoroughly explore the epic poem. This unit will include a working definition of heroic journey, personal journals, discussions, and various clips from the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou. By having mandatory journaling and using the modern movie, I plan to teach the epic in a way that students can relate to and become accustomed to. There are multiple themes (journey, loyalty, appearance vs. reality) that the epic addresses that are still common in today’s society. This being said, there is value in teaching The Odyssey as a reflection of today as well as a text that reflects the past.
The Odyssey will be a challenging text for 9th grade students. In order to address this text, personal journals will be required for the unit. Personal Journals serve as “an open ended opportunity for students to write whatever they think or feel in response to the unit’s content and processes, however they might be experiencing them” (Smagorinsky, 84). These journals will be for students to think about the epic in a more personal, in depth way than simply having them just do the reading. Not only is this a useful tool for the students, but it also is a great way to assess student learning and understanding. “Journals serve as useful tools form many teachers and students for thinking through their ideas about a topic” (Smagorinsky, 84). We will also spend time to assess the definition of a heroic journey. By using an extended definition to explore a variety of texts, students will “develop a formal understanding of what they think good literature is” (Smagorinsky, 57).
Unit Goals:
-To explore the theme of heroic journey and epic poetry
-To compare and contrast the journey of Odysseus to current times
-To define what it means to be a hero
Texts
-Epic Novel: The Odyssey translated by Robert Fagles
-Poem: “Odysseus to Telemachus” by Joseph Brodsky
-Movie: “O Brother Where Art Thou” (selected scenes)
Activities:
-Think Aloud: In order to get students processing and translating the difficult language in The Odyssey, we will be performing think-alouds. In this activity, students (and myself) read a passage from the text while stopping periodically to write down notes and explain our thinking process. This helps students to grapple with challenging language.
-What would you do?: Students will be asked to think and explore what they would do in situations that Odysseus faces throughout the epic. For example, what would you do if you could not get back home? What would you do if you were stuck in a cave with a Cyclops, etc. This activity will be done in groups and each member will share what they would do.
-I used to Think…Now I think…: When nearing the end of the epic poem, we will revisit what a heroic journey is and what makes a hero. Students will first reflect on what they used to think these terms meant and will later express what they think now.
-Trivia: Trivia will address what it means to be a hero and specific events and themes from The Odyssey. Students on the winning team will receive
Assignments:
-Photo Collage: A group assignment that is designed to get students to think about and express the common themes and important plot points of The Odyssey. Students will work together to express their ideas in a well-organized, creative collage.
-Vocabulary Quiz: This unit’s vocabulary quiz will be a student choice take-home quiz. Students will have a week to find 10 words from the assigned text. They will then define these words, use them in a sentence, and research where they came from.
-Journals: At the end of the unit, students must have completed 10 journal entries on their thoughts and concerns about The Odyssey. Some of the journal entries will answer a specific question that I give them while other entries will be open to student choice.
Culminating Texts:
-Heroic Journey Essay: Students will write an explorative essay on what a heroic journey means to them. They must use textual evidence from The Odyssey as well as personal reasoning to back up their thesis on heroic journey. These essays will be 2-3 pages in length.
Assessment Tools:
Rubric: A rubric using standard-based grading will be used to assess the culminating text of heroic journey.
Unit Calendar:
Standards: