Thursday

Standards:
ELAGSE9-10RL1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
ELAGSE9-10RL2 Determine a theme or central idea of text and closely 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 text.
ELAGSE9-10RL3 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
ELAGSE9-10RL4 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

Learning Targets:
Students will be able to identify moments of theme within a text.
Students will be able to discuss the central idea of the readings and collaborate with
their peers.
Students will be able to discuss themes and conflicts in a text and relate it to their own
lives.

Essential Questions:
What themes do we see in the Cattle of the Sun God tale? How do these themes evoke
the overall tone of Odysseus’s journey so far?
Is there something Odysseus should have done differently as a leader?
If not, how do you think that prophecy and fate played a role in his crew’s demise?
What moments in your life connect to Odysseus in either this story or others?

Instructional Supports
Three large sheets of Post-It paper (labeled theme, plot, and vocab) and a crystal ball
graphic organizer

Hook (5-7 minutes)

I will ask for volunteers to be Odysseus, Circe, two Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis. I will
do a skit walkthrough where we recap what happened in the last section (making sure I
address some of the concepts and themes from yesterday’s story.)
Reading Review (10-15 minutes)
Have students write on three big sheets of paper: vocab words they didn’t understand,
plot points that were either confusing or particularly important/interesting, and themes
they noticed within the previous night’s reading. If someone has already put up their
point/source of confusion, students should write a check mark next to it indicating they
more than one person struggled. Which is a good moment for a check for
understanding.
We will start by discussing and reviewing vocab words, then plot, then themes as a
class. After the review/discussion, I will ask the students to think of two open-ended
questions that they would ask about the reading we talked about which will lead in to
our next activity.

Fishbowl Discussion/Inner and Outer Circle (20 minutes)

Five students will sit in the middle of the circle and the rest on the outside. The students
in the middle should discuss the themes and one of their open-ended questions. Only
those five can talk for the first few minutes. I will stop them to open it up to the outer
circle. Once a student on the outside has asked one of their questions to the inner
circle, they will switch seats with the student who answers them. This continues until
several students have swapped out to the inner circle. While students are on the “outer
circle” they should be writing down important points/ follow up questions they may have
so as to keep any student from not paying attention.
Questions of controversy

Closure: (Pre-Assessment 7 minutes) & maybe an interest survey (very

short)
For the last 5-7 minutes of class, students should use the graphic organizer to predict
what they think will happen in the Homecoming section of the Odyssey and for them to
be sure to include textual evidence in part 1 (reminding them of Tereisius and Circe’s
predictions etc.)
Friday
Standards:
ELAGSE9-10RL1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
ELAGSE9-10RL2 Determine a theme or central idea of text and closely 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 text.
ELAGSE9-10RL3 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
ELAGSE9-10RL4 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

Instructional Supports
5 Laminated pictures of various depictions of the Odyssey, 27 chart handouts,

Hook: We will show one of the pictures of a rendition of the Cyclops and talk about
some of the choices that were made when depicting the Cyclops. We will bridge that
into the next activity

Gallery Walk (15-20 minutes):

Students will go around in groups that are predetermined and answer questions and
discuss the differences of adaptations of certain depictions of Odysseus and the
Cyclops.

Socratic Seminar (15-20 minutes):

When we move into our group discussion, I will talk about how we will all take turns
passing around a “talking stick” object. One person can talk at a time—aside from
possible questions that I will ask the class to provoke those discussions.
Questions to ask for discussion:
We will begin by looking at these cyclops representations (starting with the more
sympathetic one and ending with the scarier monstrous on) and discuss about what
they noticed/thought about the visuals. Then, we can move on to more real world
connection questions below.
1. Cyclops represents a sort of road block for Odysseus during his journey. In more
abstract terms, what things in our lives is like a Cyclops?
 What do we have to use cunning/guile to get around? What looms over us as an
intimidating presence?
2. Moving on from Cyclops, let’s look at the Sirens. In your life, what is so appealing or
captivating that you have trouble focusing on anything else?
(video games, music, reading, addictions, etc.) What is our metaphorical mast
that keeps us from going overboard?

Closure/Informal Assessment
Intro to the Homecoming section of the Odyssey and how the monsters Odysseus will
face back home may not be actual monsters but other humans.
Monday
Standards
ELAGSE9-10RL3 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

Essential Questions:
What are some of the ways the Odysseus exemplifies a complex character?
How are his emotions and characteristics explored throughout The Odyssey?

Learning Targets
Students will be able to evaluate which emotions that Odysseus during particular events
in the book and which make him a complex character.
Students will be able to see how certain events and emotions/characteristics are
connected through the text.

Instructional Supports
Vocabulary handout (27), discussion questions handout (27), and various events on
copy paper (18 events total) that relate to Odysseus’s journey.

Hook: Vocab Bellringer (5-10 minutes)

I will pass out a handout with some vocabulary words for the upcoming section. Up on
the board will be multiple pictures that explain what that vocab word means. Using the
definitions in front of them, students will connect which pictures represents each word.

Activity 1 (15 minutes): Read “The Father and Son”

Handout with three questions over the reading and we will talk about them in class.
1. At first, Telemachus wants to protect the “beggar” before realizing that it is actually
his father. What do you think this tells us about his character?
2. What is Odysseus feeling now that he is finally able to see his son again? Justify your
response.
3. Do we learn anything new about Odysseus from this encounter with his son?

Activity 2: Character Map (15-20 minutes)

As a class, we will go outside to the courtyard. I will hand out some of the events and
conflicts that Odysseus faced on his journey of the Odyssey. Students must first map
these out on a linear piece of string. When they finish collaborating and working through
this, I will give them some (not all) of the emotions and thoughts Odysseus had during
his travels all ending with his son. They will be responsible for figuring out some of his
other emotions and thoughts along the way. They will place these thoughts and feelings
and perpendicular lines throughout his journeys in order to see his character
development.

Closure: (10 minutes)

Reading Assignment for the next day (Test of the Bow)
Quick informal assessment on how confident they feel in identifying the development of
Odysseus throughout the story using a scale of one to five. Students will just have to
hold up X amount of fingers to answer the question.
Tuesday
Standards:
ELAGSE9-10RL3 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

Essential Questions
How are different characters’ perspectives addressed within the Odyssey? Ins
How do certain perspectives influence the way a character is perceived in a story?

Learning Targets
Students will be able to comprehend the perspective of another character.
Students will be able to create captions that encapsulate a character’s perspective.
Students will be able to connect characters through their perspectives.

Instructional Supports
Student interest survey (27), and blank white paper (27).

Hook: (5 minutes)
Perspective hook OR student interest survey
Show National Geographic’s “A Matter of Perspective”. After it ends, I will ask the
students what exactly the couple were struggling with in this video—branching us into
the idea of different perspectives within their readings from last night.
https://video.nationalgeographic.com/wild/wild-scene-investigation/00000144-2f3a-df5d-
abd4-ff7f8e370000

Popcorn Discussion (10 minutes)

Test of the Bow discussion for checks for understanding and general comprehension

Perspectives Activity (15-20 minutes)

Students will work in groups that focus on a specific perspective in the Test of the Bow
and Death at the Palace stories: Telemachus, Suitors, Odysseus, and Penelope. They
will discuss what they think their characters were thinking during this scene and each
student will create a caption in a thought bubble. Once all students have finished, they
will be able to use their learning devices and take photos—like for Instagram (props
hopefully included TBD)
Closure (5 minutes)
Informal Assessment—thumb check on how the students feel about understanding
separate perspective in the Odyssey, addressing any questions they have.
Wednesday
Standards:
ELAGSE9-10RL2 Determine a theme or central idea of text and closely 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 text.

Essential Questions
How are certain themes in The Odyssey explored?
What are connections to our lives that stem from the themes of the Odyssey?
What are some thematic connections between different events?

Learning Targets
Students will be able to dissect themes within the Odyssey
Students will be able to find real world applications to those themes.
Students will be able to analyze connections between different themes.

Instructional Supports
Meme handouts for the groups (5) and discussion questions handout (27)

Hook (5 minutes)
Students will go ahead and split into some intentional grouping. I will hand out a piece of
paper with a couple pictures of different memes. The groups will pick a meme that they
feel represents their assigned theme (this will be used as an icebreaker into our full on
jigsaw activity.

Jigsaw (20-30 minutes)

Students will break out into five intentional groups. Each group will be working on
becoming masters of their assigned theme: authority, pride, temptation, grief, and
greed. After about 10-12 minutes of discussing their one theme, they will break up and
form other (also intentional) groups and tell each other about their different themes.
After each group member has talked, they will discuss similarities and differences within
the themes of the Odyssey.
*See handout for specific questions

Informal Assessment Closure

We will reconvene as a class to debrief on what they all talked about. I will ask what
their “mountain” and “river” of the discussions were (aka what was a highlight and what
was a challenge in this discussion).