Welcome to The Odyssey!  I created this instructional unit on The Odyssey to assist students to greater understanding and enjoyment of Homer's epic poem.  The lesson plans below are self directing.  That is, they allow the students to move through the projects at their own pace. Most all of the projects may be completed collaboratively or on an individual basis with some instruction modification by the teacher.

All the resources a student needs to complete these projects are contained on this site or through a link. Of course, the teacher may wish to have the student use off-line resources or other online links.  The targeted Illinois Learning Standards for each lesson plan are listed. Click the link to visit the website of the Illinois Board of Education and to view the Illinois Learning Standards.

Additional lesson plans will be created and added to this web site. Please keep on checking!
 

Summary:  Students use the internet to research the characters of The Odyssey.  Students are guided by a biography sheet which is supplied in the lesson. Students share this information with their group.  The students become experts on the characters in The Odyssey. Their expertise or knowledge of the characters may be presented to the class before the reading of The Odyssey or used during the reading as the characters are introduced through the story.  While not part of this lesson,  knowledge of the characters may also be used in an Author's Chair presentation. That is, students assume the identity of a character in The Odyssey and then answer student questions in the manner the character would answer them. There is also an interactive online quiz testing knowledge of mythology.

Grade Level:  High School.

Objectives:

*  Students use technology to access various resources to complete project and to test their knowledge.

*  Students develop collaborative skills as they work together to complete the project.

*  Students generate greater knowledge and appreciation for The Odyssey through character examination.

Goals:  1.C.4a; 1.C.5a; 1.C.4c; 1.C.5c; 2.A.4b; 2.A.5b; 2.B.4c; 4.B.4a; 4.B.5a; 5.A.4b; 5.A.5b.
 
 

Summary:  Students assume the role of an archeologist of ancient civilizations. As an archeologist, the student will choose an aspect of Ancient Greek life approximately during the time depicted in The Odyssey.  Aspects include food, transportation, government, music, sports, warfare, architecture, and religion (mythology). Other aspects may be added by the teacher.  Students use the online resources to gather information in order to prepare a report.  Where applicable students may cite sections of The Odyssey to support their research. This project may be a collaborative effort.  There is also an interactive online quiz testing knowledge of Ancient Greek civilization.

Grade Level:  High School.

Objectives:

*  Students use technology to access various resources to support their reading of The Odyssey.

*  Students learn a method for enhancing their reading of any piece of literature by examining the life and times of the persons in the story.

* Students develop collaborative skills by working together to complete the project.

Goals: 1.C.4c; 1.C.5c; 2.B.5b.
 
 

Summary:  Students will study the form and function of Homer's poetry by creating their own verse of epic poetry using an online outline. Students will also use the internet to create a poem about The Odyssey.

Grade Level:  High School.

Objectives:

*  Students use technology to access various sources of information to support their reading of The Odyssey.

*  Students learn a method for enhancing their reading of any piece of literature by examining the structure and the techniques used by the author.

*  Students create their own verse of epic poetry and gain experience with some literary elements.

Goals:  2.A.4a; 2.A.5a; 2.A.4c; 2.A.5c.