Odyssey

**__General time line for this unit:__**

 * __Short Stories:__**
 * Begin with elements of the short story: Plot, theme, character, setting, point of view.
 * Flash fiction ( 1 sentence stories) are a great way to introduce this idea. Students infer many of the above elements to discover the story.
 * Stort stories are also used. some possibilites from the text book to emphasize heroism are: "Most Dangerous Game," "Pecos Bill," and "Perseus." " A Mystery of Heroism" is also another great story for this unit.


 * __Mythology:__**


 * I always start out this unit talking about American tall tales. We sometimes read a packet that I have put together that has stories from slaves, Native Americans, hispanic as well as white backgrounds.
 * I also have a packet that I have them do before we read Odyssey that is based on basic Greek myths. I have them look for the purpose of the myth. I have a reference sheet that they work from. This is what they fill out.[[file:Heracles packet work.doc]] [[file:Heracles packet part 1.pdf]][[file:Heracles Packet part 2.pdf]]

//**The Odyssey**// This reading takes about 3 weeks, depending on how many activities are done with it.
 * Students can research the Major Greek gods/ goddesses that appear in //The Odyssey//. This is the sheet that they fill out with it.
 * [[file:God present grading.doc]]
 * [[file:g-g research notes.docx]]

Activities: A great resource from Read Magazine-- the rap of the //Odyssey//. []

Journal topic:

Study questions:

Vocabulary:

Test:

__**Follow up activity/ writing prompt**__ This is a great activity for the end of the semester. Students watch the movie //Percy Jackson.// As they watch, there is a sheet that they can fill out, on which they detail the important aspects that will be asked about in a follow up essay. It deals with references to Greek mythology and //The Odyssey.// __**Writing**____ In addition, student then write the Unexamined Life paper, connecting the ideas of things Odysseus and the Greeks took for granted, and what we today take for grantend. It is a research paper.

Paper topics: