Day One
Goals for Day One
- Introduce Greek mythology and its importance.
- Relate the story of Odysseus and the Odyssey.
- Prepare the students for the creative activity Ñ writing their own
Odysseus centered story.
Resources
- Recommended Books on Mythology:
- Benson, Sally. Stories of the Gods and Heroes.
- Gibson, Michael. Gods, Men, & Monsters from the Greek Myths.
Peter Bedrick Books. New York. 1991.
- Horowitz, Anthony. Myths & Mythology. Simon & Schuster,
Inc. New York, New York. 1985
- Schwab, Gustav. Gods and Heroes. Pantheon Books. New York. 1974.
- Classroom dictionaries
- Teacher produced model of writing and accompanying illustration
Time for Total Unit
This multiple day lesson plan should last 5 class periods at 50 minutes each.
Procedure for Day One
1. Ask students what they know about Ancient Greece. On the side blackboard, record
pertinent details.
2. Use the scientific and literary contributions to society to demonstrate
and discuss the importance of the Greeks beyond maritime culture.
- Philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)
- History (Herodotus)
- Science/Mathematics (Pythagorus)
- Plays, poems, myths (Homer)
3. Use vocabulary words derived from Greek and Roman myths to transition into
mythology. The use of audiovisuals to reinforce these words is strongly recommended.
- Atlas
- Ocean (Oceanus)
- Achilles heal/tendon (Achilles)
- Python
- Caduceus
- Panic (Pan)
- Odyssey (Odysseus)
- Other words from their weekly spelling/vocabulary list are very likely
derived from Greek or Roman mythology
4. Ask students how much they know about Greek mythology. On a side blackboard,
record pertinent details. Remember which students are especially knowledgeable
on the subject so that you may utilize them for leading classroom discussion.
5. Give brief introduction to Greek pantheon and heroes. Move onto tales of
Odysseus and his Odyssey.
6. Ask students comprehension questions as a review.
7. Briefly describe the next days assignment so that they can start thinking
ahead and point out books on mythology so they can read further in their spare
time.
Materials
Books on Greek mythology
Appropriate illustrations for vocabulary words and characters
Assessment for Entire Unit
Since this assignment is a creative activity, the students will not be graded
on how good their stories are. However, their grammar, spelling, presentation,
and whether or not they have answered all 4 of the questions in their story
will be graded on the rubric (found at the end). They must get a 2 or higher
on their final product. A 1 will be considered unacceptable and means the assignment
must be redone.
Assessment for Day One
1. Comprehension questions
- Who was Odysseus? What did the Romans call him? (Ulysses)
- What was his nickname? ("Wily Odysseus")
- This makes him a hero in the Odyssey, why does it make him a villain
in later tales?
- Where was he from? (Ithaca)
- What war is he famous for fighting in? (Trojan War)
- Did he want to fight in it? Why not? Was the war worth fighting for him?
For anyone?
- What was his famous invention that won that war? (Trojan Horse)
- What does this have to do with his nickname?
- What caused his Odyssey? (the gods were angry at him and kept him from
home)
- Were they angry at him for good reason?
- What are some of the problems and monsters that he faced? (Cyclops, Scylla,
harrowing of Hades etc.)
- How does he handle the problems? What does that tell us about him? What
can we learn from it?
Curricular Strands and Major Concepts for Entire Unit
1. Language Arts - introduction to Greek mythology, practice on writing skills
(grammar and creative writing)
2. Social Studies - geography and history associated with the people and places
in the myths.
3. Art - creating an appropriate illustration to accompany their written story.
4. Interpersonal Communication - the students will aid each other in critiquing
and proofreading their stories, students will give oral presentations of their
stories
Extensions
1. Have students plot the course of Odysseus and his crew over the Mediterranean
and calculate the distance traveled.
2. Study wind and weather as part of this weeks science unit.
Back to the first page
Go on to day two
Back to the Ocean Voyagers Page
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at hawkjd@sncac.snc.edu
