READ ALOUD: THE VOYAGE OF ODYSSEUS

SHORT TERM GOALS:

  1. To provide students with the opportunity to experience the story of The Odyssey through a read aloud format.
  2. To allow students to make connections between The Voyage of Odysseus and the lessons from "A Mythological Look Into the Oceans."

TIME ALLOTMENT: 11 hours

(Approximately 8 hours for the read aloud, discussions, journals, and test)

(Approximately 3 hours for the NBC miniseries version of Homer's Odyssey)

CONTENT AREAS ADDRESSED:

  1. Language Arts
  2. Social Studies
  3. Geography
  4. Math
  5. Science
  6. Art
  7. Computer Usage

* The Voyage of Odysseus is the core book for our Curriculum Development Project. Thus, all of the content areas are being addressed due to the correlation of this lesson with the other lesson plans.

CONCEPTS ADDRESSED:

  1. Greek and Roman Mythology
  2. Listening skills
  3. Speaking skills
  4. Reflection

*Specific concepts relating to The Voyage of Odysseus are addressed within the lesson plans throughout the Curriculum Development Project.

MATERIALS:

  1. Teacher copy of The Voyage of Odysseus by James Reeves
  2. Character guide and outline guide for each student
  3. Journal notebook, pencils, pens
  4. TV, VCR, and NBC miniseries version of Homer's Odyssey

PROCEDURE:

  1. Choose a version of The Odyssey that is appropriate for the particular grade level of this lesson. Choose a reading format that is developmentally appropriate for the students as well. For our purposes, we will be reading The Voyage of Odysseus by James Reeves and we will be using a read aloud format.
  2. Divide the book into sections. Please see our accompanying guide for dividing The Voyage of Odysseus into sections over the course of two weeks.
  3. Before beginning the book, distribute the character guide and outline guide to the students. Introduce the guides to the students by identifying the major characters and background information of the story. Students will be encouraged to use these guides throughout the read aloud.
  4. Each day gather the students into a comfortable setting for the read aloud. Within this lesson, devote approximately 30 minutes for reading the book to the students and approximately 15 minutes for discussion and reflection daily.
  5. During the daily discussion of the book, the students can ask any questions pertaining to the story. The students can also make connections between the read aloud book and the other lessons within the Curriculum Development Project.
  6. Students are encouraged to keep a journal regarding any questions or reflections relating to The Voyage of Odysseus. The time commitment for writing in journals is at the discretion of the teacher. Within this particular unit, set aside some time at the end of the first week for the students to write in their journals regarding the read aloud or activities relating to The Odyssey.
  7. A couple of days before ending the book, set aside some time again for the students to write in their journals. This particular time the students will make predictions within their journals regarding the ending of The Voyage of Odysseus.
  8. After the read aloud format of The Voyage of Odysseus is finished, show the NBC miniseries version of Homer's Odyssey to the students.
  9. As a final activity, the students can take a teacher constructed test relating to the read aloud book, as well as the NBC miniseries version of Homer's Odyssey. There is a sample test included.

ASSESSMENT:

  1. Observation Checklist
  2. Journal Rubric
  3. At the discretion of the teacher, students can be evaluated on the outcomes of the teacher constructed test. Teachers can use or amend the sample test contained within this unit. Appropriate answers to these questions are at the discretion of the teacher.

EXTENSIONS:

  1. In order to prepare for the test, the students can participate in a "Jeopardy" version of The Odyssey. Create about five or six categories revolving around the story of Odysseus. The class can be divided into groups for this game. Each group will have an opportunity to pick a category and answer the question within a certain time frame. If the question is answered incorrectly, the other groups have an opportunity to answer the question. Keep track of points throughout the game and for "Final Jeopardy," the students can make wages for the last question.
  2. The read aloud format is one way to present the adventures of Odysseus. However, if students wish to read about these adventures on their own, the following books are also recommended:

    Colum, P. (1918). The Children's Homer. New York: Collier Books. [ISBN: 0-02-042520-1]

    Homer. (1963). The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Garden City: Anchor Books. [ISBN: 0-385-05040-2]

  3. For more information regarding The Odyssey, Homer, and the NBC miniseries version, the following web sites will be useful and beneficial.

    http://www.dc.peachnet.edu/~shale/humanities/literature/world_literature/homer.html

    http://www.temple.edu/departments/classics/odysseyho.html

    http://sharon.kirchgruppe.de/Kirch/MipText/homer.htm

    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/chapman/

  4. Wave Press Incorporated located in Pasadena, California is working on a CD-ROM version of the story of Odysseus. It is titled Homer's Odyssey: CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh Computers. It contains illustrations, various text versions, a glossary, and narrated sections with music. Browse the following web site for more information regarding this CD-ROM: http://hyperDrive.com/odyssey/resources.html

REFERENCES:

Reeves, J. (1973). The voyage of odysseus. New York: Blackie and Son Limited. [ISBN: 0-87226-091-7]

Milch, R. (1966). Cliff notes: The odyssey. Lincoln, Nebraska: Cliff Notes, Inc. [ISBN: 0-8220-0921-8]

- The NBC miniseries version of Homer's Odyssey was created by Hallmark Entertainment in 1997. Executive producers include Robert Halmi, Francis Ford Coppola, and Fred Fuchs.

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The Journeys of Odysseus: Salt Dough Maps Lesson

Buoyancy "What Makes it Float" Lesson

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