Week 5–Greece, Mythology, and Homer’s Odyssey

The Odyssey Unit PDF

As much as I hate paganism and mythology, I have to admit I am kind of excited to teach this unit on The Odyssey. I haven’t read this since the year before Emma was born. This story is crazy and I actually loved teaching it to a bunch of insane 9th grade hoodlums at the school I used to work at. This story made my job easy, because the kids loved it. It has everything that Hollywood goes for–adventure, romance, monsters, suspense, cunning heroes, feats of bravery and strength. It is fun. You will like it. You may not like all the introductory material, but that is what makes it academic. That stuff is why we call adventures like The Odyssey–schoolwork. You will get through it. LOL

This week you get to read about Calypso a beautiful goddess who seduced Odysseus, the Island of the Lotus Eaters (basically hippies on LSD and Weed), and a monstrous Cyclops!!! Golly gee–I wish we could read this together. I love being able to sit with my students and pause the reading to explain stuff. Maybe I can make a video? I am not smart enough to know how!!! LOL

One of the things I like about this online textbook unit, is the notes in the margins. It is good stuff.

Anyways, you have a LOT of reading this week, but I am not sorry, because it will be exciting. Don’t procrastinate. Start right away, and get as much done in the beginning of the week as possible.

This Week’s Assignments–

Vocabulary Words–Here is a link to your 20 vocabulary words that I want you to learn this month. Please practice learning them at the website. These words will be in the text of The Odyssey, and you will be tested on them at the end of the month. Please go ahead and begin to write each word in a sentence.

October Vocabulary Words

Reading–

 

Monday (about 20 pages)

  • Read the introductory material for The Odyssey (pg. 1186-1203)
  • Read Part I: The Wanderings of Odysseus (pg. 1204-1205)

Tuesday (about 20 pages)

  • Read Calypso the Sweet Nymph (pg. 1206-1209)
  • Read I Am Laertes Son (pg. 1210-1223)
  • Read Circe: The Grace of a Witch (pg. 1224-1225)

 

Wednesday (About 10 pages)

  • Read The Land of the Dead (pg.1226-1229)
  • Read The Sirens: Scylla and Charybdis (pg. 1230-1237)

Grammar–

  • Read and study the lesson– Pronouns
  • Take the Quiz and bring me your results.

Thinking and Writing–

Wedndesday and Thursday

  • Answer the After Reading Questions (pg. 1238-1239)
  • Remember from your reading that an epithet is an adjective or phrase that is used to characterize someone. Catherine the Great or baby boomers are epithets that characterize an empress and a generation. Homer uses epithets to characterize people and places. The epithet “faithful Penelope” instantly reminds us of Penelope’s outstanding character traits. So you will have to find 5 epithets about Odysseus.

You will have a test on the material this Friday


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