Mr. P’s English 9

As a demonstration of your understanding of the importance of people and places in The Odyssey, you have the choice of creating a poster or PowerPoint of the places Odysseus on his way back to Ithaca from Troy.

Your project must mention the following places and people:

1) Troy- City in Modern Turkey where the Trojan War was fought,  2) Ismarus – The city in Thrace where Odysseus and his crew fight the Cicones, 3) Libya – Land of the Lotus Eaters,  4) Sicily – Island where Polyphemus the Cyclops has his cave, 5) Aeolia – Island of Aeolus, King of the Winds, 6)  Aeaea – The Island of Circe, 7) The Land of the Dead, 8. Anthamoessa – the Island of the Sirens, 9) the Strait of Messina where Scylla and Charybdis dwelt, 10) Thrinakia – The Island of Helios the Sun God and his cattle, 11) Ogygia – Island of Calypso, 12) Phaeacia – The coast kingdom of Greece Northwest of Ithaca where Alcinuous entertained Odysseus in his court.  13) Finally include Odysseus last stop, his home kingdom of Ithaca.

For each place on the journey home you must include:

1. The place on the map of the Mediterranean Sea.
2. The people who lived in that place.
3. A picture or image that represents the place or person/people found there.  (These can be drawn on the poster if you wish.)
4. A short summary of how Odysseus is treated and what lesson could be learned from the experience.

The points awarded for the Poster or PowerPoint are as follows:

• All 13 locations are mentioned in order – 13 Points
• All locations mention characters or people that live there – 13 points
• All locations include a short summary of how Odysseus is treated and what lesson could be learned from the experience – 13 points
• All locations include an image or picture appropriate to that place or the person/people that live there – 13 points
• Correct spelling punctuation, grammar and neatness – 8 points

Total Points for the Project – 60

After having read and viewed the story, you should remember themes and essential ideas that run throughout the work.  Many of these are featured in your journal reflections, and all of them have come up for discussion in our reading of the text.

In a two to three page essay, you will analyze how Homer provides the reader with insight into Greek culture and traditions.  You will pay close attention to how the author accomplishes this and provide numerous details from the story that support your thesis, or central idea.

Begin with a question about the story that you want to know the answer to.  By answering that question with a statement, you will have your thesis for your paper.

Choose from any of the following questions or supply your own for your thesis question:

1. What message about hospitality or the way you should treat guest is communicated in The Odyssey and what are the ways that Homer shows this importance to the reader?
2. What is Homer saying about the role of women in Greek society when you analyze the various female characters in The Odyssey and what conclusion can the reader make about the author’s attitude towards women in general?
3. What concepts did the Greeks value in a leader and how does the author show that Odysseus a good or bad example of a leader in The Odyssey?
4. What message about loyalty is expressed in The Odyssey and how does the author use different example to demonstrate the importance of loyalty in Greek culture?
5. What statement is the author of The Odyssey making about human nature and human weakness through the obstacles faced by Odysseus and his crew on the way home to Ithaca, and which of these human qualities or weaknesses connect with modern readers of the text?

The following journals were assigned at the beginning of class during our reading of the Odyssey.  Student participation in this project requires them to write for ½ to one page in their journals.

Writing make up journals for missing days should be completed by the end of the unit.

Journal One (4/7) – Describe what the term hero means to you

Journal Two (4/8) – Name a hero in your life and describe why you consider them your hero.

Journal Three (4/9) – Describe a journey you have taken or an adventure you have had in your life.

Journal Four (4/13) – “Why you think a poem as old as The Odyssey might still be valuable today?”

Journal Five (4/14) – What kinds of qualities does a good leader have? Do you think Odysseus is a good leader of his men?  Why or why not?

Journal Six (4/15) – What kind of obstacles does Odysseus face on his journey home?  Are there obstacles people face in our time that are comparable to his adventures?

Journal Seven (4/16) – Human weakness plays a big part in this story. What examples of human weakness can you find in the actions of Odysseus and his crew?

Journal Eight (4/26) – It’s been a week since we have read The Odyssey in class.  Can you write a brief description (3-5 words) to remind yourself of these characters or places?

Polyphemus-

Circe-

Teiresias-

Calypso

Scylla and Charybdis

Thrinakia-

Sirens-

Cicones-

Journal Nine (4/27) – Hospitality, or the way you should treat a guest, is a theme that runs through this poem.  List some examples of the different ways guests are treated in the book.  How are guests treated in your home?

Journal Ten (4/28) – What is your definition of loyalty?  Can you give some examples from the book or from your life that show someone or some thing being loyal? Have you ever shown loyalty and how much do you value someone being loyal?

Journal Eleven (5/3) – Movies of famous works of literature often include changes from the text because of both practical and creative reasons.  For today’s journal, describe five ways that the movie differs from the text we read in class.  Write your list in complete sentences.

Journal Twelve (5/4) - Movies of famous works of literature often include changes from the text because of both practical and creative reasons.  For today’s journal, describe another five ways that the movie differs from the text we read in class.  Write your list in complete sentences. 

Journal Thirteen (5/5) – Explain what you have chosen to do for your two projects on The Odyssey.  Let me know what you will be doing for the poster or powerpoint and which of the essay prompts you will be using.  What do you think will be the hardest parts of the two projects?  What do you know very well that will help you as you go forward?

Journal Fourteen (5/6) - 

Of all the scenes of the adventures from the movie, which ones do you believe were most like the ones you remember from the reading and why?  Which were the most different and why?  Which scenes have you enjoyed the most and why?

Journal Fifteen (5/7)  – Movie Review – What is your opinion on the movie versus the book and why?

Quarter Four begins with a continuation of our work with The Odyssey.  By the end of the year we will complete units on Of Mice and Men, poetry, and Romeo and Juliet.

1. The Odyssey Reading Journal 1-15*
2. Independent Reading Book Choice
3. Page 925 Questions 1-10
4. Reading Quiz – Circe and the Land of the Dead
5. Test on The Odyssey – Part I
6. Page 950 #1-8
7. Odyssey Project Development Worksheet
8. Odyssey Thesis Paper Outline

*Journal topics for this project are listed on their own assignment page.

Independent Reading Project

English 9 – Paleologopoulos

Throughout this school year, you are encouraged to develop your independent reading as a habit of lifelong learning.  Your reading outside of class will complement our in class study of literature, and the habits of critical reading we put into practice during school should benefit you in your independent reading.  Another important reason for this project is the development of your vocabulary as both a reader and a writer.

Your assignment is to complete a reading project for each quarter of the school year.

As a reader, you may choose to:

• write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or yourself.
• write a book review for your classmates with reasons recommending or not recommending the book.
• create a poster or PowerPoint advertising the book complete with important scenes, characters, etc.
• write in a reader’s journal as your read to record your thoughts and feelings in response to the book.  This journal should reflect an understanding of the literary devices related to fiction and non-fiction that we will discuss in class.  Keep in mind that this format allows you to communicate what you think to the writer of the book, and that a retelling of the plot is not necessary.

Your written projects should be between one and two typed pages, double-spaced, with a font size of 10-12. Posters or PowerPoint displays need to be submitted to me for prior approval to earn credit .

Unfinished longer books can be used for your independent reading project, but significant progress in these books should be reflected.  Students reading more than two independent reading selections per quarter may choose which books that they want to use for the response.

-Mr. Paleologopoulos

*The format of the author letters corresponds to the Letters About Literature Essay Contest, and students are encouraged to write at least one letter for submission to the contest.

Welcome to Conard High School and to ninth grade English.

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