Week of 11.16:

Mon: Begin review in earnest: how to approach understanding, reviewing, analyzing, and discussing the material. W #2 draft returned and discussed

 

Odyssey Review Outline (final).doc

 

Tues: Readers/Writers theater: roles and scenes assigned, performace tomorrow

 

Wed: performances and review

 

Th: REVIEW DIALOGUE

 

 

 

Week of 11.9:

Mon: Vocab Unit 5 (quiz Friday), "O Brother" film discussion: tracing elements of the Odyssey in the film, grades returned

 

Tues:  W review and work time; Greek Project work time. HW:  Work on W portfolio items

 

Wed: Greek Project Drama performance.  Last minute project work. Vocab sentences. HW: vocab quiz

 

Th: Vocab Quiz. Epic cycle hand-out review (with specific attention on The Odyssey); Greek Project Presentations

 

Fri: Vocab Quiz grading; grade record sheets; w work time HW: w work (portfolio due Wednesday)

 

 

Week of 11.2:

Journal: React to the "climax" of the poem: the battle in the hall.

Discuss Telemachus, Odysseus and Athena (the team).

Characterize Odysseus' "style" as a fighter.

In-class reading

HW: finish poem

 

Tues:

Begin final discussions

Prepare to watch "O Brother Where Art Thou"

 

Wed: "O Brother"

HW: One-page journal: Parallels between Clooney's Ulyssees and Homer's Odysseus

 

Th: "O Brother"

HW: Film review due Monday

300-400 words. Write a review of "O Brother Where Art Thou." Be sure to give special attention to the relationship it has with "The Odyssey." You should highlight specific connections that you found interesting and enjoyable. Please see the attached document to get an idea about the structure and voice of a film review. As opposed to standard analytical essays, this piece can subjective (i.e. you can share your own opinion).

film reviews.doc

 

 

Week of 10.26:

Vocab Unit 4, Completing the sentences.

Mon: Analyze Telemachus' reunion with his father and the emerging plan with Athena.

Book 15, 16 re-cap.

In-class reading.

HW: Read to page 381, line 180; finish vocab.

Tues:

Vocab Review

Discuss the irony of Odysseus' return to his palace

Who weaves their own fate? How?

Observe Telemachus' character development

The best line of the poem!

In-class reading

HW: finish reading through Book 19.

Wed:

W work time

wrap-up on book 19

HW: Read book 20, W due, vocab quiz

Th:

Vocab quiz

Character analysis....examine the rising tension in different characters

In-class reading

HW: Read Books 21,22

 

 

 

Week of 10.19

Mon:

The Odyssey Test

HW: Read books 11-13

 

Tues:

Greek Project Work

HW: Book 14

 

Wed:

DIscuss and take notes on the final stages of Odysseus' journey:

1. House of the Dead

2. Circe's directions

3. Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis

4. Helios

5. Odysseus' homecoming

HW: review book 14

 

Th:

Discuss the details and irony of Odysseus homecoming and explore his tactical approach.

Examine the interaction between O and Athena.

HW: Read Book 15

 

Fri:

W Introduced/ W work time

HW: Books 16

 

Week of 10.13

Tues:

Grade Record Sheets (need to be signed by tomorrow)

Quiz

Discuss Odysseus in Book 9 (what characteristics are affirmed or newly revealed)

Revisit the "list"....test on Friday

HW: Book 10

 

Wed:

Wrap-up of Book 10

What weaknesses has O exposed?

Analyze the Hermes episode.

How is Odysseus' fate further sealed in these chapters?

 

Th: Book by Book review/synopsis (for study guide)

Test format discussed (test on MONDAY)

W introduced.

HW: study; read books 11-13 by Tuesday.

 

Fr:

Odyssey Jeopardy

Last Q and A

W work time.

 

Mon 10/5:

Odyssey journal and discussion

In-class reading

NO VOCAB or W this week....ALL ODYSSEY; ALL WEEK!!

Tues through Thursday:

15 minutes: short Odyssey discussion and/or journal. 5 minutes of study sheet upkeep. 35 minutes in-class reading.

HW Reading assignments will be based on how far we get as a class in school. They will be listed below:

Mon HW: Read to page 176, line 273.

Tues HW: Read Book 7.

Th HW: Read Book 8

Fri:  NO CLASS, Read Book 9

 

9/28:

Monday:

Vocab Unit 3

Elements of essay writing (return and review of Pi essays)

HW: Odyssey Book 2

 

Tues:

discussion of Odyssey (role of the gods, winning words, Omens, Zeus and hospitality)

review vocab unit 3

W work time

HW: finish reading Book 3.

 

Wed:

Poetry exercise

Consider the poetic voice of Homer

Odyssey text quest

HW: Book 4 to bottom of pg 137.

 

Th: Quiz and discuss

Apple of Discord story

define: epithet and find examples

W work time

HW W due and vocab quiz

 

Fr:

Vocab Quiz.

In-class "barding" book 4

Pi edit time

HW: Finish Book 4 and LOP essay corrections

 

9/21:

Monday:

Vocab. Unit #2

W #2 work time (due Wednesday)

Introduction to The Odyssey

 

Wednesday: The Odyssey intro. continued

In-class reading

HW: finish book one

 

Th:

Vocab review

Odyssey discussion and reading skills (getting the gist)

In-class reading

HW: Odyssey book 2 (for Monday)

Study Vocab

 

Friday:

Vocab Unit 2 quiz (may be a few questions on The Odyssey)

W #3 work time (due next Friday)

Flash Fiction story: 2 pages MAX (double spaced, normal margins, 12 pt font)

Write a short, short story using all five of the words assigned by Mrs. H. Your story must have a beginning-middle-and-end. It should introduce a conflict that is followed by rising action towards a climax. Try to start your story "in media res" (in the midst of action); throw the reader right in the middle of things and let him/her locate themselves as the action charges on.

Due next Friday

HW: Odyssey Book 2

 

Week of 9/14

Monday:

Vocab Unit One (quiz friday). Finish "Completing the sentences" for tomorrow

Discussion: Explore the nature of Gilgamesh's predicament. Can you relate?

Lecture/Discussion: Analyze the flood story and look at relationship to The Bible

Any other similarities with The Bible? What does that tell you?

Test on Friday

HW: W #1 due tomorrow

 

Tuesday:

New W:

 

 Epic Of Gilgamesh: Writing Activity

(100 points)

 

Create an episode of a myth based on your understanding of Sumeria/Mesopotamia and the arc of a hero's tale.

Your myth should:

a. involve an epic hero (with a name, position is society, and physical description).

b. display an understanding of geography and climate, government, language/writing, science and technology, architecture, and notable literature (based on your notes from history presentations).

c. showcase a relationship between your hero and the gods (based on gods in Gilgamesh).

 

This myth episode should be 300-500 words in length. You should use The Epic of Gilgamesh as an inspiration and a model for your myth; however, you should write in prose that suits the modern world.

Project work. Due Tues

Test on Friday (with vocab). Review Test Expectations and format

 

Wed:

 Practice Test/ Review of former test answers, the grades they received, and why.

Discussion of themes for the test.

 

Th: project work, vocab. study time.

HW: Study

 

Fr: Test

HW: W #2 due Tuesday

BRING THE ODDYSEY TO CLASS ON MONDAY

 

 

 

 

Week of 9/8/09

 

Tues:

30 minutes: W #1 Write a short short story (2 pages max) about a journey you took this summer. Due next Tuesday.

Map of Mesopotamia: http://kevin.lps.org/PreHistory_Lessons/images/mesomap.gif

Intro. to Epic of GIlgamesh

What is an epic?

History of the poem and of Sumerian culture

Why do we tell stories?

HW: www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.pdf   Download the text and read Prologue and Chapter 1

 

Wed: Discuss Chapter 1. Why is Enkidu created? Discuss the symbolic significance of his birth. What is the role of the harlot?

In-class read Chapter 2

HW: Finish Chapter 2

 

Th: Discuss Chapter 2

Discuss the role of the gods in the world of the poem. How is it similar/different from other traditions you are familiar with. What does Enkidu's death do to Gilgamesh? Why?

Journal

HW: Read Chapter 3

 

Friday:

continue to discuss the above questions. How does Enkidu's illness balance the text? Re-examine th erelationship with Ishtar and the imbalance that is suggested by that section.

Discuss G's quest. What is he looking for? Why?

Gilgamesh project introduced and pre-writing

HW: Finish Epic of Gilgamesh and work on W #1 for Tuesday

 

Week of August 31:

 

Mon:

Introduction to the course: 9th overview.doc

Review and Discuss Life of Pi (students submit discussion questions)

 

HW: Respond to the question below in one page. Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Re-read chapter 23 and reflect on how spiritual identity and faith are important for Pi on his journey. How does he maintain a belief in three major religions?

 

Tues;

J: #2: Is Pi a hero? Why or why not?

Complete "Day One Survey"

Pi discussion cont'd

Some Discussion Questions:

1. In the author's note, Mr. Adirubasamy boldly claims that this story, "will make you believe in God," and the author, after researching and writing the story, agrees. Did Pi's tale alter your beliefs about God? How does it deal with faith, in general?

 

2. Early in the novel, we discover that Pi majored in religious studies and zoology, with particular interests in a 16th-century Kabbalist and the three-toed sloth. In subsequent chapters, he explains the ways in which religions and zoos are both steeped in illusion. Discuss some of the other ways in which these two fields find unlikely compatability.

 

HW:

Please write a brief response to the following questions about Life of Pi and be prepared to discuss them at the beginning of class.

 

1. Besides the loss of his family and possesions, what else did Pi lose when the Tsintsum sank?

2. The first part of the novel starts twenty years after Pi's ordeal at sea and ends with the words "This story has a happy ending." Do you agree?

 

W:

Pi discussion cont'd

Essay #1 assigned and introduced: In-class essay for Friday (open book)

Life of Pi In-class Essay Questions:

 

1.    Throughout the novel, Pi is revealed as a character who cares deeply about faith. Early in the novel we learn that he is a convert to three faiths (Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity). Discuss the importance of faith versus doubt throughout the book.

 

2.    In his famous book, A Hero with A Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell breaks down the basic formula for myths:

 

“The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation – initiation – return: which might be named the nuclear unit of the monomyth.

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

 

Discuss Pi’s journey in terms of the heroic path as outlined by Campbell, focusing a paragraph on each stage of the journey: separation – initiation – return.

 

3.    In a recent radio interview, Martel said the following about his novel:  “…my novel is about the line between fiction and fact. It is about how we interpret reality, right? Reality isn’t just out there; it’s how we interpret it. And to me that’s what religion is about, isn’t it? It’s an interpretation of reality. I want to blur that division…to make the reader suspend his or her disbelief.”

 

Discuss the ways in which Martel blurs the line between fiction and fact. What is        

the effect of this technique?

 

4.     In Chapters 89 through 92 Pi makes two amazing discoveries: another boater lost     at sea, and an island inhabited by meerkats. Assuming this is a work of fiction,     why does Martel choose to include these chapters? What are the symbols that he     employs? Are these chapters essential to your understanding of the novel?

Begin assembling support

HW:

Assemble quotations that are relevant to your essay topic. Create an outline for your essay. 

 

Th:

Fundamentals of essay composition

How to write a successful in-class essay

Group work and pre-writing

 

 

Fri: In-class essay

HW: none

 

 

 

2008-09 English Archives