Unit: Homers The Odyssey

Lesson #1
The Big Ideas for the Unit:
1. How each characters unique traits and actions develop throughout the poem.
2. How characters influence each other throughout the poem.
3. In a story, characters may display heroic characteristics.
4. A well-informed argument should be developed using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
State/National Standards:
Iowa Core Reading Standard: RL.910.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with
multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other
characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Iowa Core Writing Standard: W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Content Objective(s):
Given a graphic organizer, students will be able to list at least 3 details for each character
regarding their interactions with each other.
Students will be able to summarize the character motivation of Odysseus.
Students will be able to identify the key ideas of an Epic.
Instructional Materials:
Textbook: Literature. (2008). McDougal Littell. Pages 1085-1169: Homers The Odyssey.
Technology: www.readwritethink.org: Trading Card Creator
Graphic Organizer
Academic Scaffolds:
1. What background knowledge is required for students to be successful with this lesson?
The story of The Iliad
How to find evidence in the texts: taught previously, but will be reviewed and modeled
How to use a graphic organizer: taught previously, but will be reviewed and modeled

2. What vocabulary will need to be taught/pre-taught in this lesson?

Epic hero
Epic plot
Epic setting
Archetypes
Epic themes
3. What are the potential barriers to instruction and assessment for which UDL features should be
considered?
For your case study student?
My case study student, Lily, has an Emotional Disorder with anxiety, so she may struggle
with sharing her thoughts to the whole class.
For the given class profile?
One student has Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder, so they may have trouble
focusing on the reading and will be distracted easily.
One student has an Emotional Behavioral Disorder with externalizing behaviors, so they
may act out during class when they dont understand the directions.
One student struggles with a Specific Learning Disability in the area of written
expression, so they may have trouble organizing the information and their thoughts.
One student struggles with a Specific Learning Disability in the area of reading
comprehension, so they may struggle with the vocabulary and have trouble understanding
what is happening throughout the text.
Options for Multiple Means of Representation: During class, I will read the text aloud to the
students as they follow along in their textbooks. This will allow for alternatives in visual and
auditory information. I will also have the text recorded so students can check it out to listen to it
again in another class or at home. I will also preteach and reteach the vocabulary throughout the
unit.
Options for Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The students will receive a graphic
organizer in order to keep track of each characters unique traits, their actions in the poem, and
their interactions with other characters. As a class, we will also be using the ReadWriteThink
website to create trading cards when new characters are introduced in the text.
Options for Multiple Means of Engagement: Students will be given a choice of the template
they wish to use to create their trading cards. They will also be choosing which picture they want
to include of each character on their trading cards. Students will be given a rubric to self-evaluate
their writing assignment.
Executive Functioning Skills: I will remind the students how they can use their graphic
organizer and/or the trading cards for organizing and planning their writing assignments.
Students will also be given a rubric to self-evaluate their writing assignment.

Behavioral Scaffolds: In order to reduce behaviors related to task confusion, I will read the
directions to the students, then give them a hand out with the directions on it, then have the
students repeat the directions to me. The directions will include a step-by-step task analysis with
boxes that they can check off when they complete a step. I will provide graphic organizers to
help students with written expression and organizing characters and events throughout the story.
I will also be introducing new characters using a trading card creator to describe and organize
them in a visual way. I will also provide the students with an example of a trading card so they
know what their final product should look like. We will be reading the poem as a class, so while
we are reading, I will take multiple breaks to explain what is happening in the text and give
options for students to ask questions.
Anticipatory Set:
Last week, we finished reading the story of the Iliad, which depicted Odysseus as a hero in the
Trojan War. Turn to a person next to you and review what happened in that text and the event
that labeled Odysseus as a hero.
Today, we are going to start reading Homers epic poem The Odyssey, which illustrates
Odysseuss journey back to his hometown of Ithaca after the Trojan War. Just like The Iliad,
The Odyssey includes numerous complex characters who interact and influence each other
throughout the poem.
An epic is an adventure story in the form of a narrative poem with an outcome that affects an
entire population. It involves a long journey and includes strange creatures, large-scale events,
and fantastic or exotic lands. There are 5 characteristics that make up the epic: epic hero, epic
plot, epic setting, archetypes, and epic themes. The students will participate in a carousel
brainstorming activity to discuss these 5 vocabulary terms. They will rotate in small groups,
stopping at each of the 5 post it notes for approximately 3 minutes. While at each station,
students will activate their prior knowledge of these vocabulary terms (what they already know
about them), as well as what they want to know, through conversation with peers. Ideas shared
will be posted at each station for all groups to read.
After the students finish the carousel brainstorming activity, I will introduce the vocabulary
terms. As I am defining and discussing these terms for the students, I will hang the words and
definitions up on the wall to create a word wall for this unit.
(p. 1094)
Epic hero:
Possesses superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence
Is helped and harmed by interfering gods
Embodies ideals and values that a culture considers admirable
Emerges victorious from perilous situations
Epic plot:
Involves a long journey, full of complications, such as
o Strange creatures
o Divine intervention
o Large-scale events

o Treacherous weather
Epic setting:
Includes fantastic or exotic lands
Involves more than one nation
Archetypes:
Characters, situations, and images that are recognizable in many times and cultures,
such as
o Sea monsters
o Buried treasure
o Loyal servants
Epic themes:
Courage
The fate of a nation
A homecoming
Beauty
Loyalty
Life and death
Input and Modeling:
*Hand out the graphic organizer
As we read The Odyssey, you will be using this chart to organize the characters in the poem.
You are expected to list at least 3 details for EACH character regarding how they develop over
the course of the text, interact with each other, and advance the plot. Before we begin reading,
Id like to fill in this chart together for Odysseuss character in The Iliad.
Character:

Unique traits:

Actions in poem:

Odysseus

Strategic

Comes up with the

idea to build the
Trojan Horse to win
the war

Interactions with
others:
When Achilles wants
to rush into battle,
Odysseus argues that
the army needs to eat
first

We will also be creating trading cards when new characters are introduced in the text. These
trading cards provide a description of the character, insights, their development from the
beginning of the story to the end, their interactions with other characters and events, as well as
a personal connection. I have created a sample card for you to reference when we are creating
them. I have also created a non-example card for you to reference about the kind of information
you should not include. For example, I included a characteristic of Calypso that describes how
she looks instead of how she changes in the text. You should refer to your graphic organizer to
fill in the different sections of your trading cards.

Check for Understanding:

Possible questions to ask while reading:
Lines 1-15 in this first book introduce us to Odysseus. What traits does he have so far?
Lines 15-31 in Book 5 describe the home of Calypso. What can of dwelling does Calypso
live in?
What relationship does Calypso have with nature?
What traits does Calypso have so far?
Additional questions:
Can you think of any other stories from literature or movies that include the
characteristics of an epic?
When you begin to fill in the character graphic organizer on your own, how many details
do you need for each character?
What are the expectations when we are reading this story aloud together?
Guided Practice:
After reading Book 1, the students will partner up to discuss the details they wrote down for the
characters introduced so far (Odysseus). They should have 1-2 traits filled in their graphic
organizer for him.
Then, I will ask if any students have any clarifying questions about what is expected when filling
out the graphic organizer, so that I know they are ready to move to the independence practice.
Independent Practice:
Now, as we read Book 5, you are expected to fill in at least 3 traits for the next character that we
meet (Calypso). Before you leave today, I will be walking around to make sure you are filling
your graphic organizer in.
Lesson Closure:
Today, I introduce Homers The Odyssey to you. We learned about the 5 characteristics that
make up an epic, read Book 1 and Book 5, and reflected on some characters that were
introduced in the text.

Tomorrow, we will continue reading The Odyssey, continue filling in your graphic organizers,
create more trading cards, then we will begin our writing samples about the characters.
Reflection:
UDL: I will provide accessible formats of the poem (traditional, audio/recorded) so students can
listen and follow along at the same time. They can also check out a recorded version of the text
to listen to outside of the classroom. These formats meet the needs for students who may have
trouble focusing on the reading, struggle with reading comprehension, or miss the reading.
When I introduce the new vocabulary for the unit, I will create a word wall of what the 5 main
characteristics of what an epic are. This will allow students to view them every day, refer back to
them when needed, and provide more opportunities for review. In order to minimize threats and
distractions, I will also preteach and reteach the vocabulary terms throughout the unit since it is
potentially confusing. I will provide a graphic organizer for students to keep track of all the new
characters throughout the poem. The graphic organizer will help students organize information
and focus on the big ideas of the poem.
Positive Behavior Supports: I will model new tasks in order to reduce confusion. I will also ask
questions before moving students to the next stages and before independent work. We will fill in
parts of the graphic organizer together in order to reduce confusion. After handing out direction
sheets and explaining directions to the students, I will expect them to repeat the directions back
to me so I know they understand what they are suppose to do. I will proactively remind students
about the expectations when reading a text aloud together in class to help reduce any confusion.
I will encourage the use of the red/break card with the students who use them to self-monitor
their behaviors.
Executive Functioning Skill Support: I will provide the students with a graphic organizer to
help them keep track of all the new characters, as well as to help them organize information and
focus on the big ideas of the poem. The graphic organizer will be a resource for them to use
when completing their writing prompts. I will also provide students with a rubric to organize
their writing samples as well. Throughout the unit, the students will participate in multiple
Think-Pair-Share activities to recall information. These activities allow them to think on their
own first, then discuss their thoughts/ideas with a partner, and finally share their thoughts/ideas
with the whole group. Again, I will encourage the use of the red/break card with the students
who use them to self-monitor their behaviors.
Technology Integration: The students will use the ReadWriteThink website to create trading
cards as another/visual means to keep track of the characters. Since the students each have an
iPad, they will be able to do this individually. Also, any student can check out a recorded version
of the book to listen to again outside of the classroom.