Understanding By Design Unit Template

Title of Unit      Operation Odyssey Grade Level      9th

Curriculum Area      LGA Time Frame      6 weeks
Developed By      Karen Field & Lisa Weaver
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
     ELA9RL3.a, 3b; ELA9RL5.a., 5b,; ELASV1.e-f, ELA9W4.c, ELA9LSV2.2.a, b; ELA9W2.2.e,
ELA9RL4b, ELA9RL1.3.b, ELA9W2a-e, ELAC4

Understandings Essential Questions

Overarching Understanding Overarching Topical
1. Greek myths are incorporated into various parts of 1. What is a hero? 1. How does Odysseus
our lives. 2. How does it feel to fit the traditional
2. Understanding Greek myths help up to understand come home again? definition of hero?
and reveal layers of texts. 3. Why should we read 2. How can Odysseus
3. Reading the literature from an ancient culture helps myths? make up for 20 lost
us to understand that culture and allows us to live 4. How can a narrative be years?
vicariously through those stories. written poetically and 3. What does King
4. The Odyssey is one man’s life journey, but it helps us reveal cultural attitudes? Midas teach us
to see how all of all lives have obstacles, detours, and 5. Why do humans switch about greed?
rewards. the roles they play? 4. What do we learn
5. People today still revere heroes and continue to write 6. How can a character’s about Greek burial
their stories which demonstrate their culture beliefs and life story be a reflection of customs?
attitudes. our own? 5. How can we use the
6. The 21st century hero has evolved to reflect our 7. What makes a good “code of
values and beliefs. adventure story? hospitality” in our
8. What makes an daily lives?
Related Misconceptions effective argument? 6. How do Odysseus’s
Something that was written in 1200 BC has nothing to 9. How can sharing our human qualities get
do with our life and times. writing help us become him in trouble?
better writers? 7. What are the
 obstacles that have
interfered with your
journey?
8. How does Percy
Jackson and The
Lightning Thief fit
the criteria for epic
hero and epic?

Knowledge Skills
Students will know… Students will be able to…
1. How to use strategies for reading. 1. Read The Odyssey as a narrative, as poetry, and
2. How to summarize. as a reflection of ancient Greece.
3. Figurative Language 2. Identify the elements of an epic.
4. How a presenter prepares and delivers for a class 3. Use quote to support original ideas in their writing.
presentation. 4. Explain how imagery, epic similes, and epithets
5. Character, plot, setting, and theme. add layers of understanding to their reading
6. Paragraphing, description, and grammar experience.
conventions. 5. Use writing to analyze literature.
6. Research prevalent myths and explain the lessons
we can learn from these..
7. Present a myth and mythological visual to the
class.
8. Identify and analyze plot and setting.
9. Make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world
connections.
10. Write about key themes from The Odyssey.
11. Write a persuasive essay justifying how Percy
Jackson meets the criteria to be called an Epic Hero.
12. Participate in whole class and student-to-student
discussions.
13. Identify and explain key passages from The
Odyssey.
 14. Explore the key ideas of a “homecoming.”
15. Discuss how Odysseus displays both human and
epic characteristics.
16. Discuss how the themes of family, loyalty, and
home are evident throughout The Odyssey.
17. Compare a ancient epic hero to a contemporary
hero.
18. Explain epic similes and how they extend the text
and provide insight into an ancient culture’s beliefs.
19. Participate in drafting, revising, and editing.
20. Participate in student to student, student to class,
and teacher to student discussions.
21. Make text to self, text to text, and text to world
connections.
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description
     You will write an analysis explaining how Percy Jackson from The Lightning Thief
Goal
qualifies to be called a modern Epic Hero.
Role      You’re the critic.
     A group of learned professionals who need to be convinced to include Percy Jackson into
Audience
this class.
     You have been asked by your company to convince a group of individuals that Percy
Situation
Jackson meets the criteria to be classified an Epic Hero.
Product/Performan      A persuasive essay.
ce
Standards      ELA9RL3, ELA9RL4, ELA9W1, ELA9W2, ELA9W3, ELA9LSV1, and ELA9LSV2
Other Evidence
Because the text for The Odyssey is difficult for young readers, the teacher will provide podcasts of the Books in
a more student-friendly format. Students can use these podcasts to supplement their readings. Podcasts
include “The Sea God’s Son,” “The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis,” and “The Sun God’s Cattle”
Activities
Days One-Three The teacher will begin the study of myths by providing illustrations
such as “Have you ever heard the statement, “Beware Greeks Bearing
Gifts” or “between a rock and a hard place.” The teacher will discuss
 how certain writers makes references to mythological and they assure
their audience knows these stories and will understand the point
being made. Such examples are Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 and
Shakespeare. Bradbury refers to Montag being like Icarus and flew
too close to the sun and Shakespeare claims that Romeo has bit hit by
Cupid’s arrow. Knowing these stories help readers to understand an
author’s full message. Students now have a purpose for their
research. Additionally, many of these characters appear in The
Odyssey and The Lightning Thief, our primary texts for this unit of
instruction.
Using the list provided, students will research and summarize
mythological stories. Students will cite the sources they used for this
activity. (Item #1) (The teacher will have made arrangements for the
class to use the wireless lab and will have pulled together print
resources to support the students’ research. Application,
Interpretation
Day Four Students will be provided a handout entitled “Operation Odyssey.”
This handout is designed to provide necessary “training” for students
to embark on Odysseus’ journey. The handout corresponds with the
students’ text and provides a graphic to help students to pull out and
organize key ideas from the text. (Item #2) Explanation, Application,
Perspective
Days Five-Eight Students will continue to work on this handout learning the elements
of The Odyssey, how the Odyssey can be read in three different
modes, and will work individually, with a partner, and as a class to
understanding how to read an epic as well as honing reading skills by
completing a close read of designated passages. Self-Knowledge
Day 9 Students will preview the beginning section of The Odyssey on film to
assist them in seeing what they will be reading in the text. The
teacher will model for students how to respond to literature using a
model paragraph on the importance of the “code of hospitality” in The
Odyssey. (Item #4)Perspective , Explanation
Day 10 (25 Oct) The journey begins. Students will read books 1 & 5 from the text. As
students read, the teacher will stop and discuss key points to ensure
students understand what they are reading.
 Teacher will explain the invocation of the gods and establish the
context of each passage.
Students will complete their close read exercises as well as write in
their journals a summary of what they understood, any questions, or
key points they feel are worthy of further discussion. Explanation,
Interpretation, Perspective
Students will access the podcasts of the episodes to ensure
that they understand the text. A podcast of The Cyclops,
Scylla, Charybdis, and the Sirens, The Sun God’s Cattle, and
Homecoming are available to reinforce text readings, but are
designed for students to use at home to review class readings
and to complete guided reading-listening questions. These
podcasts are in easy to understand, contemporary language,
but include all the major elements of the story.
Day 11-15 (week of Oct 25) Students will read book 5. After reading book 5, students will write a
response to literature. (Item #5) Students will complete their
Odyssey journals which consist of a t-chart in which they identify
significant passages and explain what these passages reveal about
Odysseus as an epic hero, Greek culture and beliefs, and how we can
make connections to their stories based on our understanding of The
Odyssey’s lessons. For example, in book 5, the reader learns that
Odysseus’s journey can be a symbol for someone’s journey through
life and Calypso represents an obstacles or a distraction that takes us
away from our purpose. Students will have an assessment that
checks their understanding of their Operation Odyssey handout and
the myths researched and presented.(Item #3) During this week
students will present their myth to the rest of the class while sharing
the visual they created to represent that myth. Perspective,
Explanation, Interpretation
Day 16-20 (week of 1 Nov) Students will read Books 9 & 10 and complete their Odyssey journal.
Once again, students will complete a writing prompt about how the
Cyclops episode demonstrates how Odysseus is both an epic hero and
a human capable of making mistakes. This reminds us that it only
natural for us to make mistakes when we are human. To help ensure
students understand what they read, the students will complete a
 reading guide. (Items 6-7)Explanation, Interpretation, Application,
Empathy, and Self-Knowledge
Days 21-25 Students will continue to read books 11, 12. While reading, students
will complete reading guides to ensure they understand the main
ideas and themes of the text. Since some students still have difficulty
with embedding quotes into their writing and also have trouble
extending their understanding of the quotes they select to support
their writing, the class will work in cooperative groups to select three
quotes that illustrate the dangers Odysseus and his crew face when
passing the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis. (Item s #8-9 ) Application,
Explanation, Interpretation
Days 26-30 Students will read books 16-17, 21-23 of The Odyssey. These books
are placed together on the reading guides to keep like episodes
together. While reading these “Homecoming” selections, students will
also chart where they see themes of family, and loyalty. This will be
their final “short” writing on the epic. One of the final assessments of
The Odyssey is an objective test/the other assessment will be an
extension of the Odyssey and The Lightning Thief. (Items # 10, 11 &
12 ) Explanation , Application, Interpretation
Days 31-35 After completing the study of The Odyssey, students will view The
Lightning Thief and write an essay that compares Percy Jackson to
Odyssey. The final essay will be a persuasive essay that argues that
Percy Jackson qualifies as a modern epic hero. While watching the
film, students will complete a comparison chart to help them select
three ways in which Percy Jackson qualifies being called an epic hero.
(Items # 13, 14 & 15 ) Explanation, Interpretation, Application,
Perspective, Empathy, Self-Knowledge
Since the expectation is for students to connect The Odyssey to their individual life journey, the
facet of empathy should be seen in all of the student’s writing. The writing should conclude by
demonstrating how we can learn something from this text. The facet of self-knowledge will be
evident as the student reflects throughout the process. This reflection should occur as the class
moves through the text and the teacher will obviously clarify any misunderstandings as the class
studies the text.
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development