Reaching Students Through The Odyssey: Epithets and Episodic Illustrations

1. Reaching Students Through The Odyssey: Epithets and Episodic Illustrations Stefanie Lyle Prairie Lands Writing Project July 22, 2004

2. Why teach The Odyssey? Themes in The Odyssey are relevant to today’s youth. Decisions and consequences Many students are on their own “odyssey.” What is holding them back from reaching their “destination?” Where are they headed? Like Odysseus, what struggles do they face? What actions will they take to reach their goals?

3. Features of the Epic The hero is a figure of great importance The setting of the poem is ample in scale The action involves superhuman deeds in battle or a long, arduous, and dangerous journey Gods and other supernatural beings take an interest or an active part (Jago 106). http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00590/chapter6.pdf.

4. Show-Me Standards Standards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, Goals 1.8, 2.1, 2.3, 4.1

5. Multiple Intelligences Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences include: Logical/Mathematical Verbal/Linguistic Musical/Rhythmic Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalist From Brain Compatible Classrooms.

6. Research Says… “When teachers integrate reading and writing, they help students use writing to think about what they will read and to understand what they have read.” (Vacca 251). “Students who experience the integration of writing and reading are likely to learn more content, to understand it better, and to remember it longer” (Vacca 252).

7. What is an Epithet? “Adjective or descriptive phrase that is regularly used to characterize a person, place, or thing” (Elements of Literature 1023). The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “epithet” as: 1 a : a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing b : a disparaging or abusive word or phrase (390).

8. Epithets Epithets are used to help listeners form “quick characterizations of characters and snapshots of settings” (Jago 118). Epithets can be used to aid in characterization of people and description of settings.

9. Epithets/Characterization Students will write epithets for classmates, teachers, family members, celebrities, politicians, etc. Students will create epithets for characters in the Odyssey—to be included in their language arts folders. Students must be able to justify their epithets with supporting details from the text Why did you choose to characterize Penelope as “faithful Penelope?”

10. Possible Writing Activity:Poetry Write a poem about a character from The Odyssey, a family member, a writing group member, or someone famous using the epithets you have created. Use one of the forms we have talked about the past few days and see what you can come up with. Remember, this is a suggestion!

11. Visual Representations “…directing students to generate visual images as they read lists of words or sentences, several paragraphs of text, or lengthy text passages produces higher levels of comprehension and recall as compared to students who are not so instructed” (Snowman and Biehler 269). Burke’s “episodic notes” Student samples

12. Research Says… “Imagery may be a useful substitute when illustrations are unavailable” (Mastropieri and Scruggs 427). “Illustrations drawn to represent characters, events, places, and action in texts reinforce the sequence of events in the stories” (Mastropieri and Scruggs 427). Steps for imagery: Read a passage Create a mental picture Describe the picture to a peer (Mastropieri and Scruggs 427)

13. Plot Summary Episodic Notes In groups of two or three, students will read a section of The Odyssey. Students will determine what the most important events are for the section they are assigned to read. Students will use the “episodic notes” to choose what they feel to be the most important scene in the assigned section. Students will create a visual representation that includes a written summary and a quote to explain the significance of the drawing. Students will present their illustrations in small groups.

14. Plot Summary I plan to use this as a pre-reading activity because it will activate the students’ schema during reading of The Odyssey. Throughout the unit, there will be small group of students who have already become familiar with the text and can possibly help their classmates with comprehension as well as add to the class discussion.

15. Research Says… “Writing a summary after reading…is likely to result in greater understanding and retention of important information. However, another type of writing—let’s say an essay—may trigger the analysis, synthesis, and elaboration of ideas encountered in reading and class discussion” (Vacca 252-253).

16. We all know this, but it bears repeating! “From a content area perspective, writing about ideas and concepts encountered in texts will improve students’ acquisition of content more than simply reading without writing. When reading and writing are taught in concert, the union fosters communication, enhances problem solving, and makes learning more powerful than if reading or writing is engaged in separately” (Vacca and Vacca 251).

17. Additional Activities that Incorporate Writing Re-write the invocation in your own words Quickwrites Letters to/from characters Double-entry journals Write a news report of events that have happened Silent discussions Pre-writing for essay (graphic organizers, etc.) Writer’s workshop (drafting, peer review, conferencing, revision)

18. Works Cited Beers, Kylene, and Lee Odell. Holt Elements of Literature Third Course. Austin: Holt, 2005. Burke, Jim. Tools for Thought: Graphic Organizers for Your Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002. “Epithet.” The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1996. Fogarty, Robin. Brain Compatible Classrooms. Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight, 1997. Jago, Carol. Classics in the Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004. 20 July 2004 <http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00590/chapter6.pdf>.

19. Works Cited Mastropieri, Margo A., and Thomas E. Scruggs. The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 2000. Snowman, Jack, and Robert Biehler. Psychology Applied to Teaching. 10th ed. Boston: Houghton, 2003. Vacca Richard T., and JoAnne L. Vacca. Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002.

20. Recommended Reading Burke, Jim. Reading Reminders: Tools Tips and Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000. ---. Writing Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.

21. Useful Websites for The Odyssey and/or Mythology http://www.temple.edu/classics/odysseyho.html http://www.watson.org/~leigh/athens.html http://www.entrenet.com/~groedmed/greekm/ody.html http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey http://www.messagenet.com/myths/neomyth.html http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/2471/Odyssey.html http://www.windweaver.com/as/index.htm http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MINOA/HOMER.HTM http://ancienthistory.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa090198.htm http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/homer/odymap.php

22. More Websites http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/odyssey/ http://www.kcte.org/lesson-plans/odyssey/forgy4.html http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/250.html http://www.branford.k12.ct.us/user/site/staff/cmiller/wdocs/OdyJournLife.htm http://teacher2b.com/literature/odyssypl.htm http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAIdeasForStudyingTheOdyssey910.htm http://www.education-world.com/tools_templates/index.shtml http://www.willard.k12.oh.us/educational%20resources/teachertools.htm http://www.crystalinks.com/homer.html