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Unit Plan
4
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KIPP 3D Academy

Epic Poetry Unit

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
The Odyssey is the core text in this unit study of the hero's journey motif. Along the way, kids research Greek and Roman history, mythology, art, and epic poetry. The 104-page packet is perfect for homeschool or classroom situations and...
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PPT
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Odyssey

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Epics, like the Odyssey, were told over the span of several days and drew quite a crowd. Before starting the famous work with your class, review this presentation to gain some insight into the structure and history of epic poems. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monsters

For Teachers 12th
Do monsters really exist? Find out what your class thinks with these discussion questions prior to reading Beowulf. Incorporate music and a video clip into the anticipatory set to engage your learners. Take a day to search online for...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Orange County Department of Education

My Character Odyssey

For Teachers 9th
Young scholars explore and analyze how the trials of life can develop one's character and values of respect, responsibility and compassion. Then, while reading and evaluating The Odyssey, they reflect on their own hero journey and write...
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Unit Plan
Trinity University

Dante's Inferno: Allegory, Hero's Journey, or Epic Poem? Yes!

For Teachers 12th Standards
Dante Alighieri's "The Inferno" is the central text in a unit designed for high school seniors. Scholars compare the Christian concept of Hell to Dante's. In addition, they examine the tale as an example of epic poetry, as an allegory,...
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Lesson Plan
Pixton Comics Inc.

Elements of an Epic

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Mythic heroes, gods and goddesses, and epic tales come alive as young artists craft their own graphic novel or mind map for classic epics, including The Odyssey, Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, identifying the six elements of every...
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Worksheet
University of Iowa

Every Atom: Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Discussion questions for Walt Whitman's "Son of Myself" ask class members to reflect on the beauty that can be found in labor, the sense of identity that transcends divisions, and on the many riddles in Whitman's poem. ...
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Lesson Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Walt Whitman: From Song of Myself

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Looking for a resource that models how to read and analyze a poem? Check out this packet that uses sections of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" to demonstrate how to paraphrase, note literary elements, and identify the poet's inferences.
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Worksheet
ELI Publishing

Whitman and the American ‘Romantic’ Nature

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils read a short biography of Walt Whitman and a portion of Whitman's epic poem "Song of Myself." Readers then respond to a series of comprehension questions.
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Handout
Gottlieb

Kennings vs. Stock Epithets – A Quick Review

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
Bone-crusher. Troll-wife. Battle-sweat. Blood-worm. What study of Beowulf would be complete without offering readers of this Old English epic poem an opportunity to craft their own kennings and epithets? Provide individuals with a copy...
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Lesson Plan
Newspaper in Education

The Iliad: A Young Reader Adventure

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Is The Iliad part of your curriculum? Check out a resource that offers something for those new to teaching the classic and those with lots of experience using Homer's epic. Plot summaries, discussion questions, activities abound in this...
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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Beowulf

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Beowulf, the Old English epic hero, comes alive again in the activities found in a teacher's guide designed to accompany a reading of the classic poem.
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Lesson Plan
Art Institute of Chicago

Lesson Plan: A Writer’s Odyssey

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
Looking for a fresh approach to an end-of-unit project for The Odyssey? Check out a resource that has class members write their own hero's journey short story and then craft an illustration that depicts their tale. Apollonio di...
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Organizer
National Endowment for the Humanities

Elements of the Epic Hero Cycle

For Students 9th - 12th
Here's a handy learning exercise applicable to any study of epic heroes, including those in epic poetry. Readers record examples from their text that identify the quest, the tests, helpers and companions, as well as the low point, the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Odyssey List 1 Worksheet

For Students 9th
As your class begins to read The Odyssey, present them with a two-page worksheet focusing on vocabulary. Although the reading selection is not specified, twenty words are introduced on these pages. Example vocabulary words include...
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Study Guide
Curated OER

Homer’s Odyssey Reading Guide

For Students 9th
Looking for a list of reading questions to use with The Odyssey? Provided here are dozens of questions (although certain sections are left out). Use these questions to create your own reading guide for the famous epic poem. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louisiana's Tragic Hero - "Evangeline"

For Teachers 8th
"Ye who believe...List to a Tale of Love in Acadie." Longfellow's epic poem, "Evangeline," launches a study of tragic heroines, epic poetry, the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada, and their subsequent migration to Louisiana. The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anticipatory Sets for The Odyssey

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Start your unit on The Odyssey in a fun and accessible way! Three options help your young readers grasp the concept of brave Odysseus's tale, including making masks of Greek gods and goddesses, and responding to different discussion...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Iliad

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Explore ancient warfare through a dramatic reading of select portions of The Iliad with your class. They will identify the major characters in The Iliad and explain the strategies, external forces, and alliances of the Trojan War
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

The Odyssey Lesson 5

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Review the vocabulary from The Odyssey with this fun "I Have, Who Has" game. First, give students random vocabulary cards (included) that say "I have (vocabalary word). Who has (definition of another vocabulary word)?" Students are...
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PPT
Curated OER

Odyssey Vocabulary English 9

For Teachers 8th - 9th
So your class is just about to start the Odyssey. Although you'll undoubtedly help them define vocabulary words in context, present them with this list of nine words to get them started. Each is defined, but consider also providing a...
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PPT
Curated OER

Characters in the Odyssey Book 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Seven of the characters in Homer's the Odyssey are introduced in this very basic presentation. Viewers meet Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena (among others). Strengthen this presentation by adding pictures or attempting to see what information...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Odyssey List 2 Vocab Worksheet

For Students 8th - 10th
One of two epic poems attributed to Homer, The Odyssey is full of unfamiliar language. With this two-page worksheet, your class will study new words like victuals, forlorn, and pine. Unfortunately, the specific section these words come...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Odyssey: Vocabulary Worksheet List 4

For Students 7th - 12th
Feeling harried? Experiencing a sense of foreboding? Learners craft sentences using words from Homer’s The Odyssey. The two exercises included here are sure to stoke their enthusiasm.