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Lesson 2

We will cocreate a timeline on which we will plot important events in chronological order. We will discuss Telemachus’s perception of his role in the family. We will also read and annotate the beginning of Book 2 and begin to consider Telemachus’s and Antinous’s claims.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I determine the meaning of foreign words or phrases, such as in medias res?

  • Can I discuss and write about the explicit or implicit meanings of The Odyssey?

  • Can I analyze non-linear plot development in The Odyssey and will compare it to linear plot development?

  • Can I analyze how Homer develops complex yet believable characters in The Odyssey through a range of literary devices?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Publishing Group, 1996

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will review the homework and discuss the opening structure and chronology of The Odyssey.

Step 1

With a partner, review and discuss the following guiding questions from your homework.

  1. How does Telemachus view his role in the family? What evidence do you have from the text to support your response?

  2. How do the suitors view his role? What evidence do you have from the text to support your response?

  3. How did annotating support your reading? Which strategies were helpful?

As a whole class, discuss what you know about Telemachus, using evidence from the poem to support your ideas.

Record unfamiliar or interesting words in your Vocabulary Journal.

Step 2

The Odyssey’s plot structure is interesting to study because it is nonlinear; that is, the events are not described in chronological order. To help you track the events, you be cocreate a timeline to use as you study the poem.

As your teacher models where Book 1 belongs on The Odyssey’s timeline, be sure to follow along and take notes. As explained by your teacher, The Odyssey begins ten years after the Trojan War, but it takes Odysseus another ten years to arrive home. Write "Book 1" on a sticky note and follow your teacher’s directions for placing it on a timeline.

Step 3

One characteristic of epic poems such as The Odyssey is that they use a technique called in medias res. In medias res is a Latin phrase that means “in the middle of things.” It is used not just in epic poems but other novels and movies. This plot technique means that the story begins in the middle of the action, not at the beginning.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  1. Why might an author decide to use the structure in medias res?

  2. How does using this technique impact the timeline of events?

  3. How does beginning the poem in the middle of the action versus at the beginning impact a reader’s understanding of the plot?

Activity 2: Discuss – Write

We will discuss Telemachus’s view of his role in the family.

Step 1

Reread Telemachus’s speech from Book 1, Lines 248-255. Then, turn to a partner and discuss the following questions:

  1. What does Telemachus mean when he says, "Mother has always told me I’m his son"?

  2. How might these feelings affect his view of his role in the family?

Step 2

Working with your partner, begin a new Character Note-Taking Tool for Telemachus. Each of you should record your thoughts and observations about Telemachus on your own Character Note-Taking Tool. Share your own ideas and record any that your partner suggests, provided you agree.

Step 3

Reread Telemachus’s instructions to his mother in Book 1, Lines 415-420, and discuss the following question with your partner:

  1. How does this response demonstrate Telemachus’s view of his own power? What textual evidence supports that conclusion?

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will begin working with vocabulary and adding words to our Vocabulary Journals.

Step 1

Access the unit’s Vocabulary List. For this activity, you will use your Vocabulary Journal. You might use a Vocabulary in Context Tool for words you can decipher from the text; for others, you might use morphology to decipher the meaning, or a reference resource to check if your meaning is accurate. For some words, your teacher might present you with definitions.

Record the words and definitions in your Vocabulary Journal. For each word, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference resource) you used to determine its meaning.

Step 2

Work with a partner or group to respond to the vocabulary exercises, as directed by your teacher.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss

We will read the beginning of Book 2 of The Odyssey and consider how Telemachus asserts his power.

Step 1

Read and annotate The Odyssey, Book 2, Lines 1-89. As you read, continue to add to the Character Note-Taking Tool for Telemachus. Consider the following guiding questions:

  1. In what ways does Telemachus assert his power?

  2. Is he successful? What evidence from the text supports your conclusion?

Record your initial thoughts in your Learning Log.

Step 2

Share your responses to the guiding questions.

Activity 5: Read – Write – Discuss

We will read and discuss the section 1 diagnostic. We will identify specific knowledge and skills we need to succeed on the diagnostic.

Read and annotate the Section 1 Diagnostic Checklist. Determine what skills and knowledge you need to succeed on the diagnostic. In a small group, discuss and respond to the following questions.

  1. What is the focus of the Section 1 Diagnostic? What does the task ask you to do?

  2. What questions do you have about the Section 1 Diagnostic?

  3. What do you need to understand and be able to do to think about to succeed on the Section 1 Diagnostic?

  4. What skills do you need to build in this section to succeed when you complete the Section 1 Diagnostic?

Activity 6: Read

For homework, we will read the claims reference guide and read the rest of Book 2.

For homework, read pages 1-4 of the Claims Reference Guide. Then, read and annotate Book 2, Lines 90-163 of The Odyssey, considering the following questions:

  1. In this struggle between Antinous and Telemachus, what power does each one hold over the other?

  2. What evidence from the text supports your position?

In the next lesson, you will form claims about the power dynamic between Telemachus and Antinous. As you read, add unfamiliar or interesting words to your Vocabulary Journal, and add any relevant information to Telemachus’s Character Note-Taking Tool.