October 2022

October 31, 2022

Maps are due at the end of the day tomorrow. We used class time to work on them. Remember to review the rubric!

October 25, 2022

Today we read "Penelope" by Carol Ann Duffy. We listed the verbs pertaining to Penelope and realized that they are mostly passive or "still" verbs that are done internally. Her actual actions are largely related to her sewing, because this is the main association we have with Penelope-- the story of sewing Laertes' shroud and unpicking it nightly. It is also a very gendered activity.

We talked about the imagery in the poem, which is all descriptions of her sewing, and then we talked about how it shows her perspective on Odysseus returning. I read some lines from Book 19 (around line 140) to compare, and we filled in some example evidence on the DJ that is due Friday. I will try to update later with slide images and more notes.

October 24, 2022

Today we went through the NearPods for the remainder of the Hero's Cycle, Atonement with the Father, Meeting with the Goddess, and Return with the Elixir. I gave out a handout to complete on any other show or movie that demonstrates how the protagonist goes through some version of this cycle. NearPod codes are posted on Canvas, and I will update with further notes soon.

October 21, 2022

Today we went back to cover Homeric similes and epithets, which we did not get to in our Crossing the Threshold NearPod (but you can see examples there). We discussed that a Homeric simile is one that is longer and chooses something specific to highlight and describe within the comparison. They create stronger images and connections and make a connection to the audience. Here is a handout with the examples we used from Book 9. Then, each group located another simile and put it on their maps, including a correct citation.

Epithets are another way the text helps make connections, but these reduce each character to a singular, memorable trait or archetype. They also help to center the characters in a web of literature and culture with which the original audience was connected and familiar. Epithets are often used in popular literature now to single out specific ideas or even in politics to reduce an opponent to a specific, memorable idea.

Epithets in the Odyssey are for specific reasons:

1. Origin: "Proteus of Egypt" (4.382)

2. Patronym: "son of Penelope" (1.222)

3. Appearance: "white-armed Nausicaa" (6.252); "the owl-eyed goddess" (1.319)

4. Skill: "The Lord of Earthquakes" (1.74); "Hermes, the giant-slayer" (1.84)

5. Position: "Mentes, lord of Taphians" (1.181)

6. Heroic Quality: "godlike Nestor" (1.284); "well-born Aegisthus" (1.29)

I asked everyone to think of an epithet for themselves using one of these categories and write it near their name on the map.

Finally, we went over the DJ's, specifically considering where to find evidence and what the TS frame should look like. We made a list of the journeys of Odysseus and how they related to Nostos and kleos. Those who already had evidence highlighted or underlined the words that showed Odysseus seeking glory or longing for home; those without evidence wrote down where to find some. We ended with a reminder to use synonyms for those words in the commentary sections in order to make sure the question was answered.

Homework: Due at 11:59, DJ #2 (Timely Work); Due W/TH 10/26-10/27, Books 13, 16-19; Due Fri 10/28-- DJ#3 (Timely Work) + Select a DJ to be graded for Writing & Analysis

October 19/20, 2022

For the first twenty minutes, students discussed guiding questions from Books 9-12 and took notes on them. After that, we worked on the maps, adding postcards from Odysseus to them. The postcards should be from his adventures and should consider the context and his goals. See the slide.

So far, your map should have the following things:

-- Name, symbol or image, and brief description for each place on his journey

-- Journey line showing his travels

-- Costumes for Calypso and Nausicaa

-- 3-5 postcards from Odysseus (based on 1 per group member)

October 18, 2022

Today was a reading day. Students read from books 9-12, and we used the last ten minutes to discuss the Road of Trials and the Belly of the Whale.

October 17, 2022

Today in class you completed a NearPod on the "Road of Trials" and "Belly of the Whale." These stages represent the hero's journey through the "special world." For Odysseus, that will be Book 9-12, where he relates his adventures to the Phaecians. Through these adventures, Odysseus must face his own weaknesses or faults and incorporate them into himself or overcome them. For Odysseus, we see him battling his own hubris and desire to gain kleos, which gets in the way of his journey home (nostos). Book 11 is his Belly of the Whale, where he faces Achilles, Agamemnon, and his own mother, who all reveal to him the catastrophe of his long absence and how he has left Penelope to face it alone. While reading, pay attention to how Odysseus might change and why.

After the NearPod, complete the assignment on Canvas (1&2 period). Fifth period was excused from this, as we went over the NearPod together.

Review the NearPods for these stages, posted on Canvas.

Homework/Reading: Due Wed/Thurs, Books 9-12. DJ#2 Due Friday.

October 14, 2022

Today's task was to add costumes for Calypso and Nausicaa to your maps. The costumes should represent their archetypes and rely on text evidence for the choices you make. Cite your evidence on the map.

October 13, 2022

Yesterday was the PSAT, and today I gave everyone a break. We completed a new cycle reflection, and then class time was used to read Books 1, 5, and 6 or to work on the dialectical journal due tomorrow. You should come to class with at least the text evidence prepared, and then you may work on the journal after the discussion. For discussion, consider the guiding questions posted to Canvas for books 1, 5, and 6 and for your group's chosen lens.

October 11, 2022

Today, we used the Edith Hamilton "Adventures of Odysseus" to map out Odysseus's journey. The map you create with your group will be added to throughout our reading and will contain many different elements. Remember that these are made up places and adventures, so the map can look like a real journey or it can be a representative map! It will contain symbols for each place, a short summary, and elements of the Hero's Journey, in addition to other specific elements. Here are some examples.

The list of specific locations that should be included:

Ithaca --> Troy--> Lotus Eaters --> Cyclops' Isle--> Aeolus --> Laestrygonia --> Aeaea (Circe's Isle) --> Land of the Dead --> the Sirens --> Scylla and Charybdis --> Helios --> Ogygia (Calypso's Isle) --> Phacia (spellings differ)

You should also include Mt. Olympus, though Odysseus does not journey there.

October 10, 2022

Today we used NearPod to cover the Separation stages of the Hero's Journey. This includes the Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Supernatural Aid, and Crossing the First Threshold.

Key Ideas:

-- The hero is called to leave the normal world, often by a guide or mentor who appears and offers some form of aid, maybe in the form of magical help or protective amulets. This might be a special tool only the hero can use.

-- Most heroes initially refuse the call, not wanting to venture forth into an unknown and frightening world. This world is generally accepted to be dangerous because it is beyond the confines of the "village."

-- In order to cross the first threshold, the hero must face a threshold guardian who guards the entrance into the "special world." You can see real threshold guardians at the doors of temples or churches, because they are guarding the sacred knowledge or space inside. Thus, the journey undergone by a hero is also a journey inward to claim some prize or reward for which he must prove his worth.

-- the hero's journey can also be compared to the journey of adolescence into adulthood, or ignorance into knowledge (Plato's Allegory of the Cave).

For Odysseus, Book 9, his adventure with the cyclops, represents this stage. In this adventure, you should look at ways that Odysseus exemplifies the Epic Hero traits vs. how he stacks up to our modern interpretation of heroism. Throughout the books, it seems like Odysseus may have a disregard for the people in his care that is not what we might expect of a hero; his focus is on his own strength and glory. Look for examples of his desire to gain glory, or kleos, especially in the beginning of his journey.

Homework/Important Dates:

1. "Powder" packet (Base Skills Packet on Canvas) is due tomorrow.

2. No Red Ink: Subjects, Verbs, and Complete Sentences is due tomorrow.

3. Read Edith Hamilton's "Adventures of Odysseus" and record the places and characters that are important in the story. We will use these to make a map tomorrow.

4. Books 1, 5, and 6 + the DJ/paragraph are due Friday for discussion and work.

October 7, 2022

We started by reading lines 1-30 of The Odyssey in small groups and discussing what you understand from it. We also went over potential tools to help understand it:

-- Chapter summaries

-- Annotation or note-taking

-- Notice when you are confused-- is it too many unfamiliar names? Try to skip through those names or recognize them only briefly. Look for overarching events. The people listening would have known these names and it would help them stay grounded, but for us it is confusing. Also, think about the image you have as you read-- sometimes if there are people telling a story, the image can stop on the person speaking, without following the story. Notice if you are getting lost in different images or confused by language.

After reading and briefly discussing, the remaining 20 minutes were for paragraph revision for the "Powder" paragraph.

Upcoming Assignments

-- Tuesday, 10/11-- NoRedInk.com, Subjects, verbs, and complete subjects.

-- Tuesday, 10/11-- "Powder" Packet

-- Wednesday, 10/12-- PSAT, no regular classes

-- Friday, 10/14-- Group discussion on Books 1, 5, and 6 of The Odyssey

-- Friday, 10/14-- DJ and paragraph for Books 1, 5, and 6-- Timely Work. You will choose one later for me to grade for a writing and analysis grade.

Here are the slides from this week, including the peer-editing slides.

October 6, 2022

Today we covered how to give useful and constructive feedback on a piece of writing, including an example on the board. You can view the slides below. We practiced this with the "Powder" paragraphs, which I printed out from Canvas. Anyone who did not do the paragraph must still do all of the steps.

I am looking for feedback that is clear and specific, connected to specific text, relevant to the grade, and gives both "glows"-- positives and "grows"-- areas that could be strengthened or improved. We also covered some things to do if you are editing very strong writing or writing that is better than what you might produce yourself, both likely scenarios at a school like CVHS! In this situation, narrate the text-- label what the author is doing, explain why it is good or how it meets the requirements, or ask level 2 or 3 questions that might help the author improve analysis. You can help the author to see the moves they make that are successful for the audience.

After putting feedback on someone's paragraph, we exchanged back. You will be collecting and turning in the following pieces online:

-- Annotated story "Powder"

-- Character chart (optional)

-- Dialectical Journal for "Powder"

-- Peer-edited first draft

-- Revised final draft

Put these into one file using docs, slides, or Adobe Acrobat PDF (available in your software center). This will be due on Tuesday, Oct 11 and count as a Skills Culmination grade.

October 3, 2022

Today starts our unit on The Odyssey. Remember that we are reading the Emily Wilson translation, which I find very accessible. It also has chapter summaries in the back! I have also posted summaries to OneNote for you to use. We will be skipping all of the chapters with Telemachus, so you can use the chapter summaries to keep up with what he is doing.

In class, we started a NearPod about archetypes, and then students finished it on their own. The NearPod codes are posted to Canvas.

An archetype is a repeated pattern of characteristics or plot events, recognizable across media and texts. We will be especially examining the Hero's Journey as an archetype and how The Odyssey uses or fits into it. The Hero's Journey is an archetype recognized by Joseph Campbell, and it suggests that all heroes go through a similar path as they move from the known to the unknown. We will cover the stages of the journey throughout our unit.

NO SCHOOL OCTOBER 4-5.