Mission 3 - Odysseus' Journey
My teacher, Homer, was very impressed with the information you found and you helped me learn so much about him, the Trojan war and the adversaries! I think now I am ready to move on to the next mission; memorize the Odyssey! But how is it possible to memorize such a long poem? 12,000 lines! It seems almost impossible! Homer suggested a number of activities to help me remember my lines. He said that if I research, study about the setting, the plot, the characters, the conflicts between them, if I step into their shoes and experience their feelings, it will help me learn faster and easier because I will get involved. It would be my story and not someone else’s.
What do you say? Will you sail with me and Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca? Will you come along with us to this great journey? Come! So many experiences to get lived, so many enemies to be fought, so many battles to be won! Come! What matters is the journey and not the destination!!!
Scroll down and let’s have a look at the activities we need to complete!
After you have a look at all the videos and resources in the right column, complete your choice of quests to earn at least 300 XP for this mission and help Aristo memorize his lines.
Map out Odysseus’s Journey on Google Earth (75 XP)
Use Google Earth to map out Odysseus’s journey based on the epic but also factual information. You may want to have a look at the following interactive maps for help: Map 1 | Map 2. Your project should include all the locations and basic information about the places where Odysseus and his crew stopped. You should upload pictures relevant to the events occurred in each place. For this purpose you may use copyright free works of art (Wikimedia commons has a lot of them – do a search) or even create your own drawings .
⏩ Click here to see a video walkthrough on Google Earth.
⏫ Use the upload form to share with me a link to your work.
Odyssey’s Setting map (75 XP)
You can use the StoryboardThat graphic organizer or just google slides to construct a setting map of Odysseus’ journey.
Remember that the setting and the characters in Odyssey are constantly changing. The narration begins in medias res, in the middle of things. The story is nonlinear as Odysseus is introduced to the readers midway during his journey home, after which he recounts the events of the previous 20 years. The reader eventually catches up with the hero in the present, and the story progresses to its climax.
⏩ Determine all the different locations to which Odysseus and his crew go.
⏩ Each slide/frame should be a different setting.
⏩ Create a visual for each location (draw it yourself or use copyright free pictures or paintings), identify the setting, make a detailed description, and record any foreshadowing.
⏫ Use the upload form to share with me your work.
Odyssey’s Plot Structure & Conflicts (75 XP)
⏩ Identify conflicts in the Odyssey. Categorize each conflict (look at the Conflicts video on the right column) and write a short description for each one.
⏩ Separate the story into Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Create an image or find a copyright free artwork (Wikimedia commons is a good source of paintings about Odyssey) representing each important stage. Before you start don’t forget to consult the handout about plot structure and conflicts in the right column.
⏫ Use google docs to write your report and share with me a link to your file (use the upload form to the right).
Diary Entry – Point of View (75 XP)
In book 5 Gods announce to Calypso that she needs to let Odysseus go home. Homer in lines 150-154 describes Odysseus’ miserable psychological state saying “Him she found sitting on the shore, and his eyes were never dry of tears, and his sweet life was ebbing away, as he longed mournfully for his return, for the nymph was no longer pleasing in his sight¨ but what about Calypso? Ηοw does she feel about the Gods’ decision and the fact that she has to let Odysseus go?
⏩ Create a diary entry for Calypso. Before you start, have a look at the following video and notes.
⏩ It needs to be at least 200 words and in diary form.
⏫ When you finish, use the upload form to send me your work.
Drawing / Construction (75 XP)
Study Odyssey’s lines 286-321 of the 5th book that describe how Odysseus constructed his raft. Watch some examples of rafts here and construct your own. You may use straws, popsicle sticks or any other material useful for that purpose.
Alternatively you can make a drawing of this scene! Make sure that you include all the details mentioned in the text.
⏫ When you finish, use the upload form to send me a picture of your work.
Creative Writing – Create stop for Odysseus (75 XP)
When Odysseus left Calypso’s island his raft got destroyed by Poseidon’s storm and he encountered one more mythical creature in a new foreign land. Write a 200 words essay describing all the details; how it looks, where it lives, what it eats, and what kind of abilities it has. Does it live with other creatures? Is it hostile or friendly? Be specific and creative!
⏫ When you finish, use the upload form to send me your work.