"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:" Homer Edition

Books 10, 11, and 12 of The Odyssey are like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in The Odyssey. We will be meeting some very interesting and very dangerous creatures and humans. Get ready for the most interesting part of the story! Be sure that you are following along with the Travel Log assignments and questions. You should be writing these answers in your Daily Composition Notebooks.

Today, we have presentations for Circe, Aeolus, the Laestrygones, and Apollo. The remaining presentations will occur next week.

Odysseus vs. The Cyclopes

Halfway done with the adventures of Odysseus! Too bad he is no closer to home, though. :( Perhaps one day... For now, make sure that you have completed all of the Travel Logs up through Book 9 in your Daily Composition Notebooks. Hold onto the Book 1, Book 5, and Odyssey Notes pages that you turned in Friday and received back today. You will need them for The Odyssey Part I Test coming up after we finish Book 12!

Tomorrow's presentations are Circe, Aeolus, the Laestrygones, and Apollo. Remember your visual aid!

Statue found in Sperlonga, Italy

Steampunk Re-imagining of the Cyclops

Beginning The Odyssey

Great presentations today, guys! I cannot wait to see the rest of your presentations over the rest of The Odyssey. Below, you will find links to the pages of your very own "Travel Log" that you will complete as we read the epic. Enjoy these, because Monday you will be creating your own pages in your spiral or composition notebooks!

The Odyssey Travel Log
Books 1-5 pg 1
Books 1-5 pg 2
Books 1-5 pg 3
Books 1-5 pg 4
Books 1-5 pg 5

Greek Mythology Presentations

Presentations for your Greek god/goddess/human/creature begin this week! You have already turned in your handouts (due today), so now you only need to create your visual aid!

For your visual aid, I want you to create a model of a product based on your character. In Rick Riordian’s Heroes of Olympus series, the goddess Iris (of the rainbow and messenger to the gods), owns her own store: Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyle. There she sells various products of Olympus and its inhabitants. You will design your own product that could be found at your local convenience store. For examples, check out this sheet. Be creative! Your goal is to help your classmates remember what your character is all about!

I expect that these presentations will be fairly informal. I am only looking for four key elements to grade your presentation as listed on your assignment sheet:

1. Look up at your audience. No boring holes into your handout and never looking up.
2. Ensure your audience can hear you. Each side of the room should be able to clearly hear what you are saying.
3. Use proper words. This isn’t the time to be using slang and catchphrases like you do with your friends. Speak with correct and specific terms that aren’t your everyday relaxed vocabulary.
4. Be clear in your explanations. At the end of the presentation, you want your audience to nod in understanding, not cock their heads to the side in confusion. Have you clearly expressed your ideas? Or, am I lost in a confusion of questions?

Mythology Research Projects!

Now that you are finished with your Personal Hero Essay, it's time to do some research-based writing!

You have been randomly assigned a character (god/creature/human) from Homer's Odyssey. You will spend the next two days in class researching your character and creating a presentation/handout for your classmates. Check out this "fill-in-the-blank" handout template I have created for you. Here are a handful of great, trustworthy online resources and links to print resources you can check out at Barnes and Noble or your local library:

• An Extensive Index by acclaimed author Carlos Parada
• Edith Hamilton's Mythology
• Scholastic and National Geographic's Treasury of Greek Mythology
• Theoi Greek Mythology: Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art
• Encyclopedia Mythica
• Classical Texts Database: Perseus
• Ancient Greece Database

Identifying Thesis and Supporting Claims

Today, we looked at a hilarious, but well-structured "This I Believe" Essay.  Even though Elizabeth talks about Rice Krispies as heroes, this essay is a GREAT example of what I am looking for in your personal reflective essays. Be sure that you are elaborating like she does about each of your examples and character traits. 

Check out these articles about Real-Life Heroes from CNN. These articles are much more thorough, detailed, and researched but still offer insight into writing your own personal essay. See if you can identify the theses and main supporting claims in the articles!

Personal Hero Essay

For your first major writing assignment, you will be reflecting on a personal hero or on what makes a hero. Ordinarily, you would not use first person voice ("I," "me," my," etc.) in a formal essay; however, this essay is reflective. Use first person as appropriate! 

Choose one of the following topics:

HEROIC QUALITIES:

• You must choose THREE specific characteristics of a hero for this topic. You may choose three categories of hero qualities if you want to include a broader definition (i.e. “moral fiber” includes honesty, sacrifice, and commitment to personal beliefs).
• Include examples of each characteristic/category.
• Explain why each characteristic/category is significant and meaningful.

PERSONAL HERO:

• Use one paragraph to enumerate character traits of and your personal connection to the hero.
• The two following paragraphs should provide specific, demonstrative examples of this person as a hero. You can choose to group general behaviors as one paragraph, but you MUST have at least one SPECIFIC incident in which you can identify this person as a hero.
• Be sure to include explanations to the why these behaviors and actions constitute this person as a hero rather than just a good person.

Remember, you need to MLA format this paper and either type or write in pen. Check your work against the format and rubric I've given you on your assignment sheet. If your paper matches the format and is complete on Monday, I will give you 10 Bonus Points, as it was the original due date. We will go over a good 5-Paragraph Essay on Monday, so the true due date is Wednesday, August 27th.

Check out these resources for enhancing your paper!

• A (Hilarious and Detailed) Overview of the 5-Paragraph Essay
• Blog post (with video!) on how to write a killer hook and thesis!
• Blog post (with video!) on how to write an introduction and conclusion!
• MLA Formatting Resource
• Downloadable MLA Google Drive Document
• Video Instruction on LOADS of Writing Tips/Step