JessicaParent

PattyHicks
EDUC901
April16,2015
UnitPlan

Course:FolkloreandMythologyJuniorsandSeniorslevels2and3
CourseEssentialQuestions:
Howdoesknowingthestoriesofthepastimpactourpresent?
Howdomythsdevelopandchangeovertime?

Title:
TheIliad
:AncientWarandAncientValues
EssentialQuestions:
Whatisinthemindsofmeninthedifficultcircumstancesofwar?
Howisacultureshapedbyitsvalues?

DurationofUnit:5Weeks(23Days)

LearningGoalsfortheUnit:
Studentswill
Understandthenatureofepicpoetry
DefineandidentifyHomericsimilesandtheuseoffigurativelanguagetoconvey
meaning
Understandtheeventsandcharactersof
TheIliad
throughclose,criticalreading
Analyzethedevelopmentofthemajorthemesof
TheIliad
(manvsgod,manvsfate,the
impactofwaronsoldiersandfamilies)overthecourseofthetext
ExaminetheculturalvaluesoftheancientGreeksandhowtheycompareandcontrastto
thevaluesofmodern,westernculture
Reflectupontheimpactof
TheIliad
asafoundationaltextofWesternliterature

ConnectiontoCompetenciesandAlignedAssessments

Competencies:

AssessmentofCompetency

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentral
ideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopment
overthecourseofthetext,includinghow
theyinteractandbuildononeanotherto
produceacomplexaccountprovidean

Warjournals
Socraticdiscussion
Quest#1,#2,#3essayquestions

objectivesummaryofthetext.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.4
Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrases
astheyareusedinthetext,including
figurativeandconnotativemeaningsanalyze
theimpactofspecificwordchoiceson
meaningandtone,includingwordswith
multiplemeaningsorlanguagethatis
particularlyfresh,engaging,orbeautiful.

Homericsimilesactivity
Gallerywalkquotations
ShortanswerquestionsinQuest#1,#2,#3

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.5
Analyzehowanauthor'schoicesconcerning
howtostructurespecificpartsofatext(e.g.,
thechoiceofwheretobeginorendastory,
thechoicetoprovideacomedicortragic
resolution)contributetoitsoverallstructure
andmeaningaswellasitsaestheticimpact.

SocraticdiscussionsdiscussionofEnmedias
res,conclusionoftheTrojanwaractivity

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.7
Analyzemultipleinterpretationsofastory,
drama,orpoem(e.g.,recordedorlive
productionofaplayorrecordednovelor
poetry),evaluatinghoweachversion
interpretsthesourcetext.

Gallerywalkactivity

CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.1112.3
Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimagined
experiencesoreventsusingeffective
technique,wellchosendetails,and
wellstructuredeventsequences.

Iliad
creativewritingdraft,discussion,and
finaldraft

CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.B
Workwithpeerstopromotecivil,democratic
discussionsanddecisionmaking,setclear
goalsanddeadlines,andestablishindividual
rolesasneeded.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.C
Propelconversationsbyposingand
respondingtoquestionsthatprobereasoning

WeeklySocraticdiscussions,inclass
discussions

andevidenceensureahearingforafullrange
ofpositionsonatopicorissueclarify,verify,
orchallengeideasandconclusionsand
promotedivergentandcreativeperspectives.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.D
Respondthoughtfullytodiverseperspectives
synthesizecomments,claims,andevidence
madeonallsidesofanissueresolve
contradictionswhenpossibleanddetermine
whatadditionalinformationorresearchis
requiredtodeepentheinvestigationor
completethetask.

Content:

Attheconclusionofthisunit,studentswillunderstand:
ThehistoricalandmythologicaloriginsoftheTrojanWar
Theevents,characters,andthemesof
TheIliad
Theimpactofauthorstoneandbiases
AncientGreekbattletacticsandtheirrelatedterms
Panoply
Phalanx
Hoplite
Greekliteraryterms
Hamartia
Hubris
Moira
Epithets
HomericSimiles
Epic/EpicHeroes
Pointofview
How
TheIliad
isrepresentedthroughavarietyofartisticmediums
AncientGreekburialrites
Funeralgames
Protocolsforcivildiscourseintheclassroom

Context:

TheunitwastaughtwithinthecourseFolkloreandMythology,asemesterlong,
combinedleveltwoandthreeEnglishelectivecourseforregisteredjuniorsandseniorsat
ManchesterCentralHighSchool.
This
Iliad
unitfollowstheGreekherosunitwherestudentsreadeightshortstories
detailingtheadventuresoffamousGreekheroesincludingHercules,Bellerophon,Atalanta,
Theseus,Perseus,Daedalus,Jason,andPhaethon.Studentsgrappledwiththeessentialquestions
oftheheroesunit:Whatisahero?Howdoculturalvaluesaffectaculturesheroes?Whatarethe
commonalities/differencesbetweentheheroesofancientGreekmythandtoday?
Studentswillmovefromtheshortstoriesoftheheroesunitintoalongerepicwith
studentsbeingrequiredtopracticegreatercriticalreadingskills.Theconceptofcivildiscourse
aroundacentraltexthasbeenintroducedtostudentsthroughtheimplementationofSocratic
discussionsduringtheheroesunit.Studentswillcontinuetoparticipateinfurtherdiscussions
duringthe
Iliad
unitwhereparticipation,evidenceofclosereading,andselfassessmentwillbe
usedtoassessstudentscommunicationandcriticalreadingskills.
TheIliad
unitbuildsonwhatstudentsalreadyknowaboutheroesandintroducesthemto
theconceptoftheepichero,aherothatrepresentsthecultureofthetimeduringwhichtheywere
writtenandwhomustovercomeagreatchallengetoprovetheirworthiness.
After
TheIliad
unit,studentswillhaveamoresophisticatedunderstandingofconcepts
suchasfate(moira),hamartia,ancientGreekburialrights,andhubris,conceptsthatwillbe
furtherreinforcedinfollowingpostTrojanWarunit.

Input:

TheIliad
,W.H.D.Rousetranslation,PenguinBooks,1993
MapofGreece,circa12thCenturyBC
MiniCompositionNotebooksforeachstudent
TheIliad
Quests#13(formativeassessmentcrossbetweenaquizandatest)
WarJournalHandout
TheIliad
causeandeffectreviewhandout
SocraticDiscussion#3#5handouts
EmbassytoAchilleshandout
Printedcopiesofthefollowingartpieces:

AchillesWelcomingAgamemnonsAmbassadors
byGottliebSchick

HectorandAndromache
,Apulianredfigurevase

DiomedesattackingAeneasAphroditestandsbehindhim
,Grecianurn

TheDuelofMenelausandParis
byJohannHeinrichTischbein

JupiterandThetis
byJeanAugusteDominique

TheAngerofAchilles,orSacrificeofIphignie
byDavid,JacquesLouis
CreativeWritingAssignmentOptionsandRequirementsHandout
GreekArmorvs
300
Armorhandout
DiagramofAchilles'sShield
TwitterTemplate

PersonalGoals:

Mypersonalgoalsforthisunitareforstudentstoendtheunitwithagreaterappreciation
forthethemes,events,andcharactersof
TheIliad
,afoundationalblockforWesternliterature.
Mypersonalpedagogytakesseriouslytheneedforstudentstobefullyengagedinwhattheyare
learning.Assuch,thisunitcontainsverylittlelecturestyleteachingandinsteadusesavarietyof
activitiesandassessmentstogetstudentsactivelyengagedinthematerial.Ihaveobservedinthe
previousheroesunitthatamajorgatewaytostudentengagementisbyprovidingthemplentyof
opportunitiestoactivelydiscussasaclassthematerialbeingstudied.However,forstudentsto
beabletoactivelydiscuss,andthereforebecomeengagedwiththematerial,itisessentialfor
studentstoreadallassignedreadings.
TheIliad
isatextoffargreatercomplexitythantheshort

storiesoftheheroesunit.Assuch,forthisunit,Iassignedstudentsnightlywarjournalsin
whichtheymustwriteentrieseverynightbasedontheirreading.Ihavealsocontinuedthe
Socraticdiscussionsfirststartedintheheroesunittoencouragestudentstoreadnightlysothey
mightbebetterpreparedtopropeltheclassdiscussionthemselvesinthesestudentcentered,
teacherfacilitateddiscussions.
Thesediscussionsalsofurthermysecondarygoalfortheunitwhichisforstudentsto
practiceeffectivecommunicationthroughcivildiscoursecenteredonourclasstext.Thisreflects
mypedagogicalpriorityofimprovingthecriticalthinkingandcommunicationskillsofall
studentswhoentermyclassroom.

UnitPlanBook:

*Boldday*=IncludedinUnitPlanReflection
Week1 *Day1*:
Backgroundofthe
TrojanWar:
Mythologicaland
HistoricalOrigins

Day2:
Backgroundofthe
TrojanWarcontinued

Day3:
TrojanWar
BackgroundQuiz

*Day4*:
EventsofBook1of
TheIliad

Day5
:
EventsofBook2of
TheIliad

Concepts:Invocation
ofthemuses,theanger
ofAchilles,the
juxtapositionofthe
mortalsandthegods,
theroleoffate

Concepts:The
catalogueofships,
secondinvocationof
themuses,portents,
Homericsimilesand
theuseoffigurative
languagewithin
The
Iliad

Introducewarjournals

Passoutcopiesofthe
Iliad

Homework:Read
Book1of
TheIliad

Introduceessential
questionsof
TheIliad

Homework:Read
Book2of
TheIliad

Homework:Read
Book3of
TheIliad

Week2 *Day6*:
EventsofBook3of
TheIliad

*Day7*
:
EventsofBook4of
TheIliad

Day8:
Quest#1

Warjournalcheck1

Concepts:Pointof
view,theperspective
oftheTrojansvsthe
Greeks,authorbias,
theScaeanGates,
epithets

Review:Causeand
effectactivity

Roleplayactivity

Homework:Read

Homework:Study
fortomorrows
Iliad
Questonbooks14

Homework:Read
books5and6of
The
Iliad
(select
passages)

Day9:
EventsofBooks5and
6of
TheIliad

*Day10*:
EventsofBooks7and
8of
TheIliad

WriteNowactivity: Socraticdiscussion
WhowasDiomedes?

WhydidHomerinclude Homework:Read
thescenebetween
book9of
TheIliad
Hectorand
Andromache?

Concepts:Themeof
familyandwar,mortals
vsgodsvsfate.

Book5of
TheIliad.

Homework:Read
books7and8of
The
Iliad
.Preparefor
tomorrowsSocratic
discussion.

Week3 *Day11*:
Eventsofbook9of
TheIliad

Day12:
Eventsofbook10of
TheIliad

Day13:
QuestonBooks510
of
TheIliad

Concepts:Giftgiving Concepts:Espionage
andhospitalityofthe andtheancientGreeks,
ancientGreeks
treatmentofcowardice
inbattle,theTrojans

EmbassyofAchilles andtheThracians
activity

Homework:Read
book10of
TheIliad

Week4 Day16:
Eventsofbooks14
and15of
TheIliad

Writenowactivity:
Writenow:What
doesHeradoinbook
14?Whatistheresult
ofheractions?How
doesZeusreactto
Herainbook14?

HowdoesZeusreact
toitinbook15
afterwards?
Week5 *Day21*
:
Eventsofbooks21
and22of
TheIliad

Revistconcept:The
powerofmortalsvs

Roleplayactivity

Homework:Study
forbooks510Quest

Homework:Read
book13of
TheIliad
andpreparefor
tomorrowsSocratic
discussion.

*Day17*:
Eventsofbooks16
and17of
TheIliad

Day18:
Eventsofbook18of
TheIliad

TheShieldof
Achillesactivity

Passoutarmorguide

*Day19*:
Day20:
Eventsofbooks19and **shortenedperiods**
20of
TheIliad

Passoutandexplain
Twitteractivity

Concepts:Greek
armorversusmodern
perceptionofGreek
warriorpanoply,Greek
warriorterms(panoply,
phalanx,hoplite)

Concepts:Portrayalof Socraticdiscussion
eventsandcharactersof
TheIliad
inart
GalleryWalk
activity

Warjournalcheck2

Warjournalcheck3

Homework:Finish
TwitterAssessment

ShareTwitter
assessmenttweets

Discussionquestions:
Thebattlesofar,what
needstohappentoend
thewar,whatdoyou
thinkwillhappen?

Homework:Read
books21and22of
TheIliad

Homework:Read
book18of
TheIliad
Day22:
Eventsofbooks23
and24of
TheIliad

Day23:
Reviewbooks124
of
TheIliad

Divineintervention
FinalSocratic
activity:assigneach
discussion
groupagodor
goddess,group
convenes,classcomes
togetherandeach
groupshareswiththe
classwhattheirfigure
didinbooks21and
22of
TheIliad
(books
markedbyan
incredibleamountof
divineintervention).

Homework:Read
books11and12of
TheIliad

*Day14*:
Day15
Eventsofbooks11and Eventsofbook13of
12of
TheIliad
TheIliad:

Studyguideactivity

WarJournalcheck4

Day24:

TheIliad
finalexam

thegodsvsfate.

LessonPlan

Day1:BackgroundoftheTrojanWar

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thisisthefirstlessonwithintheuniton
TheIliad
.Giventhat
TheIliad
begins
inmediasres
,
studentsmustbefamiliarwiththebackgroundofthehistoricalandmythologicaloriginsofthe
TrojanWartobetterunderstandtheeventsoftheepicpoem.

Thepreviousnight,studentshavebeenassignedtoreadChapter14ofEdithHamiltons
Mythology
whichoutlinesthemythologicaloriginsoftheTrojanWar.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

StudentswillunderstandthehistoricaloriginsoftheTrojanWar
AncientCivilizations:Mycenaeans,Dorians,Minoans
Geographicallocations
Politicsofthetime
StudentswillunderstandthemythologicaloriginsoftheTrojanWar:
WeddingofThetisandPeleus
Eris,goddessofdiscord
ThejudgementofParis
Theagreementbetweenthesuitors
Studentswillidentifythemainfiguresof
TheIliad
Studentswillapplytheirknowledgeofhowmythsformovertime
Studentswillbeabletodefinewhatanepicpoemandwhatanepicherois(tobe
reinforcedthroughouttherestoftheunit)

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.3
Analyzetheimpactoftheauthor'schoicesregardinghowtodevelopandrelateelementsofa
storyordrama(e.g.,whereastoryisset,howtheactionisordered,howthecharactersare
introducedanddeveloped).

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

TrojanWarBackgroundhandout
EdithHamiltons
Mythology
,chapter14
MapofGreece,circa12thCenturyBC

Methods:

Explicitinstruction
Guidednotes
Visuals:Map

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(>5minutes)
Passout,thengooverTrojanWarbackgroundhandout,Mythologicaloriginsside.(25
minutes)
Withstudentsprovidingamajorityoftheanswers,theclasswillgoovertogetherthe
firstsideoftheTrojanwarbackgroundhandoutwhichoutlinesthemythologicaloriginsofthe
TrojanWar.
Astheclassfillsoutthenotesbasedonlastnightsreadingandtodaysdiscussion,Iwill
fillinextrainformationnotoutlinedinthereadingsuchasthereasonforPeleusandThetis
marriage(Zeusarrangedit)andancientGreekrulesregardinghospitalitytosupplementstudents
understandingoftheeventsofthewarbeyondwhattheysimplyreadforhomework.
HistoricalBackgroundoftheTrojanWar(15minutes)
Studentswillfilloutthebacksideofthehandoutbasedonmyexplicitinstructionofthe
historicaloriginsofthewar,atopicnotcoveredintheirbooks.
Discussionquestions:

WhatmayaccountfortheevolutionofthehistoryoftheTrojanwartothe
epicpoemdetailingtheTrojanWar?
Whathappenstostoriesovertime?
Whenhaveyouseenthisbeforeinmyths?Whatwerethepurposeofthe
explanationof
those
myths?(naturalphenomenon)
Whatdoyouthinkthesupernaturalforcessuchasthegodsandgoddesses
andfatewillrepresentin
TheIliad
?
Conclusion:(>5minutes)

InformstudentstheywillnolongerhavetobringtheirEdithHamiltonbooks,and
insteadbepreparedtobringtheircopiesof
TheIliad
(tobepassedouttomorrow)toclassevery
dayfromnowon.

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Theclasswillbeformativelyassessedontheirreadingbasedonthelevelofdiscussionandclass
participationwhilegoingoverthefirsthalfofthehandout.Previousknowledgewillbeassessed
throughdiscussionquestionsreferringtoconceptsintroducedinpastlessons(hubris,formulation
ofmyths).

Twodaysfromnow,studentswillbeassessedontheirknowledgeofthebackgroundofthe
TrojanWarthroughashortformativeassessmentquiz.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Tomorrow,theclasswillcontinueitsdiscussionregardingtheoriginsoftheTrojanWaras
reviewfortheirformativequizontheseorigins.Tomorrow,studentswillalsosignoutcopiesof
TheIliad
.

Twodaysfromnow,studentswillbegivenashortformativequiz.Studentswillalsobegiven
theirWarJournals,andinstructionsfortheuseofthesejournalsthroughouttheunit.

Reflection:

Thiswasthefirstlessonof
TheIliad
unit.WhileIcouldhaveeasilyskippedthislesson
entirelyandstartedreading
TheIliad
withmystudents,Iwantedtobesurethatstudents
understoodthemythologicalandhistoricalcontextfortheepic.Aspartofmypedagogy,I
believeitisessentialforstudentstobefirstengagedwiththematerialandfamiliarwiththeir
teachersexpectationsbeforecomplexityofcontentisincreased.AstheEdithHamilton
mythologybookisamuchsimplerlanguagethanHomers
Iliad
,Iwantedstudentstounderstand

thecontextoftheplotof
TheIliad
inthismuchsimplertermsbeforemovingontotherigorous
contentof
TheIliad
.

WhatwentwellwastheconversationaldiscussionabouttheoriginsoftheTrojanWar.
ManystudentswerefamiliarwiththeideaofAchilles,HelenofTroy,andtheTrojanWar,
providingagoodintothemorecomplexnatureoftheactualwar.Studentshavealso
previouslyread
TheOdyssey
intheirfreshmenEnglishclass,sostudentscouldapplytheir
knowledgeofwhathappenedafter
TheIliad
tohelpthemunderstandtheeventsduringitand
wereeagerandcomfortabletotakepartintodaysdiscussion.
OnemodificationIwouldconsiderforthislessonisassigningtheguidednotesas
homeworkforstudentstofilloutwhiletheyarereadingthenightbeforeinsteadofhavingthem
multitaskby1.fillingoutthenotes2.showingtheirknowledgeofthereadingbytakingpartin
discussionand3.listeningtotheaddedinformationIwasgivingthemduringthediscussion.I
wantedtoimpressuponstudentstheimportanceofkeepingupwiththereading,hencethismore
informalassessmenthowever,hadmystudentscompletedtheguidednotesthenightbefore,
studentscouldhaveusedtheguidednotesasamodelforpickingouttheessentialinformation
andthemeswithintheirreadingbeforemovingonto
TheIliad
,amorecomplextext.Ialsocould
havequicklygonearoundandgradedthenotesforcompletionasanaddedgradeandtofurther
emphasizethenecessityofbeingpreparedforclassbycompletingalltherequiredreading.As
thislessonwascurrentlydesigned,thefewstudentswhodidntparticipateinthediscussion
couldhaveeasilynotcompletedthereadingandsimplyfilledintheguidednotesbasedonthe
discussion.


BACKGROUNDOFTHETROJANWAR

TheIliad
is
anepic
:
Anepicisdefinedbythe
epichero
thenarrativeisabout.Anepicherorepresentsthe
valuesof

theirculture.Anepicheromustalsostrugglewith,andeventuallyovercome,agreatchallenge.

THEMYTHOLOGICALORIGINS:
TheMarriageofThetisandPeleus:
TheGreekKingPeleusandtheseanymphThetismarry.TheyarethefutureparentsofAchilles.
AllthecelebritiesofOlympusareinvitedtothewedding,everyonebut______________,goddessof
_______________.Inretaliation,sheleavesa(n)________________________attheweddingfeast
uponwhichiswrittenthewords____________________________.
Threegoddessescompetefortheapple:_________________,_______________and
______________.
______________isaskedtojudgebetweenthem,buthetells________________todoitinstead.
______________isthesonoftheTrojankingPriam,whowastoldinaprophecythathissonwould
oneday
________________________________________________________________________________.
Eachgoddessoffersabribe:

1.__________________offers________________________________________________.
2.__________________offers________________________________________________.

3.__________________offers________________________________________________.
Parisacceptstheofferof________________________andgiveshertheapple.
TheSuitorsVow:
Meanwhile,theKingofSpartaconsiderswhowillmarryHelen,daughterof__________and
__________.
Toavoidviolence,allofHelenspossiblesuitorstakeanoathto
_________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
__.

Intheend,______________________ischosenasthehusbandofHelenandbecomeskingof
Sparta.
TheAbductionofHelenandtheGatheringoftheGreekArmy:
Undertheguiseofadiplomaticmission,ParissailstoSpartaandkidnapsHelenwiththehelpof
Aphrodite.Aspertheagreement,allofthesuitors,thechieftainsofGreece,assembletohelp
Menelaus.
ThetisattemptstwicetokeephersonAchillesoutofthewar.Whenhewasborn,Thetis
__________________________________________.WhentheTrojanWarbegins,Odysseuscomes
forAchilles,soThetis
_____________________________________________________________________.
AccordingtoHomer,_________________shipssailtoTroy.TogetwindtoblowintheGreeksfavor,
Agamemnon,brotherofMenelaus,______________________________________________________.

THEHISTORICALORIGINS:
TheMycenaeans:
WhenHomerwaswritingabouttheGreeks(aroundthe800s),hewasreferringtotheMycenaeanswhohad
actuallylivedaround_________yearsbefore.
TheMycenaeansruledareasofGreeceandorganizedthemselvesinanumberofsmallercommunitiesruledby
oneheadfamily(how____________areorganizedin
TheIliad
!)

TheMycenaeanswerea____________peoplewhosepowerandprogresscameby_________.

TroyandAsiaMinor:
TroywasadevelopingcityoffthecoastofAsiaMinor.
Troywasawalledfortressknownforits______________and____________.
The______________separatesTroyandtheMycenaeans

ThereishistoricalevidencethatbothTroyandtheMycenaeansexistedandfoughteachotheraround
1200BC,possiblydueto_______________________________________________.

Homer
:
ItisbelievedbymanythatHomer,knownasthe_______________________,wasarealpersonwhowrote
down
thetaleswithin
TheIliad
basedonoraltradition.


(Tobepassedoutandintroducedthenextday:)

TheIliad
:WarJournal

TheIliad
isalongepicpoemwrittenbyHomeraboutthelastyearofthe
TrojanWar.Thisepicpoemincludesalargenumberofcharacters,godsand
mortalslocations,historicalandfictionalandevents,intimate
interactionstofullscalebattles.Toassistyouinyoursurveyofthewar,
youwillbekeepingawarjournal.Thisjournalwillhelpyoukeeptrackof
allthedifferentelementsofthestoryandwillaidyouintimesofcrisis
(i.estudyingforyourassessments).

Youwillwriteashortentryinyourjournalforeachchapter.Eachentry
willincludethefollowinginformation:

Theprincipalcombatants(Themaincharactersofthechapter)

Theprincipallocations

Theprincipalevents

Thewinnerofthechapterandwhy.(Whoendedupinthe
bestpositionbytheendofthechapter?Thiscouldincludethewinnersof
actualbattlesorargumentsbetweenmultiplecharactersorthiscouldsimply
includewhosurvivedaparticularlyintensescene).

Yourwarjournalwillbecheckedeveryweekforbothcompletionandevidence
ofeffort.Youwillreceiveafinalgradeoutof100onyourwarjournalby

theendoftheunit.Therubricforthefourindividualjournalchecksthat
willmakeupyourfinalgradeisasfollows:

Toreceivea25/25:
Thereisanentryforeverychapter.Alltheinformation
ispresentandelaboratedon.Effortisclearlyevident.

Toreceivea20/25:
Thereisanentryforeverychapter.Allinformationis
present,thoughitlackssomedetails.Effortisevident.

Toreceivea15/25:
Oneormoreentriesmaybemissing.Informationis
presentintheformofvagueonewordanswers.Effortissomewhatevident.

Toreceivea10/25:
Multipleentriesaremissingandinformationis
incrediblyvagueormissing.Effortisnotevident.

Anylower:
Donteventhinkaboutit.

Day4:BookI

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thesubjectofthislessonistheevent,themes,characters,andrelatedconceptsofBookIof
The
Iliad
.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillidentifysomeofthemajorthemesof
TheIliad
andbegintotracktheir
developmentoverthetext(anger,family,war,manvsgod).
StudentswillunderstandtheterminvocationofthemusesHomersuseofitwithin
The
Iliad
Studentswillunderstandthethemes,characters,andplotofBookIof
TheIliad
.
Studentswilldefineandunderstandtheuseofsettingastory
enmediasres
.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.3

Analyzetheimpactoftheauthor'schoicesregardinghowtodevelopandrelateelementsofa
storyordrama(e.g.,whereastoryisset,howtheactionisordered,howthecharactersare
introducedanddeveloped).
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.4
Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinthetext,includingfigurative
andconnotativemeaningsanalyzetheimpactofspecificwordchoicesonmeaningandtone,
includingwordswithmultiplemeaningsorlanguagethatisparticularlyfresh,engaging,or
beautiful.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

TheIliad
,W.H.D.Rousetranslation,PenguinBooks,1993

Methods:

Teacherposedquestions
Classdiscussion

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(<5minutes)
RemindstudentstheymustreadbookIIof
TheIliad
tonightandcontinuetofillintheir
warjournals.
GooverWarJournalsandlastnightsreading(10minutes)
Discuss:

Whoweretheprincipalcombatants?
Principallocations?
Principalevents?
Whowasthewinnerofthebook?
Discussthemesandessentialquestions:(20minutes)

Whatwasthefirstlinein
TheIliad
?
Define:Invocationofthemuses
Whatisaninvocation?Whoarethemuses?

Connectto:Hubris:WhyHomercreditsthemusesandnothisown
intelligence
andabilitytotellthestory.
Themesactivity:(>10minutes)
Definetheme,howtotrackthedevelopmentofathemeoverawork

Ontheboard:writeoutthefourthemesthatareintroducedinbookIof
TheIliad
.Have
studentsvolunteerinstanceswithinthefirstbookofthetexthowthesethemesappear.Sample
answersinclude:
Anger:Speak,ohmuse,oftheangerofAchilles.
Recap:Definitionofanepichero(whatwillAchilleshavetoovercome?)
Family:AchillesandThetis,ChrysesandChryseis
War:ThenineplusyearsoftheTrojanWar
Manvs.God:TheGreeksvsApollo(andlaterZeus)
Howarethegodsportrayed?Howaretheircouncilsconductedcompared
tohowthemortalscouncilsareconducted
Instructstudentstofollowthedevelopmentofthesethemesthroughouttheepic

Conclusion:(>5minutes)

Whatareyourimpressionsofthecharacterssofar?Whatdoyouthinkofourepic
hero?

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Studentswillbeformativelyassessedbasedontheirresponsesduringclassdiscussion.
Studentswillbegivenaquest(partquiz,parttest)ontheeventsofbooksIIV.Atthattime,I
willalsobecheckingtheirwarjournalsforcompletionandevidenceofreading.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

StudentswillcontinuetoreadandfillintheirwarjournalsonthereadingofbooksIIIVuntil
theirfirstquest.

Tomorrow,theclasswilldiscusstheeventsofbookIIof
TheIliad
.Tomorrowsdiscussionwill
alsoincludeadiscussiononHomericsimilesandtheuseoffigurativelanguagewithin
TheIliad
.

Reflection:

Inthislesson,mymainfocuswastofurtherimpressuponstudentstheimportanceofstaying
caughtupwiththereading.Byintroducingthethemesandinformingstudentsthatthesethemes
willcontinuallydevelopoverthetext,IhopedthatIwouldprovideforstudentsafurthermeans
ofreadingforaspecificpurpose.

Ithinkthislessonwasespeciallysuccessfulingettingstudentsinvestedintheeventsof
The
Iliad
.QuestionssuchasWhatareyourimpressionsofthecharacterssofar?elicitedmany
amusing,yetinsightfulreactionsfrommystudentswhowerealreadydevelopingstrongfeelings
aboutsomeofthecharacters,mostnotablyAchillesandAgamemnon.

StudentsseemedmostengagedinthislessonafterIaskedthemtheirownfeelingsonthetext.
However,Iaskedthisquestionattheconclusionofthislessonandaclasswideconversationwas
endedbythebellbeforeitcoulddevelopevenfurther.Movingforward,Iplanonaskingthese
kindsofquestionsatthebeginningofourdiscussionabouttheeventsofthereadinginsteadof
askingthemoresummarytypequestionsofthewarjournals(whowerethemaincharacters,
locations,etc.).WhenmystudentswereengagedintheirimpromptuAchillesvsAgamemnon
debate,theyobviouslycouldnthelpbutuseexamplesfromthetexttosupporttheirown
opinions.Iwouldhavelovedforthediscussiontohavecontinuedinsteadofstoppingmy
studentssecondsbeforethebelltoexplaintheywillhaveafurtherchancetodiscussduringour
upcomingSocraticdiscussions.

Day6:BookIII

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thespecificsubjectofthelessonisbook3of
TheIliad
andthecausesandeffectsofthe
deteriorationofthefirstattemptedtrucebetweentheGreekandtheTrojans.Thisispartofthe
largeruniton
TheIliad
.Duringtheintroductionoftheclass,wewillalsodiscussepithetsand
howtheyareusedwithHomersstoryasthisbookinparticularusesmanyepithetsintheplace
ofcharactersnames.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillcontinuetoidentifythevariousthemeswithin
TheIliad
andhowtheyshapethe
charactersandplot(Manvsthegods,fatevsfreewill,anger,war).
Studentswilldefinewhatanepithetisandanalyzethepurposeofthoseusedwithin
TheIliad.
Studentswillanalyzethestrategiesandlogisticsofthefirstmajorconfrontationbetweenthe
GreeksandTrojanswithin
TheIliad
.
Studentswillassumetherolesofspecificfiguresandcharactersandanalyzetheirmotivations
andcharacterizationwithinthestory.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.4
Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinthetext,includingfigurative
andconnotativemeaningsanalyzetheimpactofspecificwordchoicesonmeaningandtone,
includingwordswithmultiplemeaningsorlanguagethatisparticularlyfresh,engaging,or
beautiful.(IncludeShakespeareaswellasotherauthors.)
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.A
Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadandresearchedmaterialunderstudyexplicitlydraw
onthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidencefromtextsandotherresearchonthetopicorissueto
stimulateathoughtful,wellreasonedexchangeofideas.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1

Initiateandparticipateeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(oneonone,ingroups,
andteacherled)withdiversepartnersongrades1112topics,texts,andissues,buildingon
others'ideasandexpressingtheirownclearlyandpersuasively.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

studentcopiesof
TheIliad

Methods:

explicitteaching(epithets)
classdiscussion
roleplaying

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(<3minutes)
Epithetsactivity(10minutes)

Inthischapter,HomerreferstoafigureasCloudgather.Whocouldthatbe?
WhoisShootafar?WhodoyouthinkisGrayEyed?
Defineepithetsonboard:descriptivenicknames,usedinliteraturetoprovidericher
descriptionsofcharacters.
Ontheboard:Shootafar,Grayeyed,Ox/Coweyed,LordofAllMen,BronzeArmored,
Horsebreakers,Whitearmed,Silverfoot(commonepithetswithin
TheIliad
)
Askstudentstomakeeducatedguessesastowhomtheseepithetscouldreferto.

Howdidyouknowthat/Whydidyouthinkso?
Defineepithetstogetheranddiscussmeaninganduseofthoseepithets
Example:GrayeyedisAthena,grayeyesareuncommonandspecialandshehas
apiercinggaze.Also,theundersideofoliveleaves(
WhyisAthenasassociatedwitholive
trees?)
aregray,sowhenthewindblewtheleavesaround,theancientGreeksbelievedthat
Athenasgrayeyeswerewatchingthem.
BookFourReenactment(30minutes)

Wheredidthisbookopento?
TheScaeanGates(extradiscussionaboutwallsofTroy
andsiegewarfare)

HowdidtheGreeksapproach?
Silently,shouldertoshoulder.
DivideclassbetweentheTrojansandtheGreeks,havethemstandbeforetheScaean
gates(drawnontheboard),havestudentsbringtheirbooks.
Classreadspassagesofthechaptertogether,whenanewcharacterperformsacertain
actionorspeaks,askforavolunteertoactoutthatactionorreadaloudtheirline.

Scenes:Greeksapproachingsilently,ParisandMenelausprepareforduel,Helen
andKingPriamobservethebattlefromthewallwhilediscussingthevariousfiguresonthe
Greekside,TrojanscheeringParis.
Discussionquestions:

HowdoesHomerdescribeParisputtingonallofhisarmorand
accoutrement?HowdoesthiscomparetohowMenelauspreparesfortheduel?
WhatarethemajordifferencesbetweenHectorandParis?WhatisParis
reactiontoHectorshectoring?
HowisHelenpresentedinthisbook?Whathasherexperiencebeenlikeon
theTrojanside?

Conclusion:(>5minutes)

Whattolookforintonightschapter,keepworkingonwarjournals,reminderthereisa
questonWednesday.

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

formativelyassessclassdiscussionandreenactment
QuestonWednesday

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

TomorrowonTuesday,studentswilldiscussbookfourof
TheIliad
andreviewbooksonefour
forthequestthatwillbeadministeredonWednesday.Wednesdaystudentswillbequizzedon
thesebooks,ThursdaywillincludeadiscussionaboutbooksfiveandsixandHomericsimiles
andtheuseoffigurativelanguagewithin
TheIliad
.FridaywillbeaSocraticdiscussion
regardingthethemesof
TheIliad
thusfar.

Reflection:

Iformedthislessonwiththedesiretogetmystudentsasfullyengagedinthematerialof
TheIliad
aspossible.Withinmypedagogystatement,Idiscussatlengththeimportanceof
engagingstudentsfirstbeforeincreasingcomplexityoftheclasscontent.With
TheIliad
beinga
long,epicpoem,itwasessentialformetoensurethatstudentsbecameasfamiliarandinvested
inthestoryassoonaspossibletoensuretheirfuturesuccesswithinthislongunit.Ialsowanted
tocontinuetoimpressuponstudentstheamountofcriticalthinking,closereading,and
participationIexpectedforthemtoexhibitwithinthisunitandthatthereadingofthistextwould
consistofmorethanjustasummaryofmajorplotpointsdiscussedinclassthenextday.
Originally,theactivityregardingepithetswasgoingtobeasimpleaffairwhereIwould
givestudentsnotesontheboardforthemtocopydownforreferenceintheirwarjournals(asa
keyofsortsforwhichepithetwasreferringtowhomwithinthetext).Afterlistingthevarious
epithetsontheboard,onestudentaskedifoxeyedreferredtoHephaestus.Isaidno,butit
was
referringtoaparticulargod.Thissimplenotegivingthenturnedintoaninteractiveactivity
wherestudentsmadeeducatedguessesregardingtheepithets.Italsoturnedintoagreatvalue
addedlessonwhereIwasabletodiscusstheculturalreferencesregardingsomeoftheepithets
(coweyed,forexample,actuallybeingacomplementtoHeraastheancientGreeksbelieved
thefacesofcowstobeespeciallynobleandbeautiful).
Fortheroleplayingactivity,whilethingsbecamealittlehecticattime(astheywere
indeedrecreatingastandoffbetweentheTrojansandtheGreeks),Icancomfortablysaythat
nearlyallstudentswereengaged,whetherbypassionatelyactingoutcertaincharactersor
followingcloselyalongintheirbooksastheystoodwithintheranksoffellowsoldiers.There

wasastudentinparticularwhohadrecentlytransferredintotheclassandseemedveryshyat
first.Duringourreenactment,IhadhimplaythepartofOdysseus,whohadnospeakinglines
butwasstillinvolvedasHelenisdescribinghimtoKingPriam.Thisonceshystudentseemedto
enjoyhamminguphisroleasHelendescribedhimasthecleverestofGreeksheassumeda
mockphilosophicalpose,adjustedhisglasses,andpretendedtowritevigorouslyinhisbookas
hewasbeingdescribed.Itwasanicewaytoseehispersonalityandincludehiminour
developingclassroomcommunity.Theotherstudentsseemedequallyenthusedabouttheirroles,
especiallyourParisandMenelauswhohadtobegentlyinformedthatactingoutslowmotion
kungfumoveswashistoricallyinaccurate,thoughtheirenergywasappreciated.Attheendof
thelesson,manystudentsaskedifwecouldreserveoneoftheauditoriumstoreenactsomeofthe
largerbattles.
Inthefuture,Imaytakesomeofmystudentsrequeststoheartandseeifwecanbe
movedforaclassortwotooneofthehallsintheclassicalbuildingasitwasalittledifficultto
reenacttheTrojanWarinmyclassroomscrampedquarters.Iamalsoconsideringgivingthema
headsupastowhichsceneswemayreenactinthefutureandgivepartsoutaheadoftime.I
chosestudentsfairlyatrandomtoembodyourvariousdramatispersonae,anditwasclearthat
someofthemdidthereadingwhileotheractorshadtoreadaparagraphortwobeforeknowing
theircharactersfateduringourparticularscenesorbeingabletoanswerNowwhydid[your
character]dothat?.

Day7:BooksIIVReview

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

ThislessonwillserveasareviewofbooksIIVof
TheIliad
inpreparationforthefirstQuest
oftheunit.Studentswilldiscussnotonlythespecificeventsofthesefourbooks,butwillalso
discusshowthethemesarebeingdevelopedinthefirstsixthof
TheIliad
.

Themajorityoftheviewwilltakeplacethroughacauseandeffectactivitywherestudentswill
recognizehoweveryactioncausesarelativereactionwithintheplotofthebook.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillhaveagreaterunderstandingofhowthethemes,characters,andplotof
booksIIVof
TheIliad
areorganizedtotellacoherentstory.
Studentswillrecognizecauseandeffectofkeyplotpointsandactionsofcharacters
within
TheIliad
Studentswillidentifythefurtherdevelopmentofthemainthemesof
TheIliad
.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.1
Citestrongandthoroughtextualevidencetosupportanalysisofwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyas
wellasinferencesdrawnfromthetext,includingdeterminingwherethetextleavesmatters
uncertain.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.5
Analyzehowanauthor'schoicesconcerninghowtostructurespecificpartsofatext(e.g.,the
choiceofwheretobeginorendastory,thechoicetoprovideacomedicortragicresolution)
contributetoitsoverallstructureandmeaningaswellasitsaestheticimpact.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.A
Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadandresearchedmaterialunderstudyexplicitlydraw
onthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidencefromtextsandotherresearchonthetopicorissueto
stimulateathoughtful,wellreasonedexchangeofideas.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

TheIliad
causeandeffecthandout
Studentcopiesof
TheIliad

Methods:

Review
Groupactivity
Wholeclassdiscussion

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(>4minutes)
BookIVof
TheIliad
discussion(10minutes)
Howisthemanvsgodthemefurtherdevelopedwithinthebooks?
WhatdoyouthinkabouthavebeentheresultofthetruceifAthenanever
intervened?Wouldthetrucehaveheld?
HowdoesHomerdescribeMenelauswound?(Homersfirstdescriptionofblood
within
TheIliad
)
Passout
TheIliad
:ASeriesofUnfortunateEventshandoutandexplain(3minutes)
instructstudentstogetingroupsnobiggerthanthreeandworktogethertomapoutthe
causesandeffectsofthemajorconflictswithinbooksIIVoutlinedonthehandout.
Studentwork(20minutes)
Formativelyassessstudentsontheircompletionoftheactivitywhilewalkingaround
classroom
Gooverhandoutasclass(15minutes)
Continuingpreparationfortomorrowsquest,gooverhandoutasaclass,checkingfor
gapsinunderstandingregardingthecontentandstructureofbooksIIVandfieldingquestions
fromstudents.
Conclusion:(1minute)
remindstudentstobringtheirwarjournalstoclasstomorrowfortheirfirstwarjournal
check

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Formativeassessmentofstudentanswersduringdiscussion(handoutwillneitherbecollected
norgraded,asstudentswilluseitasastudyguide).

Tomorrow,studentswillbeformativelyassessedthroughagradedquestonbooksIIV.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Tomorrow,studentswillbegiventhefirstquestoftheunit.Afterthat,studentswillreadbooks
VandVI,andwilltakepartinaSocraticdiscussiononFriday.

Reflection:

Iwasparticularlyfondofthisreviewlessonandtheformatthisreviewtook.Asopposed
todirectlyaskingstudentsreviewquestions,Ilikedhavingstudentsworktogethertoexplainthe
majorcausesandeffectsoftheeventsof
TheIliad
.Notonlywerestudentsabletoreviewfor
tomorrowsquest,butstudentswerealsoabletopracticerecognizinghowkeyeventsare
presentedandtheirimpactwithinthegreatertext.Whilethisreviewisonlyadaybeforean
assessment,Ienjoygivingstudentstheopportunitytoconfronttheirowngapsinknowledge
duringactivitiessuchastheseandnotduringhigherstakes,gradedassessments.Thisway,
studentshavemoretimetoprepareandtakeresponsibilityfortheirlearninginsteadofhopelessly
acceptingpoorperformanceonanassessmenttheylongerhaveachancetostudyfor.
Ienjoyedmakingthisreviewagroupactivity,givingmetheopportunitytosimplywalk
aroundandassessstudentslevelofpreparedness.However,Isupposeitcouldhavebeeneasy
forstudentswhowereunpreparedtorelyontheothermembersofthegroupforanswers.Inthe
future,Imayconsidersplittingthisactivityintwoparts,withthefirstparthavingstudentswork
ontheirowntocompletetheactivityasIwalkaroundtoassessthemindividualandthen
allowingstudentstolatergetintogroupsandtakepartinpeerexchangewhilereviewingwith
eachother.Thisway,studentscanbemoreawareoftheirowngapsinknowledgeregardingthe
contentofthereadingandbemoremotivatedtostudymoreforthequesttomorrow.

TheIliad:
ASeriesofReallyUnfortunateEvents

Example:

ErisleavesagoldenappleattheweddingbanquetofThetisand
Peleus.
>Thethreegoddessesbickerovertheapple.
>ZeuschoosesParistodecidewhoisthefairest.
>ParischoosesAphroditesbribe.
>HelenisabductedbyParis.
>HelenshusbandMenelausdeclareswar.
>TheTROJANwar.

AgamemnontakestheTrojanwomanChryseisasawarprize.

ZeussendsafalsedreamtoAgamemnon

ParischallengestheGreekstosinglecombatwithanywarrior.

Heradoesntwantthewartoendwithjustasimpletruce.

Day10:SocraticDiscussion

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thislessonconsistsofawholeclass,SocraticdiscussioncenteredonbooksIVIII,witha
specificfocusonbooksVIIandVIII,thebooksstudentshavebeenassignedtoreadlastnight.
Studentshavebeengivenspecificquestionsthenightbeforetopreparefortodaysdiscussion.

TheSocraticdiscussionalsoincludesquestionsrelatedtoeventsandthemesofpreviousbooks
andwillserveasthefirstSocraticdiscussionwithin
TheIliad
.Studentshavetakenpartinthese
discussionspreviouslyandarenowwellpracticedincivildiscourseandtheprotocolstheyhave
setthemselvesforthesediscussions(studentsraisetheirhandswhentheyhavesomethingto
contributetotheclassslineofquestioningandcalloneachothertheteacherismerelya
facilitatorofthediscussion).

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillexaminethemotivationsofkeycharactersof
TheIliad
incivildiscussions.
Studentsreferencespecificsfromthetexttosupporttheirarguments.
Studentswillcollaborateandanalyzeeachothersideastocometoconclusionsregarding
avarietyofquestionsabout
TheIliad
.
Studentswilldiscussthethemes,characters,andplotofbooksIVIIIof
TheIliad
.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1
Initiateandparticipateeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(oneonone,ingroups,
andteacherled)withdiversepartnersongrades1112topics,texts,andissues,buildingon
others'ideasandexpressingtheirownclearlyandpersuasively.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.A
Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadandresearchedmaterialunderstudyexplicitlydraw
onthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidencefromtextsandotherresearchonthetopicorissueto
stimulateathoughtful,wellreasonedexchangeofideas.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.C
Propelconversationsbyposingandrespondingtoquestionsthatprobereasoningandevidence
ensureahearingforafullrangeofpositionsonatopicorissueclarify,verify,orchallengeideas
andconclusionsandpromotedivergentandcreativeperspectives.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.D

Respondthoughtfullytodiverseperspectivessynthesizecomments,claims,andevidencemade
onallsidesofanissueresolvecontradictionswhenpossibleanddeterminewhatadditional
informationorresearchisrequiredtodeepentheinvestigationorcompletethetask.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

Studentcopiesof
TheIliad
SocraticDiscussionquestions
Socraticreflection/selfassessment

Methods:

Socraticdiscussion(teacherfacilitated,studentpropelleddiscussion)

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(<5minutes)
RemindstudentstheymusthavebookIXof
TheIliad
readovertheweekend.
Circledesks(2minutes)
Desksarearrangedsoallparticipantsareequallyvisible,includingtheteacherwhoisa
partofthisdiscussion.
PassoutSocraticselfassessment(2minutes)
Studentsmusthavethisselfassessmentfilledoutbytheendofclass.Theymaywrite
notesonthisreflectionduringthediscussionandwillbegivenafewminutesattheendofclass
tocompleteit.
Socraticdiscussion(30minutes)
Usingtheteachergeneratedquestions(attached)giventhenightbeforeasastarting
point,thestudentsthemselvesbeginthediscussion,withtheteachersteppinginonlytocontrol
thenoiselevel,posefollowupquestions,andactasamediatorduringparticularlyheated
moments.
Studentsthengenerallymovedfromteachergeneratedquestionstostudentgenerated
questionsthatareshapedbythedirectionstudentsarepropellingthediscussion.
FilloutSocraticselfassessment(5minutes)
StudentsfillouttheSocraticselfassessmentwheretheymustgradetheirownandtheir
peerscontributiontothediscussion,alongwithmakingsuggestionstoimprovefutureSocratic
discussions.
Whentheytheselfassessmentsarecompleted,studentswillpassthemin.

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Withthehelpofateacherlog,Iwilltrackthepercentageofstudentsparticipatingandhowmany
relevantcomments,irrelevantcomments,andquestionseachindividualstudentcontributestothe
discussion.

Studentswillalsobeformativelyassessed(thoughnotgraded)ontheirSocraticdiscussion
selfassessmentstogaugehowengagedstudentswereinthediscussionandwhatcontributions
eachstudentmadetothediscussion.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Overtheweekend,studentswillreadbookIXof
TheIliad
.OnMonday,studentswilltakepartin
anactivitywheretheywillexplorehowtheGreeksattempttogetAchillesbackintothewar.

Reflection:

AsIhaveconductedtheseSocraticdiscussionsinpreviousunits,Icansaywithconfidencethat
thisdiscussionhasbeenthemostsuccessful.AccordingtothefeedbackIreceivedfromthe
completedstudentselfassessments,onefactorofsuccesshasbeentheespeciallyhighqualityof
thequestionsonwhichthediscussionwasbased.Iampleasedthatbothmyteachergenerated
questionsandtheeventualstudentgeneratedquestionswereabletokeepthediscussionthought
provoking.Anotherelementofsuccess,Ibelieve,isthefactthatnearlyallstudentshaveshown
evidenceofcompletingthereadingeverynight,asevidencedbyquestscores,thewarjournal
checks,andthisdiscussion.IbelievethattheseSocraticdiscussionshavebeenincredibly
successfulacrosstheboard,andinatextasengagingandargumentprovoking(especially
regardingcharacters)as
TheIliad
,theyareanespeciallyeffectivewayforstudentstoexplorethe
text.

AsthestudentselfassessmentsareincrediblyvaluabletomeintermsofthedataIreceivefrom
themalongwiththeautonomystudentsfeelbycompletingthemandthusimpactinghowlater
discussionsareconducted(suchasthesuggestionforstudentstoraisetheirhandsandcallon
eachothertocontrolthechaosthatmaysometimeseruptfromparticularlypassionate
discussions),itisimportantthatstudentsaregivenasuitableamountoftimetocompletethese
selfassessments.Thisdaysdiscussionwasparticularlyengagingsostudentsonlyhadaboutone
minutetocompletetheselfassessment.Iwouldliketoremembertogivestudentsampletimeto
completetheseassessmentsevenifthatmeanscuttingdiscussionsafewminutesshort.


SocraticDiscussion#3

Tomorrowwewillbediscussingthefollowingquestions.Read,reread,reflectonthese
questions,writedownnotesinyourwarjournal,andcomepreparedtomorrowsoyoucan
successfullypropelourdiscussiontomorrowduringclass.

Rememberyouarealsoreadingbooks7and8tonight!

WhatisabetterfateforAchilles:Longandsafeunknownlife,orshortdangerouslifebut
rememberedforever?Whichfatewouldyouchooseandwhy?

WhoshouldgetBriseis?Or,IsAchillesoverreacting?Or,IsAgamemnonoverreacting?

Givenwheretheargumentoccurred,doesthatarguefororagainstAchilles?Is
Agamemnonatyrant?

WhoholdsresponsibilityfortheTrojanWarandthedeathsofthethousandsofmenfightingit?
Docertaincharactersholdmoreresponsibilitythanothers?ConsiderEris,Helen,Paris,
Menelaus,KingPriam,andZeus.

WhatarethelimitationsofthegodsandgoddessesofMountOlympos?Physically,
emotionally,mentally,ethically?

Whatdifferences/similaritiesdoyouseebetweenthewarheroesoftheancientGreeksversus
thewarheroesoftoday?

Regardlessofourphilosophicaldifferencesregardingwhooughttobeconsideredaheroornot,
Achillesistheundisputableepicheroof
TheIliad
.WhyisAchillesconsideredanepichero?
Fromwhatlittlewehaveseenofhimsofar,whatvaluesdoesheembody?


SocraticDiscussionReflection

Name:_____________________Date:_____________Mod:_____DiscussionNumber:_____

WhatwasthetopicoftodaysSocraticdiscussionsession?

Whatgradewouldyougivethe
class
fortodaysdiscussion?Why?

Whatgradewouldyougive
yourself
fortodaysdiscussion?Why?

Howdidyoucontributetotheclassslineofquestioninganddiscussiontoday?

HowwouldyouimproveournextSocraticdiscussion?

Day11:EmbassytoAchilles

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thesubjectofthislessonistheevents,themes,andcharactersofbookIXof
TheIliad
.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

StudentswillunderstandtheroleofgiftgivingandhospitalitywithinancientGreek
culture.
Studentswilldiscussthethemesofhonorandangerastheyrelatetotheirdevelopment
within
TheIliad
.
StudentswillreflectonwhattheancientAchaeansbelievedtobeimportantthrough
examiningthevariousbribesAchillesisgivenwithinbookIX.
StudentswillreinterpretthespecificgiftsgiveninbookIXasmodernequivalentto
furtherunderstandtheimpactoftheeventsofthebook.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.3
Analyzetheimpactoftheauthor'schoicesregardinghowtodevelopandrelateelementsofa
storyordrama(e.g.,whereastoryisset,howtheactionisordered,howthecharactersare
introducedanddeveloped).
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.4
Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinthetext,includingfigurative
andconnotativemeaningsanalyzetheimpactofspecificwordchoicesonmeaningandtone,
includingwordswithmultiplemeaningsorlanguagethatisparticularlyfresh,engaging,or
beautiful.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.4
Presentinformation,findings,andsupportingevidence,conveyingaclearanddistinct
perspective,suchthatlistenerscanfollowthelineofreasoning,alternativeoropposing

perspectivesareaddressed,andtheorganization,development,substance,andstyleare
appropriatetopurpose,audience,andarangeofformalandinformaltasks.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

Studentcopiesof
TheIliad

EmbassytoAchilleshandout
Studentwarjournals

Methods:

Groupwork
Classdiscussion

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(<5minutes)
Discusswarjournalanswers(10minutes)
Principalcombatants?
(besuretoreinforceminorcharacterswhoaretakingamoremajorrolewithin
thebookincludingPhoenixandPatroclus)
Principalevents?
Winnerofthechapter?
EmbassytoAchillesactivity(20minutes)
PassoutembassytoAchilleshandout
Groupstudentsintogroupsoffour,assigningeachgroupaparticularmeansof
persuasionforAchillesbytheembassytryingtoconvincehimtoreturntothewar.Eachgroup
mustanswereachquestionrelatedtotheiritemontheworksheet,includingdecidingona
comparablemodernequivalent.
Studentswillbeinstructedtoanswerthesequestionsandmustdefendtheiranswers
whentheclassreconvenes)
ClassdiscussionoftheembassytoAchilles(15minutes)
Studentswilldiscusstheiranswersandmodernequivalentwiththerestoftheclass.
Together,theclasswilldiscussthefollowingquestions:
LookingovertherichesAgamemnonproposesgivingAchilles,whatcan
onesaytheGreeksfoundimportant?
Inyouropinion,whichincentivewasthemostconvincing?
ShouldAchillesreturntobattle?

 DoyoubelievethesebribestobefaircompensationforAchilles
besmirchedhonor?
Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Studentswillbeformativelyassessedontheiranswersgivenduringtheclassdiscussion.
OnWednesdaysquest,studentswillansweranessayquestionregardingtheeventsofbookIX.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Tomorrow,studentswillhavereadbookXof
TheIliad
andwilltakepartinanotherroleplaying
activitywherestudentswillreenacttheespionagesceneinvolvingOdysseus,Diomedes,andthe
foreignalliesoftheTrojans,theThracians.Tomorrow,studentswillcomparethetacticsof
todayschapterandtomorrows(briberyandespionage)comparedtothepreviouswartactsof
theGreeks(honorablebattle).Thedayaftertomorrow,studentswillhavethesecondquestofthe
unitonbooksVX.

Reflection:

Thiswasaparticularlysuccessfullessonthatistheresultofcarefulreflectionfromlast
semesterslessonregardingtheembassyofAchilles.Intheprevioussemester,Ihadstudents
workinpairstomerelycomeupwithmodernequivalentsofallthebribesgiventoAchilles.As
aresult,classdiscussionwaslackingasmanyofthemoreeagerstudentsprovidedanswersto
eachbribewhiletherestoftheclasswasabletositbackandfillintheirownhandoutbasedon
whattheeagerstudents(whohadclearlydonethereading)sharedwiththeclass.

Amajorthemeofthissemesterhasbeentoensurethatallstudentsarekeepingupwith
thereading,agoalIamreachingthroughactivitiessuchasthisthatrequireallstudentstoshare.
Thissemestersmajormodificationofthisactivityincludesputtingstudentsinsmallgroups
wheretheymustanswerthequestionsontheactivitysheet.Asstudentsworkedtogetherduring
thisclass,IwasabletomonitorwhichstudentsimmediatelysettotheworksheetwhileIcould

clearlyseeafewothersquietlyreadingthebook.Iwasalsoabletogaugethelevelofconfidence
ofeachstudentastheysharedtheiranswerswiththeclass.WereItofurthermodifythislesson,I
wouldconsideraddingmorecategoriestotheworksheet(adiscussioncouldbehadregardingthe
deliberateselectionoffiguressenttovisitAchilles)tocreateevensmallergroupsforthis
activity,tocreateevenmoreresponsibilityforeachmemberofthegrouporevenpair.

THEEMBASSYTOACHILLES

Newcharacterstoknow:
Phoenix,Patroclus,Meleager

Incentive

Purpose

ModernEquivalents

Tripods,goldingots,
cauldrons,horses.

Sevenwomenfrom
Lesbosandtwenty
Trojanwomen.

Briseisuntouched

Agamemnon's

daughtershandin

marriageandadowry
ofsevenflourishing
cities.

Meleager'sfatein
Phoenixsstory

Questionsforall:
LookingovertherichesAgamemnonproposesgivingAchilles,
whatcanonesaytheGreeksfoundimportant?
Inyouropinion,whichincentivewasthemostconvincing?
Should
Achillesreturntobattle?
ArethesebribesfaircompensationforAchillesbesmirched
honor?

Day14:GalleryWalk

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thesubjectofthislessonwillbe
TheIliad
uptobookXII.Wewillcontinuediscussingthe
themesof
TheIliad
andtheimpactofthenovelonWesternliterature.Today,wewillalso
discuss
TheIliad
simpactonartandhowtheeventsandcharactersof
TheIliad
arepresented
withavarietyofmediumssuchaspaintings,pottery,andfrescoes.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillrecognizetheorderofeventsanddevelopmentofcharactersandthemesoverthe
courseof
TheIliad
.
Studentswillanalyzeartisticinterpretationsofeventsandcharactersfrom
TheIliad
.
Studentswillciteexamplesfromthetexttosupporttheaccuracyandimpactofartistic
interpretationsoftheeventsandcharactersof
TheIliad
.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.3
Analyzetheimpactoftheauthor'schoicesregardinghowtodevelopandrelateelementsofa
storyordrama(e.g.,whereastoryisset,howtheactionisordered,howthecharactersare
introducedanddeveloped).
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.7
Analyzemultipleinterpretationsofastory,drama,orpoem,evaluatinghoweachversion
interpretsthesourcetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.5
Analyzehowanauthor'schoicesconcerninghowtostructurespecificpartsofatext(e.g.,the
choiceofwheretobeginorendastory,thechoicetoprovideacomedicortragicresolution)
contributetoitsoverallstructureandmeaningaswellasitsaestheticimpact.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

sampleofartworkdepictingtheeventsof
TheIliad
mountedonconstructionpaper
GalleryWalkhandout
copiesof
TheIliad

Methods:

classdiscussion/review
GalleryWalkclassactivity

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(>5minutes)
Remindstudentsofreadingovertheweekendandupcomingcreativewritingassignment
Classdiscussion:BooksXIandXII(10minutes)
Whoweretheprincipalcombatants?Notenewcharacters:Coon,Eurypylus,Machaon.
Principallocations?
Events?
Winnerofthebooks?Andwhy?
GalleryWalkactivity:(<20minutes)
Postedaroundtheclassroomarefamousartisticinterpretationsoftheeventsand
charactersof
TheIliad
.Eachworkisnumbered.Studentswillbegivenanumberofquotesthey
mustmatchtoeachpieceofart.Studentsmustanswerwhichquotegoeswithwhichartpiece
alongwithasummaryofthesceneandeachscenesrelationtooneofthethemesof
TheIliad
.
(reminderofthemesarelistedonhandout).
Reviewgallerywalk:10minutes
Classwillregroupafterenjoyingourgalleryanddiscusstheanswersandthemesfor
eachpiece.

Whatmediumswereinourgallery?
Howwerethesefigurespresented,physically?(WhataboutAchillesvsParis
vsthegods,howweretheyeachdepicted?)
Howmanyyearsofarthistorydothesepiecesseemtocover?(
Wehave
ancienturnsuptomorerealisticoilpaintings)
Howdidyoufigureoutwhichquotewenttowhichscene?(Discussionregarding
skillsinidentifyingquotationsthroughcontextclues,understandingofnovel,etc.)

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Iwillformativelyassesshowquicklystudentsareabletoidentifythevariousscenesdepicted
withintheartasthestudentsperusethegallery.Iwillalsoformativelyassessstudentsduringour
gallerydebriefingandwhichthemesareconnectedtowhichpiece.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

OnFriday,wewillhaveaSocraticdiscussionregardingtheeventsandthemesof
TheIliad
upto
bookXIV.
Studentswillcontinuetoread
TheIliad
anddiscussthemes,theauthorscraft,andouressential
questions(Whatisinthemindsofmeninthedifficultcircumstancesofwar?Howisaculture
shapedbyitsvalues?).

Reflection:
Oneofmyfavoritewaysofgettingstudentsengagedinclassisto(onoccasion,lestthe
potencywearoff)getstudentsphysicallystandingupandmovingaround.Whilenotasvigorous
asreenactingbattles,havingstudentscircletheroomandinvestigateworksofarttogetheris
uniquediversionthatIhavegottengreatfeedbackfrombothmyCTandstudents.
Whathelpedmeshapethislessonwasmyphilosophyregardingthenecessityofstudent
engagementbeforemovingontomorecomplexcontent.Asmanyofmystudentsarefairly
engagedwiththecontentof
TheIliad
(especiallythecharacters),wearenowdiscussingmore
complextopicsandthemeswithinthestory,andIdevelopedthisactivityasawaytobothreview
theeventsofthestorythusfar,butalsodiscusshowthethemesaredevelopingandspeculating
abouttheendofthewar.
Thegallerywalkactivityitselfwasverysuccessful.Studentswereupandmovingand
wereevengettinginto(reasonable)argumentsoverwhichfigureinthepiecerepresentedwhich
figurefromthestory.Itwasalsoenjoyedhearingstudentsreactionstotheinterpretationsofthe
characters(suchasParisbeingfartoomanlylookinginoneofthepaintings)ineachpiece.
IfIhadthechancetochangethislesson,Iwouldperhapsincludeafewlessobvious
scenes.Iwantedthepaintingstobeclearenoughtoastudentwhohasdonethereading,butI
mayhaveerredonthesideofchoosingmoreobviousscenes(suchasthescenewithThetisand

Zeus.ThepaintingwasclearlyZeusinallofthisgloryandlightningbolts,soevenanonreader
wouldhavebeenabletomaketheconnectionwiththepaintingofZeusandtheonlyquoteonthe
sheetthatmentionsZeus).Ithinkhavingmoreobviouspieceshadmerittogivestudentsthe
confidenceinthemselvestorecognizethescenesbeingdepictedineachpiece(manystudents
seemedhesitantwhenIfirstdescribedhowtheywouldbeidentifyingartpieces),butafewmore
challengingpieceswouldnthavehurtandcouldhaveprovidedsomeinterestingdiscussions.

GalleryWalk:

Matcheachquotewiththecorrespondingartpieceinourgallery.Onceyouhavematchedthequotewitha
picture,provideashortsummaryofthescenewithinthecontextofthestory.Includeatleastoneofthethemesofthe
novelthatisalsorepresentedintheartpiece.(Reminder:discussedthemesincludemanvsgod,thenatureofwar,anger,
pride,andfate.)

1)Heralds,Igreetyou,fortheenvoyisheldsacredbygodsandmen.Comenear,Ifindnofault
inyou,butinAgamemnon,whohassentyouforthegirlBriseis.Here,Patroclusmyfriend,
bringoutthegirlandletthemtakeheraway.

Piece#______

Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2)WhentheycametothelinesoftheMyrmidons,theyfoundAchillesamusinghimselfwith
hisharp...Patroclussatoppositebyhimself,waitinguntilhisfriendshouldfinish.Thetwo
envoyscameforward,Odysseusfirst,andstoodstill.

Piece#______

Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3)AndMenelausalmostgot[Paris]agloriousvictoryitwouldhavebeen!

Piece#______

Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4)Ashespoke,Hectorheldouthisarmsforhisboy,buttheboyshrankback...scaredbythe
sightofhisfatherforhewasafraidofthegleamingmetalandthehorsehaircrest,whenhesaw
thedreadfulthingfromthetopofthehelmet.FatherandmotherlaughedaloudandHectortook
offthehelmetandsetitaside.

Piece#______
Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5)Beware,Diomedes!ForbearDiomedes!Donottrytoputyourselfonalevelwiththegods
thatistoohighforamansambition.Theimmortalgodsareoneface,menthatwalkuponthe
earthareanother.

Piece#______

Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

6)Thetisdidnotforgethersonsrequestbutshecameoutoftheseaandearlyinthemorning
sheclimbedtoOlymposinthehighestheavens.ShefoundAllseeingCronidessittingapartfrom
therestonthetopmostpeakofcraggyOlympos.

Piece#______

Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Day17:BooksXVIandXVIIandArmorGuide

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

Thesubjectofthislessonisbooks15and16of
TheIliad
.Asarmorcontinuestobeamotifof
TheIliad
andbookXVIIemphasizesPatrocluswearingthearmorofAchilles,studentswillalso
explorethemodernperceptionofwhatatypicalGreekwarriorlookedlike(inmediasuchas
themovie
300
whichislooselybasedontheBattleofThermopylae)comparedtotheactual
realitiesGreekwarfare.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillunderstandtheplot,characters,andthemesofbooksXVandXVIof
The
Iliad
.
StudentswillcompareandcontrastmediarepresentationofancientGreekwarfare
comparedtohistoricalandliteraryrepresentationsofbattles.
StudentswillbeabletodefinevocabularyrelatedtoancientGreekwarfareincluding
phalanx,hopliteandpanoply.
Studentswillcontinuetoexaminethefurtherdevelopmentofthemeswithin
TheIliad
as
theydevelopinbooksXVandXVI

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.4
Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinthetext,includingfigurative
andconnotativemeaningsanalyzetheimpactofspecificwordchoicesonmeaningandtone,
includingwordswithmultiplemeaningsorlanguagethatisparticularlyfresh,engaging,or
beautiful.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.A
Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadandresearchedmaterialunderstudyexplicitlydraw
onthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidencefromtextsandotherresearchonthetopicorissueto
stimulateathoughtful,wellreasonedexchangeofideas.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

Studentscopiesof
TheIliad

Methods:

Classdiscussion
Visuals(armorhandout)

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Attendanceandhousekeeping(<5minutes)
remindstudentstoreadbookXVIIIfortonight
PassoutGreekarmorguideanddiscussterminology(10minutes)

HowhaveyouseenancientGreekwarriorsinmovies?Howdidtheyfight?How
weretheydressed?Howrealisticdoyoubelievetheseportrayalstobe?
Onboard:Define:

Panoply=Completesetofarmor
discusshowtherewasnosetuniformforsoldierstowear(contraryto
300)
thisiswhytherearesomanysceneswithin
TheIliad
wheresoldierstake
armoroffdeadbodies

Hoplites=Individualsoldiers
Phalanx=wallofspears
Spearswerethemainweapon(asopposedtothemoredashinglook
swords)astheywererelativelycheaptomake(longstickofwoodplussmallbitofmetalatthe
end)
Mostimportantpartofarmorwastheshield,formedphalanxwithother
soldiers.Soldierswouldholdtheshieldwithonearmandpushtheirspearsforward,likea
massivewallofspears.
Discussdifferencesbetween
300
SoldierandAverageGreekWarrioronhandout(10minutes)
asclassisdiscussingthemostobviouspointsofcomparison,classisfillingin
infoonhandoutasapersonalreference
importantpoints:

300
soldierswereeasilysixfeettallwhileanaverageancientGreek
soldier
wasabout54
capeswouldbeincrediblyimpracticalanddangerous

mostpartsofthebodieswerecoveredasopposedtotheexposedchestof
the
300
warriors.

DiscusseventsofbooksXVIandXVII
Discussionquestions:
WhatdoesPatroclusaskAchilles?Howdoesheaskthis?
WhatdoesAchillesspecificallytellPatroclustodointhearmor?

WhatdoesAchillesaskofZeus?(twoparts)

Howdoesthisforeshadowlater
events?
Keypointofunderstanding:HomerexplicitlystatesthatZeusdoesnotgrant
Achillessecondrequest,tobringPatroclushomesafely.Ancientaudienceswouldknowthe
entireoutcomeof
TheIliad
inthesamewaythatamodernaudiencewatchingTheTitanic
wouldobviouslyknowwhateventuallyhappenstotheship.
Whatkeepsanancientaudience
reading?WhatkeepsyouwatchingTheTitanic?
(Mainfocusisonhumanbeingsandhow
theyreactinthesesituations,emotionallyandmentally.Connectiontoessentialquestion:What
isinthemindsofmenduringthedifficultcircumstanceofwar?)

WhatdoyouthinkaboutPatroclus?WhyishenottheepicherooftheIliad?

IsAchillesresponsibleforthedeathofPatroclus?

Conclusion:(1minute)
remindstudentstohavereadbookXVIIIof
TheIliad
fortomorrow.

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

studentresponseswillbeformativelyassessedinclassdiscussions
studentswillhaveaquestonFridayonbooksXIXXof
TheIliad
.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Tomorrow,studentswillhavereadbookXVIIIof
TheIliad
andwilldiscussthesymbolicdesign
oftheshieldAchillesreceivesfromHephaestus,continuingthediscussionofthearmormotif
throughout
TheIliad
.Thedayafter,studentswillhavereadchaptersXIXandXXandwill
discussthesechapters.

Reflection:

Throughouttheunit,studentshavemademanyreferencestothemovie
Troy
and
300
afterIexplainedmydisdainfortheirhistoricalandliteraryinaccuracy.Inthislesson,Iwasable
tosuccessfullyconnecttheirpreviousknowledgeofwhataGreekwarriorwascomparedtothe
historicalreality,explainingverylogicalconceptstothemincludingtheimpracticallyofhaving
acapeandexposedtorsointhemiddleofabattleregardlessoftheimpressivefigureitcuts.
Studentsfoundthisanamusinglessonwhilealsolearningsomeseriousconceptsandvocabulary.
Asaresult,studentshadamoreaccurateunderstandingoftherealfiguresof
TheIliad
.

WereItomodifythislesson,Iwouldperhapsintroducethearmorhandoutand
vocabularyalittleearlierintheunitinsteadofeighttenthsofthewaythroughthebook.I
originallychosethislessontointroducetheseconceptsingiventhemajorimportancea
particularsetofarmorhaswithinthesetwobooks.

Day19:TheTrojanWarinTweets

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

ThesubjectofthislessonisbooksIXandXXof
TheIliad
.Thislessonalsoservesasareview
fortheevents,characters,andthemesof
TheIliad
thusfar.

AsthisisthefinallessonbeforeAprilvacationandduringthetumultuousCentralWeek,this
isaseeminglyinformallessonwherestudentswilldocumentthemajoreventsofbooksIXXof
TheIliad
throughaprintedoutTwittertemplatecreatedbyme.Truescholarshipwilltakeplace
asstudentswillberequiredtocarefullythinkwhicheventstheywillincludeontheirTwitterand
howtheywillpresentthemajorcharactersthroughmodernvernacularwhilekeepingthem
incharacterandclearlyidentifiable.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillreinterpretthecharacters,quotes,andeventsof
TheIliad
usingsocialmedia
vernaculartoaccuratelyretellthestoryof
TheIliad
.
StudentswillidentifythemajorplotpointsofbooksIXXof
TheIliad
.
Studentswillcollaboratewithpeerswhilecompletingtheirownindividualassessment.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.5
Makestrategicuseofdigitalmedia(e.g.,textual,graphical,audio,visual,andinteractive
elements)inpresentationstoenhanceunderstandingoffindings,reasoning,andevidenceandto
addinterest.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.6
Adaptspeechtoavarietyofcontextsandtasks,demonstratingacommandofformalEnglish
whenindicatedorappropriate.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.7
Analyzemultipleinterpretationsofastory,drama,orpoem(e.g.,recordedorliveproductionofa
playorrecordednovelorpoetry),evaluatinghoweachversioninterpretsthesourcetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.1112.3.C
Useavarietyoftechniquestosequenceeventssothattheybuildononeanothertocreatea
coherentwholeandbuildtowardaparticulartoneandoutcome(e.g.,asenseofmystery,
suspense,growth,orresolution).
CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.1112.3.D

Useprecisewordsandphrases,tellingdetails,andsensorylanguagetoconveyavividpictureof
theexperiences,events,setting,and/orcharacters.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

Studentcopiesof
TheIliad
Twittertemplatehandout

Methods:

Groupwork
Useofsocialmedia

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(<5minutes)
remindstudentstohavebooksXXIandXXIIreadoverAprilvacationandtogetcaught
uponanyreadingtheymayhavemissed.
DiscussthewarjournalanswersofbooksXIXandXXof
TheIliad
(15minutes)
Principalcharacters,events,winners
DescribethescenebetweenAchillesandhishorses.
WhatdoesAchillesknowabouthisfateashepreparestoenterthebattle?
WhyisZeusfinallylettingthegodsintothemortalbattle,despiteforbiddingthem
todosoearlierintheepic?
IntroduceTwitterAssessment(5minutes)
BrieflydescribetheformatofTwitterandsocialmediaprotocols
ShowmodelofTweetsonhandout
Remindstudentsthiswillbeagradedassessmentthatwilltaketheplaceofoneweekly
quests.However,tothoroughlyshowtheirunderstandingofthetext,studentsmustmakeatleast
onereferencetoeachbookwehavereadsofar.Thisassessmentwillbeduetomorrow.
StudentTwitterwork:(15minutes)
Studentsareallowedtoworkalongsideapartnertobrainstormideas.However,each
studentmustpassinanindividualTwitter.
Teacherwalksaroundtoassessstudentprogressandtoofferideas

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

EachstudentwillbepassinginaTwittersheetthatwillbeformativelyassessedandhavethe
sameweightasaquest.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Tomorrow,ashortenedmod,studentswillsharetheirTweetsof
TheIliad
.Tomorrowwillalso
serveasadayforstudentstoaskclarifyingquestionsregardingtheplotof
TheIliad
thusfar
beforetheybeginAprilvacation.

Reflection:

Inmyenthusiasm,onethingIoverlookedforthislessonwasthepossibilityofmystudentslack
ofexperienceusingsocialmedia,especiallyTwitterwhichisnotnearlyaspopularasFacebook
formystudents.ItwasonlyafterIbegantoobservemystudentsworkingdidonestudent
mentionedshehadneverseenaTwitteraccountbefore.ThoughIincludedsampleTweetson
theTwittertemplatehandout,IrealizedthenthatonewhohadneverseenTwitteronlinewould
haveahardtimeinterpretinghowtheinformationwasmeanttobepresented(140characters,
usinghashtags,etc.).ShouldIteachthislessonagain(asitwouldbeeasytoadapttoanumberof
literaryorhistoricalworks),IwoulddefinitelymodelarealTwitteronanoverheadprojectorto
showstudentstheformatandlanguageofthesite.Perhapsthisvisualwouldmakethingsalittle
clearerforstudentswhohadneverusedTwitterbefore.Thiswouldalsoserveasagood
minilessonaboutsocialmediaasthesiteservesasagreatresourcetostayuptodateevenwith
professionalorganizations.ThislessonmayalsosetupstudentsforfutureTwitteractivitiessuch
asthecreativewriting#WalkBesideThemmovement.

Studentswhowerefamiliarwithsocialmediaseemedveryenthusedaboutthisalternative
formofassessmentandproducedsomeverycreativeTweetswithalargeamountofthought
behindthem.

AnotherwayofmodifyingthelessonwouldbetohavestudentscreaterealTwitteraccountsto
shareandpresent.HadIaccesstotheschoolcomputerlab,Iwouldhaveconsideredthatrouteas
opposedtopresentingtheactivityintheformofahandout.

TheaboveisasampleofstudentworkthathasearnedanA+onthisassignment.Thisstudent
managedtoreferenceeachbookandlabeledeachTweetwiththebooknumbershewas

referencing.Herinterpretationofsomeofthecharacterswereamusingwhileremainingin
character,especiallythroughhercreativeuseofTwitterusernameseachcharacterwouldhave
calledthemselvesthroughTwitter,suchasParisnamebeing#Mrstealyogirl,referencinghis
kidnappingofHelen,andHeraas#Marriedtoagoon,referencingthestrainedrelationship
betweenHeraandZeus.Thoughthelanguagewasinformal(asrequiredbytheTwitterformat),
thestudentsunderstandingofthecharactersandeventsof
TheIliad
cameacrossveryclearly.

TheaboveisasampleofastudentwhoreceivedaConthisassessment.Thoughsheonlymade
referencestotenoutofthetwentyrequiredbooks,shestillmanagedtomakespecificreferences
tothe
eventsofthebooksshedoesinclude.Ascreativitywasalargepartofthisassessment,Ididnt
wanttogradethisassessmentmerelybasedonhowmanybooksoutoftwentywerereferenced.
However,allstudentshadtheopportunitytofinishtheassessmentthatwasstartedinclassfor
homework.Thisstudentclearlydidnotutilizetheirtimeoutsideofclass,thusIwasnot
comfortablegivingthemagradeanyhigherthanaCdespitetheircreativity.Thisstudentthus
farhasbeenveryconsistentinpassinginherwork,andIcreditherinvolvementinstudent
councilarrangingthevariouseventsofCentralWeekforherfailuretocompletethisassignment.
WhileIdonotcondonetheabandonmentofacademicsfortakingpartinextracurricular
activities,Iacknowledgethisasthechoiceshemostlikelymade.

TheaboveisanexampleofaDonthisassessment.WhilethisstudenthadseventotalTweets,
thefirst
twoseemedtoreferencethesamebookandthefinalTweetcouldbeavaguereferencetoquitea
fewbooksatonce.Ialsocitealackofpreparednessforthisstudentsfailureincompletingthe
assignmentandthelackofspecificreferencesbringsthisstudentsgradesignificantlylowerthan
theCstudentwhoalsohadfewTweetsbutstillmanagedtomakespecificreferencestomultiple
eventsforeachbooksheTweetsabout.

Day21:DivineInterventionActivity

Subjectoflessonandconnectiontolargerunit:

ThesubjectofthislessonisbooksXXIandXXIIof
TheIliad
.Specifically,thesetwobooks
someofthefinalmajordevelopmentsofthethemeofmanversusthegodsversusthefates.
Studentswillbeputintopairs/smallgroupsandwillbeassignedadifferentgodwhoseactions
duringthesetwobookstheywilldescribetotheclassinaclasswidepeerexchanged.

Specificknowledgeandskillstobeaddressed:

Studentswillexaminecloselytheroleofasinglefigurewithinthetwoassignedbooks
from
TheIliad
.
Studentswillcontinuetoanalyzethedevelopmentofthethemesof
TheIliad
astheepic
nearsitsconclusion.
Studentswillcollaboratewitheachothertopresenttheiranalysisoftheirgroups
charactertotheclass.

Connectiontocourse/departmentcompetenciesorstandards:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.1112.2
Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyzetheirdevelopmentoverthe
courseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractandbuildononeanothertoproduceacomplex
accountprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1.A
Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadandresearchedmaterialunderstudyexplicitlydraw
onthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidencefromtextsandotherresearchonthetopicorissueto
stimulateathoughtful,wellreasonedexchangeofideas.
CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1112.1
Initiateandparticipateeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(oneonone,ingroups,
andteacherled)withdiversepartnersongrades1112topics,texts,andissues,buildingon
others'ideasandexpressingtheirownclearlyandpersuasively.

Materialsneededincludinghandouts:

Studentscopiesof
TheIliad

Methods:

groupwork
peerexchange

OutlineofProcedure(includingtimeforeachactivity):

Housekeepingandattendance(<5minutes)
Divineinterventiongroupwork(15minutes)
Putstudentsintogroupsoftwoandthree
Assigneachpairorgroupagodorgoddessandinstructthemtowritebriefnotesto
presenttotheclassregardingwhattheirgodorgoddessdidthroughoutbooksXXIandXXIIof
TheIliad
.
Godsandgoddessinclude:
Athena
Hera
Aphrodite
Hephaestus
Ares
Scamander
Poseidon
Apollo
Artemis
Zeus
Sharefindings(24minutes)
Whilegoingthroughtheeventsofthesetwobooksof
TheIliad
,eachtimeanewgodor
goddessismentioned,thestudentswhohavebeenassignedthatfigurewillexplaintheirfigures
rolewithinthecontextofthereading.Together,theclasswillgiveacompleteretellingofthe
eventsofthebookswhilepausingfordiscussionofthemeandrelatedconcepts.
Conclusion:(2minutes)
remindsstudentstohavebooksXXIIIandXXIVof
TheIliad
readbytomorrow,
remindingthemthisistheconclusionoftheepic.

Methodsofassessmentanddocumentationofassessment:formativesummative(if
applicable):

Studentswillbeformativelyassessedontheirgroupanswersduringthereviewoftheeventsof
thetwobooks.

Followup(whatwillhappeninthefollowingdays):

Tomorrow,wewillhaveafinalSocraticdiscussionontheconclusionof
TheIliad
.Tomorrow
willalsobethefinalwarjournalcheck.Thenextdaywillbeareviewdayfor
TheIliad
final
examwhichwillbeonWednesday.

Reflection
:

Ienjoyedusingthemethodofassigninggroupsofstudentsthedifferentcharactersofthesetwo
booksandcenteredonasingletheme(inthiscase,mortalsversusthegods).Thisway,theevents
andthemesofthebookswereseamlesslydiscussedbyallstudentsaswediscussedeachevent
involvingthegodsandgoddessinturn.Originally,Iconsideredadaptingthewarjournal
assignmenttomerelyincludehavingstudentsfocusonasinglecharacterastheyreadtheentirety
of
TheIliad
.However,aftercarefulconsideration,Irealized
TheIliad
hasonlyafewcharacters
whomakeconsistentappearancesinamajorityoftheepic(forexample,Achillesistheepichero
oftheentirestorybutmakesappearancesinonlyarelativelysmallnumberofbookswithin
The
Iliad
).Giventhelargecastofcharacterswithinthesetwobooks,thisparticularlessonwasoneof
thefewlessons,Ibelieve,whereassigningstudentsindividualcharacterswouldbeeffective.

ShouldIteachthislessonagain,Imightconsiderassigningindividualstudentsindividual
charactersthedaybeforetheybeginthisreadingsostudentscancomestoclassalreadyprepared
tosharetheircharactersdevelopmentandactions.Thisway,moreclasstimecouldbedevoted
todiscussingwhatactuallyhappensandtherelatedthemes.Iwillweighthetimebenefitsagainst
givingstudentsthechancetoworkinsmallgroupstodiscussbeforeconveningasalargergroup,
amethodofgroupworkIenjoy,asstudentsseemtofeelmorecomfortablediscussinginalarger
groupafterbeinggiventhechancetoconveneinasmallergroupbeforehand.

FinalUnitReflection:

AsFolkloreandMythologyisasemesterlongcourse,Ihadtheopportunitytoteachthis
coursetwice.Assuch,forthis
Iliad
unitIhadtheuniqueopportunitytonotonlyreflectonthe
triumphsandshortcomingsofthefirsttimeItaughtthisunit,butalsotheopportunitytosee
thesereflectionsbecometangible,notjusthypothetical.
Giventheirsuccesslastsemester,IknewthatIwantedtokeeptheuseofthenightlywar
journalsasbothanothermeanstopromptstudentstokeepupwiththereadingandtoalso
provideandtoserveasagenuinelyuseful,studentcreatedreferenceforthemanycharacters,
themes,andeventsof
TheIliad
.Thissemester,thewarjournalsprovedjustasusefulastheydid
lastsemester,eventothepointwheremyveterancooperatingteachermentionedtomethatshe
plannedoncontinuingtheuseofthesewarjournalswithherfuturestudents.
AmodificationImadefromlastsemesterwastheadditionofweeklySocratic
discussionsthroughouttheunit.Lastsemester,Iobservedthatwhilemyclasshadafairlyhigh
rateofstudentparticipation,Iknewitcouldbebetter.StartinginthepreviousGreekheroesunit,
mystudentspartookinweeklydiscussionscenteredonourcurrenttext.Bytheuniton
TheIliad
,
mystudentswerefairlywellpracticedintakingpartincivildiscourse,andtheycouldpropel
theirowndiscussionsandformulatetheirownquestionswhileIobservedasafacilitatoroftheir
discussions.Asaresult,mystudentsthissemesterweremuchmoreactiveintheirownlearning
andhadmoreopportunitiestoexplorelineofinquiresthatinterestedthemthemost.
AnothermodificationImadethissemesterwasassigningonlyselectedpagesforstudents
toreadwhenwemadetheshifttoreadingtwobooksanight.ThoughImainlytookoutthe

repetitivebattlescenes,studentsseemedtofeelabitmoreconfidentinbeingabletohandlethe
increasingreadingloadastheunitcontinued.
Theexecutionofthisunitcenteredmainlyonensuringthatstudentswerekeepingup
withthereading,asstudentsmadeashifttothemuchmorerigorous
Iliad
comparedtothe
previousmythologytext.Iwantedtokeepthesameenergyaslastsemester,whenevenmymore
reluctantreadersbecameinvestedinthestoryandcharacters.
Throughoutthisunit,Imadeitapersonalprioritytouseavarietyofmethodsand
assessmentsasopposedtosimplysummarizingthemaineventsofeachchaptereverydayand
givingstudentsnotestocopyfromtheboardonrelatedconcepts.ThroughtheuseofSocratic
discussion,roleplaying,peerexchanges,artappreciation,andevensocialmedia,studentswere
abletoactivelyexplorethetextfromnumerousangles.Asaresult,studentshadabetter
understandingofthecontentofthetextandwereactiveparticipantsintheirownlearning.
Studentsalwaysknewitwastheirresponsibilitytoread,askquestions,andparticipatein
discussionstoelevatethewholeclasscommunityslevelofscholarship.
Ihadanincredibleopportunitytodevelopasateacherafterbeinggiventheopportunity
toteachthisunittwice.IlearnedthatIcanandwillimprovemymethodsovertimewiththe
constantapplicationofcarefulreflectionandaligningofmymethodstomyworthypedagogy.I
makeitaprioritytosethighexpectationsformyselfandmystudents,andthisunitprovedwell
thatwhenonehasclearlyexplained,highexpectationstoworktowards,studentswillriseto
thoseexpectations.Thisunitalsoconfirmedformethevalueofusingmultiplemethodologies
andassessmentstogivestudentsmultipleavenuesinwhichtoexploreandthenshowtheir
understandingoftheclassroomcontent.Throughtheuseofhighexpectations,Socratic

discussions,andenergeticdiscussionsofanancient,rigoroustext,Iwasalsoabletobuilda
strongcommunityoflearners.Classdiscussionsledtosomewonderfulconversationsaboutcivil
discourseandhowtobestformarguments.Bothcreativeandanalyticalwritingassignments
gavestudentsopportunitiestoapplywhattheylearnedfromformulatingtheiroralargumentsand
discussionsintotheirwriting.
ThisunitplandemonstratesthatIamabletocreaterichandengagingunitsthroughthe
applicationoftheUnderstandingbyDesignframework.Byplanningbackwardsandreflecting
onthelongtermstudentlearningoutcomesIwantedmystudentstomaster,Iwasabletocreatea
seriesofconnectedlessonsthatalwaysrelatedbacktomyessentialquestionsforboththeunit,
andtheentirecourse.