Download Freshman English Summer Assignment 2016

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Freshman English Summer Assignment 2016-2017
Required Text: The Odyssey by Homer (ISBN: 978-0451530684)
Copies of the book are available for purchase in the Warrior Store during the month of May.
Objectives:
1. Students will read The Odyssey independently and appreciate its value. As part of this process, students should be able to explain why The Odyssey is relevant to a modern reader.
2. Students will practice literary analysis skills independently through annotating their texts (annotation guide to follow), completing a character chart, and writing an analytical paragraph in
response to The Odyssey.
3. Students will begin the year ready to discuss and write in response to the big themes of The
Odyssey.
Due Date: August 18, 2016, the first day of school (Bring hard copies of all parts of the assignment to class!)
The Assignment:
1. Before you begin The Odyssey, you will need to read background information on Homer and
the text (Handout # 1).
2. Complete the Major Greek Gods and Goddesses Chart (Handout # 2) before you begin reading. You may type or handwrite. Writing must be legible.
3. Read the chapters of The Odyssey listed below. As you read the text, annotate your book using the Annotation Guide (Handout # 3).
Book 1- “What Went on in the House of Odysseus”
Book 5- “Hermes Is Sent to Calypso’s Island; Odysseus Makes a Raft”
Book 8- “How They Held Games and Sports in Phaiacia”
Book 9- “How Odysseus Visited the Lotus Eaters and the Cyclops”
Book 10- “The Island of the Winds; the Land of the Midnight Sun; Circe”
Book 11- “How Odysseus Visited the Kingdom of the Dead”
Book 12- “The Singing Sirens, and the Terrors of Scylla and Charybdis”
Book 13- “How Odysseus Came to Ithaca”
Book 16- “How Telemachos Met His Father”
Book 17- “How Odysseus Returned to His Own Home”
Book 20- “How God Sent Omens of the Wrath to Come”
Book 21- “The Contest with the Great Bow”
Book 22- “The Battle in the Hall”
Book 23- “How Odysseus Found His Wife Again”
Book 24- “How Odysseus Found His Old Father and How the Story Ended”
4. As you read, complete The Odyssey Character Chart (Handout # 4). You may type or handwrite. Writing must be legible.
5. Write an analytical paragraph in response to The Odyssey. The paragraph assignment is on
Handout #5 of this packet. This must be typed.
Assignment Component
1. Annotations (at least one per chapter)
2. Greek Gods and Goddesses Chart
3. Character Chart
4. Odyssey Paragraph
TOTAL
Point Value
15
15
20
15
65
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Handout # 1
Background Information for The Odyssey
Homer: Author Information
From The Academy of American Poets (https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/homer)
Little is known about the life of Homer, the author credited with composing The Iliad and The Odyssey who is arguably the greatest poet of the ancient world. Historians place his birth sometime around
750 BC and conjecture that he was born and resided in or near Chios. However, seven cities claimed
to have been his birthplace. Due to the lack of information about Homer the person, many scholars
hold the poems themselves as the best windows into his life. For instance, it is from the description of
the blind bard in The Odyssey that many historians have guessed that Homer was blind. The Odyssey‘s depiction of the bard as a minstrel in the service of local kings also gives some insight into the
life of the poet practicing his craft. What is undeniable is that the works of Homer proved to be the
most influential not merely for the poets of ancient times but also for the later epic poets of Western
literature.
There is much evidence to support the theory that The Iliad and The Odyssey were written by different authors, perhaps as much as a century apart. The diction of the two works is markedly different,
with The Iliad being reminiscent of a much more formal, theatric style while The Odyssey takes a
more novelistic approach and uses language more illustrative of day-to-day speech. Differing historical details concerning trade also lend credence to the idea of separate authors. It is certain that neither
text was written down upon creation. By the eighth century BC written text had been almost entirely
forgotten in Greece. Both The Iliad and The Odyssey conform to the diction of a purely oral and unwritten poetic speech that was used before the end of that century. Indeed, some scholars believe the
name “Homer” was actually a commonly used term for blind men who wandered the countryside reciting epic poetry.
Although Homer has been credited with writing a number of other works, most notably the Homeric
Hymns, the same uncertainty about authorship exists. It is assumed that much of the poet’s work has
been lost to time.
The Trojan War
From Prestwick House
The Trojan War, which lasted for ten years, is said to have been caused by Helen of Troy, the daughter of Zeus and Leda. Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, was married to Menelaos, ruler
of Lacedaimon. Because of Aphrodite, however, she fell madly in love and leaves her husband to be
with Paris in Troy. As a result, the Greek Kings made war on Troy to recover her. In the War, Troy is
defeated, Paris is killed and Helen’s captured; Helen then returns to Troy with her husband. In the period after the War, many of the Greek heroes made their way home, to a variety of fates. Odysseus,
however, because he had angered a god, does not see his home for many years after all the others
have returned. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus’ ten year journey home from the Trojan War.
The Odyssey as an Epic
The Odyssey is an epic, a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes who embody the
values of the culture of which they are they are a part. The oldest epics were transmitted orally and
The Odyssey has traits (see the epithet) that suggest that it has roots in this tradition. As you read,
point out the values of ancient Greek culture that are expressed in the story.
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Handout # 2: Major Greek Gods and Goddesses Character Chart (15 points)
Directions: Using the Internet, supply the information about the Greek gods and goddesses in the
chart below. Use the example that has been completed for you as a model.
Recommended websites: Encyclopedia Mythica (www.pantheon.org) and Theoi Greek Mythology
(http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/greek-gods.html)
God or Goddess
1. Zeus
2. Hera
3. Poseidon
4. Apollo
5. Athena
6. Artemis
7. Aphrodite
Symbol
Lightning bolt
What was he/she god or
goddess of?
Zeus was king of the gods,
making him the chief deity
over gods and men. The ancient Greeks believed he upheld law, justice, and morals.
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God or Goddess
8. Ares
9. Hades
10. Demeter
11. Hephaestus
12. Hermes
13. Hestia
14. Dionysus
Symbol
What was he/she god or
goddess of?
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Handout # 3
The Odyssey Annotation Assignment (15 points)
Directions: Use the guide below to annotate your copy of The Odyssey as you read. You should include at least one annotation per chapter.
First of all, what is annotation?
Annotation is a key part of the active reading process. As you read, you should mark your book for
the elements listed below. Why? Annotation it allows you to ask questions, note literary devices,
comment on meaning, and mark events and passages you want to revisit. Annotating is a permanent
record of your intellectual conversation with the text.
You may also use sticky notes to record your observations about marked passages in your text.
What should I look for as I annotate The Odyssey?
Themes (Note that these are theme words and phrases rather than theme statements.)
1. The power of cunning over strength
2. The pitfalls of temptation
3. The tension between goals and obstacles
4. The misery of separation
5. Maturation as a journey
6. The dangers of pride
7. Positive and negative examples of hospitality (Remember that hospitality was a key value of
the ancient Greeks!)
Ancient Greek Worldview v. Christian Worldview
1. How do the ancient Greek gods contrast with God?
2. How does the relationship between the ancient Greek gods and man differ from man’s relationship with God?
Odysseus as an Epic Hero
The central hero of an epic, the epic hero has larger-than-life powers. Achilles fulfills this role in The
Iliad; Odysseus in The Odyssey. Epic heroes are not perfect. Achilles is stubbornly proud over a long
period of time; Odysseus has lapses in judgment. Nevertheless, epic heroes always seem to have an
abundance of courage, a fighting spirit that endears them both to the reader (listener) and the gods.
Characteristics of Epic Heroes
1. The hero is of national importance
2. Courage (physical and mental)
3. Physical Strength
4. Cleverness
5. Favored by the gods
6. Willingness to sacrifice (for his cause)
7. Ability to lead
8. His actions are on a grand scale
9. He never gives up
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Handout # 4
The Odyssey Character Chart (20 points)
Directions: As you read The Odyssey, complete the chart below.
Character
1. Odysseus
2. Telemachos
3. Penelope
4. Suitors
5. Aiolos
6. Lotus
Eaters
Chapter(s) Where
the Character
Appears
The entire text
Brief Biography
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, fought in the Trojan War for 10 years and in The Odyssey encounters many obstacles and adventures on his 10 year journey back to his home of Ithaca.
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Character
7. Circe
8. Calypso
9. Polyphemus
10. Scylla
11. Charybdis
12.Eumaios
Chapter(s) Where Brief Biography
the Character
Appears
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Character
13. Eurylochos
14. Laertes
15. Helios
16. Argos
17. Teiresias
18. Alcinoos
Chapter(s) Where Brief Biography
the Character
Appears
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Character
19. Eurymachos
20. Nausicaa
Chapter(s) Where Brief Biography
the Character
Appears
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Handout #5
The Odyssey Paragraph Assignment (15 points)
Prompt:
Odysseus is a Greek hero and friend to many of the Greek gods. He is also the captain of his men
aboard ship and king to these men from Ithaca. Was Odysseus a good or bad leader? Persuade
the reader by choosing one side of the argument and analyzing three events from the text that
prove the point of view you have adopted.
Guidelines:
1. Use MLA Format.
2. Follow the paragraph formatting guidelines below when you write your response.
3. Include a Works Cited page and in-text citations. The only text you will have to cite is
The Odyssey.
4. Save your paragraph in your Google Drive.
5. Avoid merely summarizing the plot. Focus on how the events you choose to discuss show
whether Odysseus is a good or bad leader.
6. You are to do no outside research on this assignment. You will be uploading your paragraph to Turnitin when school starts. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment.
Paragraph Format
Topic Sentence- Indicate whether Odysseus was a good or bad leader.
Event 1- In 1-2 sentences, identify an event that shows whether Odysseus was a good or bad
leader. Then, in 2-3 sentences explain how the first event you incorporate shows whether
Odysseus was a good or bad leader.
Event 2- In 1-2 sentences, identify an event that shows whether Odysseus was a good or bad
leader. Then, in 2-3 sentences explain how the second event you incorporate shows whether
Odysseus was a good or bad leader.
Event 3- In 1-2 sentences, identify an event that shows whether Odysseus was a good or bad
leader. Then, in 2-3 sentences explain how the third event you incorporate shows whether
Odysseus was a good or bad leader.
Concluding Sentence- Drive home your main point in this closing sentence.