Download Rockville HS English Department: Pre‐IB English 10 Summer

Rockville HS English Department: Pre‐IB English 10 Summer Reading Assignment
Thoughtful analysis and critical reading are essential for every course in the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme. This summer reading assignment is designed to help you develop these skills in preparation for your work in
the program.
Directions:
1) Review the “Background Information” for The Odyssey that has been included in this summer reading assignment
packet.
2) Read the following work: The Odyssey by Homer (translation by Fitzgerald) Text can be checked out from the school
before the end of the school year, or secure your own copy from a public library or book store. The Odyssey can be a tough
read, but rise to the challenge and read the book in its entirety. It is not acceptable to substitute your reading of The
Odyssey by using Sparknotes or any other similar resource.
3) Complete the following FOUR assignments. Plan ahead‐ you will not be able to complete the assignments if you wait
until the night before school starts.
Assignment 1: Annotations in the text, completed as you read this summer
Annotation Checklist
 Read with a PENCIL or PEN – and a stack of at least 50 sticky notes
 Slap a sticky note on the following
 Important passages (character or setting descriptions, significant events)
 Words you don’t know –and write a definition.
 Observations about literary devices (imagery, figurative language, symbols, motifs)
 Responses to the content
 Connections to other texts (novels, essays, movies, and so on)
Annotation Rubric: Pay close attention to the rubric below to see exactly what to include.
Excellent (10)
Insight –annotations reveal understanding of the complexities of
the text. Setting, characterization, plot, and use of literary devices
are analyzed. Connections to other texts are clearly apt and
insightful.
Completeness – 50 annotations covering entire selection, with no
major lapses – about 2 per chapter/book
Passable (7)
The annotations reveal a good grasp
of the basic facts of the text.
Connections are generally
appropriate.
Annotations are clumped and/or
skimpy
Needs work (5)
The annotations reveal only the most
minimal grasp of the basic facts of the
text. Little thought is evident in
connections.
Fewer than 25 sticky notes or penciled
annotations
Assignment 2: Post Insights, Questions and Resources on Edmodo, as you read this summer
Post at least four original, insightful comments, questions, or helpful resources as you read on edmodo.com. Engage other
students in discussion by responding to their posts. We will continue to use edmodo as a virtual discussion platform
throughout the school year, so we want to begin using the website during the summer.
To sign up for edmodo:
Step 1: Go to the following URL: http://mcpsmd.edmodo.com/
Step 2: Below “Create an Account”, select “I’m a Student” Enter this group code: _________________.
Step 3: Create your username and password. Be sure to use a correct email address.
Step 4: Find the discussions and add original comments and responses as you read.
Assignment 3: Commentary (multi‐paragraph), when you’ve finished reading
- Write a multi‐paragraph commentary on a passage of your choice from the epic (ready to post to turnitin.com
when we return to school)
- Select a passage approximately 25‐40 lines long (No fewer than 20 lines). Some suggested passages are found in
the following books/chapters. Feel free to select your own!
Book IX – Kyklops
Book XVII – the Beggar at the Manor
-
Book XI – Gathering of Shades
Book XXI – the Test of the Bow
Book XII – Sea Perils and Defeat
Book XXIII – the Trunk of the Olive Tree
Type it at the top of your page, using different font colors and highlighting in the word processor for your notes.
Define words. Identify the context, the characters, and the setting.
-
Organize your essay by
o Chunking the passage into sections (these sections can help you organize the paragraphs of your
commentary);
o clarifying the central focus;
o discussing how the language in each section creates meaning and develops the central focus (remember‐
it is not enough to just explain the meaning of a passage or to just identify the literary features/devices in
a passage; your job is to show the relationship between the meaning and the language)
Assignment 4: Comparison‐Contrast (short answers, after you’ve read the book and watched a film)
- Select and view one of the “epic” films listed below. You may get together with other pre‐IB 10 students and watch
a film together as a group if you choose. Films should be available on Netflix.com, Hulu.com, or at your local
Redbox.
Apollo 13
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hercules
Kung Fu Panda
Lord of the Rings
(any film in the trilogy)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Robin Hood
The Hobbit
-
Brave
Epic
Hunger Games
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Rise of the Guardians
Sky High
The Princess Bride
Braveheart
Forrest Gump
Kingdom of Heaven
Les Miserables
Percy Jackson & the Olympians:
The Lightning Thief
Whalerider
Tangled
Troy
Then, individually, respond to the following questions (ready to post on turnitin.com when we return). Your
responses should be thoughtful and complete. Incorporate evidence from both The Odyssey and the epic film in
your responses. When we return to class, you will be turning these responses into a full length comparison‐
contrast essay, so the better developed the responses are, the stronger your final essay will be.
(1) What is an epic hero and how does Odysseus fit this definition? How does the hero/heroine of your
epic film fit this definition?
(2) Discuss the impact on the text of one major decision that Odysseus makes in The Odyssey. In the film
you viewed, discuss the impact of one major decision the epic hero/heroine makes.
(3) An epic hero usually exemplifies the morals that are valued by his society, as well as the cultural and
religious beliefs of the time. Some of the values of ancient Greece, for example, include
 respecting the will of the gods,
 taking great responsibility for one’s family,
 honoring the dead,
 longing for home (nostos)
 treating a guest in your home with hospitality (xenia)
The culture also valued skills such as
 resourcefulness,
 wit,
 fighting ability, and
 storytelling
In what way does Odysseus convey the cultural values of ancient Greece?
In what way does your film’s epic hero/heroine convey the cultural values of his/her time period?
Questions? If, over the summer, you find that you do not understand an aspect of the assignment and need clarification,
please ask us through edmodo or e‐mail. We will do our best to respond to you soon.
Ms. Ehlers [email protected]
Ms. Byrne [email protected]
Have a wonderful summer and we look forward to working with all of you next year!
Background Information for Homer’s The Odyssey
W ho Was Homer?
Beyond a few fragments of information, historians and classicists can only
speculate about the life of the man who composed the Iliad and the
Odyssey. The details are few. We do not even know the century in which
he lived, and it is difficult to say with absolute certainty that the same
poet composed both works. The Greeks attributed both of the epics to the
same man, and we have little hard evidence that would make us doubt
the ancient authorities, but uncertainty is a constant feature of scholarly
work dealing with Homer's era of Greek history.
The Greeks hailed him as their greatest poet, as well as their first.
Although the Greeks recognized other poets who composed in Greek
before Homer, no texts from these earlier poets survived. Perhaps they
were lost, or perhaps they were never written down? Homer himself was probably on the cusp
between the tradition of oral poetry and the new invention of written language. Texts of the Iliad
and the Odyssey existed from at least the sixth century BC, and probably for a considerable span
of time before that. These two great epic poems also had a life in performance: through t he
centuries, professional artists made their living by reciting Homer, performing the great epics for
audiences that often know great parts of the poem by heart.
It is impossible to pin down with any certainty when Homer lived. Eratosthenes gives the traditional
date of 1184 BC for the end of the Trojan War, the semi-mythical event which forms the basis for
the Iliad. The great Greek historian Herodotus put the date at 1250 BC. These dates were arrived
at in a very approximate manner; Greek historians usually used genealogy and estimation when
trying to find the dates for events in the distant past. But Greek historians were far less certain
about the dates for Homer's life. Some said he was a contemporary of the events of the Iliad, while
others placed him sixty or a hundred or several hundred years afterward. Herodotus estimated that
Homer lived and wrote in the ninth century BC. He almost certainly lived in one of the Greek city states in Asia Minor. All of the traditional sources say that he was blind.
Over the course of millennia of scholarly speculation, prevailing theories about Homer and his
relationship to his work have had time to change and change again. At various times over the
centuries, scholars have suggested that he was only a transmitter, or that he never existed, and
the epics attributed to him were the patchwork effort of generations of bards. Modern scholars,
however, tend to accept that the Iliad and the Odyssey are more than amalgams handed down
from antiquity, and that there was in fact a great poet who had a hand in creating these epics in
the forms we know today. Current scholarship holds that Homer was a great bard who lived
between the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Although there is little doubt that Homer inherited a
massive amount of material from generations of bards before him, most scholars believe now that
Homer was an innovator and an original artist as well as a transmitter. Writing probably played a
role in the composition of his great poems. Current theories depict Homer as a master of oral
poetry who used the new invention of writing to aid him in composing epics on a grander scale
than had ever been done before. There are signs in the Iliad that might suggest unfinished
revision; these massive projects may have been reworked again and again over the course of the
poet's whole life. A performer as well as a poet, Homer may have composed the poems through a
mixture of utilizing old material, writing and revising, and oral improvisation.
Little can be known with certainty. But even though the details of Homer's life remain and probably
will always remain an enigma, his great epics come down to us intact. His works have formed a
foundation for all the Western literature that has followed, and his characters and stories have ha d
an impact on three thousand years' worth of readers. Facts about the poet's life can do little to add
to that legacy. Legend says that as a child, Alexander the Great slept with a copy of the Iliad under
his pillow and the fact that Alexander was neither the first nor the last boy to do so says more
about Homer's genius than any biography could, no matter how detailed or complete.
W hat is an Epic?
An epic in its most specific sense is a genre of classical poetry originating in Greece. The
conventions of this genre are several:
(a) It is a long narrative about a serious or worthy traditional subject.
(b) Its diction in elevated in style. It employs a formal, dignified, objective tone and many
figures of speech.
(c) The narrative focused on the exploits of a hero or demigod who represents the cultural
values of a race, nation, or religious group.
(d) The hero's success or failure will determine the fate of that people or nation.
(e) The action takes place in a vast setting, and covers a wide geographic area. The setting is
frequently some time in the remote past.
(f) The action contains superhuman feats of strength or military prowess.
(g) Gods or supernatural beings frequently take part in the action to affect the outcome.
(h) The poem begins with the invocation of a muse to inspire the poet, a prayer to an
appropriate supernatural being. The speaker asks that this being provide him the suitable
emotion, creativity, or words to finish the poem.
(i) The narrative starts in medias res, in the middle of the action. Subsequently, the earlier
events leading up to the start of the poem will be recounted in the characters' narratives or in
flashbacks.
(j) The epic contains long catalogs of heroes or important characters, focusing on highborn
kings and great warriors rather than peasants and commoners.
(k) The epic employs extended similes (called epic similes) at appropriate spots of the story,
and a traditional scene of extended description in which the hero arms himself.
The term applies most directly to classical Greek texts like the Iliad and the Odyssey but it is clear
that Roman authors like Virgil intentionally imitate the genre in works like the Aeneid. However,
some critics have applied the term more loosely. The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf has also been
called an epic of Anglo-Saxon culture, Milton's Paradise Lost is called an epic of Christian culture, El
Cid is an epic of Spanish culture, Longfellow's Hiawatha is an epic of American culture, and
Shakespeare's various History Plays have been collectively called an epic of Renaissance Britain.
Contrast with the mock epics of Alexander Pope and later Enlightenment writers to see its influence
in humorous form.
W hat are the characteristics of The Epic Hero?
The epic hero is the embodiment of the values of the society in which the hero lived. For this
reason, the only fair interpretation of a hero’s character and behavior must be based upon the
values considered important by the society th e hero lives in. The Greek hero w as expected to be
visibly and audibly aware of his own excellence. Tears, for example, were not considered to by
unmanly, and boasting was expected of the epic hero. The following are typical qualities of
any epic hero:






The epic hero is a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society
An epic hero is super-human. He is braver, stronger, smarter, and more clever than an
ordinary person
The epic hero is on a quest for something of great value to him or his people
There are villains who try to keep the hero from his quest
The epic hero is often of mixed divine and human birth and therefore possesses human
weaknesses
The divine world (the gods) interferes with the human world
The following are also characteristics of the Greek epic hero:

a marked self-centeredness and individuality

an individualistic quest for personal honor

an ultimate subordination of personal desires to social demands and responsibilities

a denial of the less worthy or primitive aspects of his manhood to become a more powerful
and responsible citizen of a larger community

an effort to practice restraint rather than exerting strength (Odysseus refrained from
harming Eurylochus when Eurylochus refused to return with Odysseus and his men to
Circe’s home.)

a pride in his own superiority--physical, mental, “spiritual”

a need to test the qualities of his manhood which enable him to withstand the pressure of
alien codes and conditions and remain true to this ultimate values

an allegiance to the past and to the traditions and values of his society

a dedication to individual fulfillment, familial responsibility, and personal development

a remarkable degree of courage which carries him even through the land of the dead

a submission to the will of the gods

a facing of hardship and frustration without despair

a determination never to give up or surrender

a continual striving toward a seemingly hopeless goal

a nobility which causes him to give up himself and his substance without complaining

a willingness to destroy in order to cleanse or purify or strengthen
W hat gods, goddesses and humans are significant to The Odyssey?
Major Gods and Goddesses

Zeus the supreme ruler of the gods and god of the sky; overthrew his father, Cronus; his
symbol is the thunderbolt; married to Hera; brother to Hades and Poseiden

Hera wife and mother of Zeus; goddess and protector of married women; her symbol is the
peacock and she was jealous of Zeus’s many affairs

Hades god of the underworld and of wealth for all the precious metals mined from the
earth; wears metal helmet; wife is Persephone; brother of Zeus

Poseidon god of the sea, earthquakes and horses; his weapon of choice is the trident; he
has a greedy and quarrelsome personality; brother of Zeus

Apollo
the son of Zeus and Leto; he is the god of music, prophecy and healing; his
weapon is the bow and arrow

Artemis

Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty; she rose from the sea on a half shell; she is
married to Hephaestus

Athena the virgin goddess is fierce and proud in defensive wars; protector of agriculture;
she sprang full grown and in armor from father Zeus’s forehead and is his favorite offspring;
she is wise and pure

Hermes the messenger god, he’s the son of Zeus; he’s the fastest god and wears winged
sandals; he carries a magic wand

Hephaestus god of the forge and weavers; he is ugly, but kind and peace loving; married
to Aphrodite

Ares god of war, disliked son of Zeus and Hera; cowardly; ridiculed by Hephaestus since
he had an affair with wife Aphrodite
twin sister of Apollo; goddess of chastity; virgin huntress; fierce and vengeful
Gods and Others Who Impede The Journey Home

Aeolus- Keeper of the winds. He places all of the bad winds in a bag and gives them to
Odysseus. Ithaca is within sight when the ship's crew lets the winds out and the ship is
blown far away by the storms within the bag.

Calypso- A beautiful sea nymph who tries to make Odysseus her husband. She holds him
captive for nine years. Calypso offers Odysseus immortality if he will stay with her.

Charybdis - A violent whirlpool. It destroys all ships that get caught in home by boat, having
this god angry at you is not a good idea!

Circe - When Odysseus' crew meets her, she turns them; into pigs. Odysseus becomes her
lover, and she later helps him on his journey home.

Helios - God of the Sun. Odysseus earns his wrath when his crew eats some of Helios'
sacred cattle.

Lotus-Eaters - A people who eat the Lotus plant, a narcotic.

Polyphemus - Son of Poseidon. He is one of the Cyclops (one eyed giants). Odysseus blinds
him.

Poseidon - God of the Sea. He seeks revenge on Odysseus for injuring his son, Polyphemus.
When you have to travel home by boat, having this god angry at you in not a good idea!

Scylla - A six headed monster that Odysseus must go by to get home. She eats six of his
men (one for each head).

Sirens - These beautiful maidens lure sailors to their deaths wit h an irresistible song.
Odysseus fills his crew's ears with wax to save them from temptation.
Main Human Characters

Odysseus - The Odyssey is the story of his journey home from the Trojan war. He i5 brave,
loyal, and above all else clever. He is the king of Ithaca.

Penelope - The faithful, loyal wife of Odysseus. She patiently waits 20 years for his return.
She is Homer's example of the perfect Greek wife and mother.

Telemachus- Son of Odysseus and Penelope. He was only an infant when his father left to
fight in Troy. The Odyssey is also a story about Telemachus' journey to manhood.
Minor Human Characters

Antinous- The evil leader of the suitors. He is the first one Odysseus kills

Eumaeus - A servant of Odysseus. He has remained loyal to Odysseus throughout his
master's twenty year absence. He and Philoetius help Odysseus fight the suitors.

Eurycleia- An old woman servant who was a devoted nurse to both Odysseus and
Telemachus.

Eurymachus- A suitor. He is an evil coward. He tries to blame Antinous for all the suitors
actions. Eurymachus is the second suitor killed by Odysseus.

Irus- The favorite beggar of the suitors. He is cruel to Odysseus when Odysseus is disguised
as a beggar.

Laertes - Odysseus' father. He lives on a farm some distance from Odysseus palac e.

Melantho - A servant girl. She has been disloyal to Odysseus in his absence by becoming
the mistress of Eurymachus.

Melanthius- A servant of Odysseus who has betrayed him in his absence by assisting the
suitors.

Menelaus- King of Sparta. He was a comrade of Odysseus during the Trojan war. It was the
abduction of his wife, Helen, that caused the war.

Nestor- King of Pylos. He fought at Troy with Odysseus. He is known for his wise counsel.

Philoetlus A loyal servant to Odysseus. He and Eumaeus help Odysseus fight the suitors.

Tiresias- A famous, deceased Greek prophet. Odysseus goes to Hades to consult his spirit.
W hat is the Plot and Organization of the The Odyssey?
The Odyssey has been called one of the greatest adventure stories the word has ever known. It
was composed about 850 B.C.E. by Homer about events that happened at the end of the Bronze
Age, about 1250 B.C.E.-- about the time Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
The Odyssey is about a crafty and bold warrior king named Odysseus, w ho had helped the Greeks
ultimately triumph over the Trojans in the ten-year long Trojan War with his famous wooden horse.
On the way home, he offended Poseidon, the Greed god of the ocean, and was destined to travel
for ten years until he could finally reach his home in Ithaka. Until the gods took pity on him and
finally let him return to his island kingdom, Odysseus had many harrowing adventures. Nothing,
even two beautiful goddesses who wanted him for themselves, could make him forget his desire to
get home to his faithful wife, Penelope, and their son, Telemakhos.
The Odyssey is 24 books (or episodes—since the book designation was imposed after this poem’s
oral origins). They were probably organically performed in four-hour chunks of four books each, or
six long performances for the complete epic. Since then, it has been translated and interpreted and
transformed in a variety of ways. The basic plot stays the same.
Books 1-12: The wanderings of father and son, the prophecy revealed
Books 1-4 cover Telemakhos’ journey to find his father.
Books 5-8 show Odysseus’ release from Kalypso to the Phaiakians who will return him to
Ithaka.
Books 9-12 are the heart of the Odyssey, filled with monsters and adventures, and
Odysseus’ account of the trip from Troy to that point.
Books 13-24: The second half covers the restoration of order in Ithaka, the prophecy fulfilled.
Books 13-16 return both Odysseus and his son to Ithaka
Books 17-20 set up the revenge upon the suitors
Books 21-24 wrap up all the loose ends: the suitors are slain, the husband and wife are
reunited, and Ithaka is at peace.
H ow does one p ronounce important people a nd places in The Odyssey?
ODYSSEY Pronunciation Guide
Agamemnon a-ga-MEM-non
Aias AY-us
Aigyptios Eg-GIP-tee-ohs
Akhaians Ah-KAY-ans
Alkinoos Al-KIN-oh-us
Antiphates An-TIFF-ah-teez
Ares AR-eez
Argive AR-guyv
Danaans DAN-na-ans
Elpenor EL-pen-or
Eumaios Yew-MAY-os
Eurylokhos Yer-RILL-oh-kos
Helios HEE-lee-os
Herakles HAIR-ah-kleez
Ikarios Ick-AR-ee-ohs
Kalypso Kah-LIP-so
Kikones KIC K-oh-neez or Kih-KOH-neez
Klytaimnestra Kly-tem-NES-tra
Kyklopes KY-clo-pee
Laistrygonia Lass-trih-GO-nee-ah
Laodamas Lay-OD-ah-mas
Medon ME-don
Menelaos Men-eh-LAY-ohs
Mykenai My-KEN-ay
Odysseus Oh-DIS-yus
Orestes Or-ES-teez
Penelope Pa-NEL-oh-pee
Phaiakians Fay-AH-kee-ans
Philoktetes Fil-OC K-teh-teez
Pontonoos Pon-TOH-no-us
Proteus PRO-tee-us
Seirenes SEH-ree-neez
Teiresias Te-REE-see-us
Thrinakia Thrih-NAH-kee-ah
Aiaia AY-ah-yah
Aigisthos Ah-GIS-thos
Aiolia Ay-OH-lee-ah
Akhilleus Ah-KILL-ee-us
Antinoos An-TIN-oh-us
Aphrodite Af-fro-DY-tee
Arete AR-eh-tee
Artemis AR-tem-is
Demodokos Deh-MAH-do-kos
Erebos AIR-eh-bos
Eurykleia Yer-RIK-lee-ah
Eurymakhos Yer-RIM-ah-kos
Hephaistos Heh-FES-tos
Hermes HER-meez
Ino EE-no
Kharybdis Kah-RIB-dis
Kirke KER-kee
Ktesippos KTEH-sip-pos
Laertes La-AIR-teez
Lakedaimon Lack-ah-DAY-mon
Malea MAIL-ee-yah
Melanthios Meh-LAN-thee-os
Mentes MEN-teez
Nausikaa NOW-see-ka
Ogygia Oh-GIDG-ah
Peisistratos Pay-SIS-tra-tos
Persephone Per-SEFF-oh-nee
Phemios FEE-me-ohs
Polyphemos Pol-ee-FEE-mos
Poseidon Po-SI-dun
Pylos PEE-los
Skheria Scai-REE-ah
Telemakhos Ta-LEM-ah-kos
Thyestes Thy-ES-teez
Additional Interactive Resources:
http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php
Pronunciation Guide
Hom er and Epic
"Introduction" in Odyssey
Odyssey Maps
Odyssey Timelines
O dysseus in the Trojan War
Trojan W ar Summary
Le arn a current ve rsion of XENIA
The Go ds
40 Day C hronology
FAQ 1-12
FAQ 13-24
Hom eric C omposition