HOMER’strongSstrong THE ODYSSEY - Penguin Books USA.pdf

A T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E T O T H E S I G N E T C L A S S I C E D I T I O N O F HOMER’S THE ODYSSEY By VICTORIA ALLEN S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Homer’s The Odyssey 2 I N T R O D U C T I O N The Odyssey is an excellent work of literature for ninth or tenth grade students to read. By this time most students have already been introduced to mythology, so that the world of Odysseus is not completely foreign to them. Learners of all ability levels enjoy the adventurous and imaginative stories of the Greek gods and mortals, and The Odyssey is a good introduction to similar stories, such as Beowulf, that they may encounter later in their high school studies. Lower-ability learners can follow this story. The language at times may seem formidable, but with additional visuals and frequent plot summaries, they should be able to understand the basic journey of Odysseus and the obstacles that he encounters along the way. Students can enjoy studying the interesting customs and beliefs of the ancient Greeks, evaluating characters and their decisions throughout the story as they delight in the action and adventure. One of the themes of The Odyssey is the development of Telemachos from a dependent boy into a mature, responsible adult. Students can identify with the fact that he begins to accept more responsibility as he grows up. He is trying to figure out who