Through October, students have been studying Greek mythology. We started the unit by reading the Greek myth of creation, which explains how the Greeks believed Zeus came to power. Between now and Thanksgiving, the students will be reading an excerpt from The Odyssey. The excerpt is an adapted text written for young adults; this makes the text appropriately challenging for eighth grade while dealing with the plot of the original story. The students will read about Odysseus' farewell at Troy, his interactions with the Lotus eaters, and his escape from the cyclops Polyphemus. This will then serve as a foundation for further study of the story at Valley Regional. As well, this unit coincides with the study of ancient Greece in Global Studies.
After reading the excerpt, the students will be viewing a Percy Jackson movie. This part of the unit will culminate with discussion on how old stories are made new by refreshing the ideas for new audiences. The students will complete a project comparing the heroes of today's fiction with the heroes of Greek mythology.