Really? Rapping The Odyssey? Really. A discussion of the oral tradition of story telling and its links to Epic poetry sets the stage for a series of activities that encourage improvisation to integrate music into other classrooms....

"Ye who believe...List to a Tale of Love in Acadie." Longfellow's epic poem, "Evangeline," launches a study of tragic heroines, epic poetry, the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada, and their subsequent migration to Louisiana. The...

Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...

Young analysts write a comparative essay, but about what? They compose a paper based on several critical discussion about reality and illusion, and how both are blurred in art. They analyze several theatre pieces that exemplify Brechtian...

Do monsters really exist? Find out what your class thinks with these discussion questions prior to reading Beowulf. Incorporate music and a video clip into the anticipatory set to engage your learners. Take a day to search online...

Students read and interpret the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. They interlock this poem to other spectacular people or events such as Amelia Earhart and the Bermuda Triangle. A vast array of excellent assignments are given within this...

Ninth graders read and discuss part 1 of The Odyssey and create a mind map and visual images to represent vocabulary. In this reading lesson plan, 9th graders are introduced to poetry, and the Hero Cycle.

Students identify characters and events from the Ramayana. They discuss ways in whcih the images convey non-verbal information and messages. They discuss similarities and differences in the visual and verbal tellings of the Ramayana.

Twelfth graders define what a hero is and watch a video. In this hero lesson, 12th graders discuss the characteristics of a hero and list heroes and their attributes.  Students read the poem Beowulf and identify...

Eleventh graders explore westward expansion in the United States. In this US History activity, 11th graders watch the epic struggle of the Nez Perce. Students evaluate how a variety of Americans viewed Nez Perce through a role play. 

Students read selections from Beowulf and summarize the poetry selections in their own words. Students discuss the poem, then create a modern version of Beowulf by using their own words and their own poetic form.

Students draw a map. In this map drawing lesson students draw a map to show where a character is from and where they are going in the story. Students are writing an odyssey.  

Students write a dramatic scene based on The Odyssey and perform it for the class. In this living literature lesson, students work in small groups to discuss the way the characters look, act, and sound. They then choose scenery and...

Students explore the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, by creating Javanese shadow puppets and performing significant scenes from the story. They combine their artistic ability with their desire to learn an important aspect of the Southeast Asian...

Students study Mars and Odyssey's mission to Mars. In groups, they plan a community that could live on Mars.

Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus. In this literary comparison lesson, students read the two stories and discuss the characters Telemachus and Eucharis. Students view an image by David...

Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus to create their own story based on a secondary character. In this literary analysis   lesson, students read and compare the excerpts from the...

Ninth graders create Powerpoint Presentation using information and assignments from previous two lessons. They compare Odysseus's obstacles with those from their own lives, and share slideshows with classmates.

Students discover the challenges of translating poetry written in a character-based language through the study of Lao-tzu's work, Daodejing. This lesson includes possible extensions and evaluations.

Students participate in cross-curricular activities and readings to become familiar with the works of Brian Jacques. In this heroes lesson, students discuss the character traits of legends and how their characters develop through events...

Students draw a ship to scale, and calculate the real life size. They show that measurements on the drawingsare annotated with the distances reported in inches (fractions and decimals), and their real-world equivalents

Learners use signal flags chart to identify common ship signals. They create different signal flags and meanings on their own.

The elements of music and journalistic integrity in one lesson; What could be better? The class discusses journalistic approaches to better understand responsible reporting versus sensationalism. They watch the Act One from the film...

Learners design a ship. They calculate square footage and draw their ship to scale. They build models of their ships.