Introduction to the Odyssey Anticipation Guide or Learning Stations Activity

Don't kill the unit before it's even begun! For years I gave a boring power point introduction to give my students necessary background information on the Odyssey to ensure their success. Every semester, I dreaded this day; I knew it was a total bore to my students. What a way to set the tone for a new unit! ;) So, I got smarter and created this learning stations activity. Not only are my students learning the necessary background info, they’re learning more! And they’re doing it in a variety of learning styles, working with their peers and moving about the classroom. Win! Win! So without further ado, here is what you can expect to find in your Intro to the Odyssey Learning Stations Activity.

• Learning Station Response Sheet
• A Google Slides Presentation: The Learning Station Activities
• A Google Slides Presentation: Prior to beginning, walk students through objectives and expectations. Project student groups and monitor time through a live video timer

Learning Stations Include:

#1 The Foundation: An overview of Greek epics and the plot

#2 A Quizizz Ancient Greece Game to access prior knowledge

#3 Background on the Trojan War and the Trojan horse

#4 Character Study- students read a short story about Odysseus prior to the war to make assumptions regarding his character and give background

#5 Penelope's Story- students read a short story about Penelope and the suitors and then analyze two renaissance paintings to learn about character and give background

#6 The Hero's Journey

Students will work in small groups as they explore the world of the Odyssey. A student response sheet is included to keep students accountable throughout.

I hope you're able to set your students up for success when reading the Odyssey. You're sure to gain much more student buy-in with this activity over a traditional snore-and-bore PowerPoint :)

Teachers like you said:

"I loved this resource. I had my students complete the stations in pairs. The quiz was a lot of fun and there was so much variety there was something for everyone. The videos were excellent. I created a modified version of Penelope's story for my struggling readers. I would highly recommend using this for a fun introduction to The Odyssey." - Mary Ann V.

Please note* youtube access is needed for this resource.