Johnson_English

The following outlines the content of the opening three lessons in the Concepts of Heroism course, designed for 9th Grade English students in California. The entire course contains 6 lessons. Each lesson corresponds with a week of classroom activity.

Lesson One
Students will begin by discussing the concept of heroism. Students will complete an interactive lesson module about the heroic archetype. Students will also build a glossary of key terms related to heroism and the archetype. Students will visit Time’s 100 most influential people website and select a person who will be the topic of their research. The research paper will assignment asks students to present an overview of the person’s major accomplishments/ areas of influence, as well as an evaluation of the figure’s defining traits, as measured against the defining traits of the classic hero. Students must include a Works Cited page in their reports, with sources correctly documented in MLA format. By the end of lesson one, students will have completed the research for their reports. During this lesson, students will also begin to build a collaborative glossary of terms related to heroism and the archetype.

Lesson Two
Students will relate the concepts of the classic heroic archetype to Homer’s classic heroic tale, The Odyssey. Students will continue to build a collaborative glossary, including terms, places, figures, and concepts related to Homer’s Odyssey. In class, students will read excerpts of the text, and watch a film version of The Odyssey. Students who are unable to attend class sessions will read the entire abbreviated text, via a link that will be made available on the Moodle site. Prior to beginning the story, students will read informational text that provides background information on ancient Greece, the Trojan War, Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey, and Greek mythology. Student comprehension of the informational text and the story will be assessed throughout the lesson module, via short answer and multiple-choice responses.

Lesson Three
Students will conclude their study of The Odyssey, and will relate themes in the story to their developing concepts of heroism. Students will reflect upon the adventures of Odysseus, and evaluate the ways that the elements in the story reflect the heroic archetype. Students will be asked to consider ways that the classic heroic archetype may serve as a model for human beings that seek to understand how to live their own lives.