In this unit students who read and study Homer’s “Odyssey” are asked to grapple with the concepts of emerging identity and of maturity. They are asked to see in the experience of Odysseus, the archetypal traveler, and his son Telemachus, a vision of their own search for identity. Although they are not travelers, Penelope and Nausicaa will be looked at as female counterparts to Odysseus and Telemachus. The teaching strategies concentrate on discussion questions designed to encourage students’ critical thinking about these characters and the parts that they play in the “Odyssey.” The discussion questions are also designed to stimulate the students to think about themselves as young people and about the establishment of their own sense of identity. The lesson plans, which supplement the discussions, include visual aids, field trips, role-playing and writing assignments.
(Recommended for English classes grades 9 through 12, which include “The Odyssey” (Homer)