Dramatic Vision –The Odyssey
This “Dramatic- Vision” curriculum unit is expected to take ten to fifteen days to complete using eighty-seven minutes classes. It has been developed for ninth grade English Language Learner students and the activities can be adapted as needed by regular English Language Arts Teachers. This unit provides background knowledge about epic poems, lesson ideas, and teaching strategies that can be used with ninth or tenth grade students. At the same time it was developed to get students to become interested in reading epics, and demonstrate their understanding using creative mediums such as art, role-play or writing. Using power point presentations, videos, brainstorming technique, mind maps with connectors, top- hat comparative graphic organizers, book summaries and movies, students will develop the confidence to approach literature in a positive way. As a result, I have included the best online sites that could be visited by both teachers and students to obtain book summaries, PowerPoints presentations, background information about the author, epics, including explanations about Dramatic structure, Energy centers, epic poems, elements of epic poems and epic heroes. The primary purpose of this unit is to provide English Language Learners with the opportunity to experience, and examine an epic poem in an enjoyable manner by focusing on specific academic and content vocabulary, read aloud sessions, using technology, and storyboard strategies.