1. Word of the Day Despondent
Write three (or more) sentences about a time that you felt despondent. What caused you to feel this way? How did you overcome this feeling?

2. Journal Prompt
Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice. How did making that choice affect you? How does it continue to define you as a person?

3. Book 10
After leaving the island of the Cyclopes, Odysseus and his men land on the island of Aeolus, the ruler of the winds.
When they leave there, Aeolus gifts Odysseus with a bag of wind.
Odysseus and his men almost make it home, within sight of Ithaca. He falls asleep, and his men, believing that he has some treasure that he will not share, open the bag of wind which blows the ship back to Aeolus’ island.
Aeolus refuses to help them again because he believes that their journey is cursed.

4. Book 10
Odysseus and his men next land on the island of the Laestrygones, cannibals who bombard the ships with boulders.
Only one ship, with Odysseus and 45 men, survives.

5. Book 10 The ship sails to Aeaea, home of the witch Circe.
Odysseus divides his men into two groups, one led by Eurylochus to explore the island, the other led by Odysseus to stay with the ship.
The men led by Eurylochus find Circe’s home, surrounded by ferocious beasts who are oddly calm and do not attack.
The men are enchanted by Circe and turned into pigs, except for Eurylochus, who runs back to tell Odysseus what has happened.

6. Book 10
Eurylochus begs Odysseus to leave immediately, but Odysseus will not abandon his men.
On his way to Circe’s home, the god Hermes visits with Odysseus and advises him about how to resist her charms.
Circe tries to turn Odysseus into a pig by making him drink a potion, but it doesn’t work on him. He threatens her with his sword.

7. Book 10
Circe gives in and turns Odysseus’ men back into humans, but she keeps them in a trance.
Odysseus and his men stay with Circe for a year…
Before they leave, Circe give Odysseus some advice: he must travel to the Underworld to speak with the ghost of Tiresias and hear a prophecy.

8. Book 11 Odysseus and his men travel to the Land of the Dead.
They encounter various ghosts: Elpenor, a lost crewmate; Anticlea, Odysseus’ mother (whom he did not know was dead); and finally, Tiresias, a prophet.

9. Book 11
Tiresias warns him to avoid the island of Thrinacia, where the cattle of Helios are. He also explains what is happening at Odysseus’ home with the suitors. Finally, he advises Odysseus to atone for the wrongs that he has done and make sacrifice to Poseidon after he returns home.
Before leaving, Odysseus speaks with other great leaders who have died and who warn him about the consequences of not living honorably.

10. Book 12 Odysseus and his men return to Circe’s island.
She advises him about how to survive the next challenges that he faces on his journey: the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.

11. Book 12 Jigsaw
With your group, read and analyze your assigned section.
Discuss and respond to the questions on your handout.
After you finish, create an image or symbol to represent the main conflict of your section.
Choose a representative to present what you have read and discussed