1. Bellringer
As we have discussed this week, symbols have both LITERAL and FIGURATIVE meaning.
Look at the image to the right and describe both its literal AND figurative meaning.
Don’t overthink it, and remember, symbols sometimes mean different things to different people, and that is ok!
3-4 minutes

2. “IthaKa” by C. P. Cavafy
English 9

3. Objectives
Read and explore “Ithaka,” a poem that introduces the major characters, conflicts, and themes of The Odyssey.
(9.RL.RRTC.10)
Determine how devices (such as allusions) develop theme in a text.
(9-10.RL.KID.2)
30 seconds

4. Standards 9.RL.RRTC.10 9-10.RL.KID.2
Read and comprehend a variety of literature throughout the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with a gradual release of scaffolding at the higher end as needed.
9-10.RL.KID.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development; provide an objective or critical summary.
30 seconds

5. What does the journey to Ithaca symbolize in this poem?
Guiding Questions
What does the journey to Ithaca symbolize in this poem?
What lessons does the poem try to teach the reader?

6. Let’s Read!
Now we will read the poem “Ithaca” found on pages of your guidebooks.
Pay careful attention to the tone (the speaker’s attitude toward the subject).
As I read, what should YOU be doing?
ANNOTATING!!!!!
Look specifically for words that are unfamiliar to you!
2-3 minutes

7. Confusing Words Look at page 7 of your guidebooks.
Part of Speech
Definition/Synonym
Look at page 7 of your guidebooks.
Fill in the chart with at least three unfamiliar words from the text.
Avoid words that are obviously related to Greek mythology. We will discuss those later!
2 minutes

8. Confusing Words
Word
Part of Speech
Definition/Synonym
Now that you have found a few words that you need to learn more about, what should you do to grow your knowledge of those words?
Another good way to grow your vocabulary is to make sure that you actually USE new words in your writing!
1 minute
Don’t spend class time looking words up in the dictionary, but use this as an opportunity to remind students about the benefits of learning and USING new words as often as possible.

9. Independent Practice: Connotation
Let’s read the directions for Activity 2 on page 7 of your guidebooks.
Take a moment to list as many words with obvious positive or negative connotation as you can find in TWO minutes!
Work fast and remember that connotation only requires you to look at the word and determine how it affects you emotionally!
3 minutes

10. Potential Responses for Activity 2
2-4 minutes minutes
Ask students what they notice immediately and how that compares to language from “A Worn Path” and “Half a Day.”
Discussion questions: Why might the author have selected those words? What message is the author trying to send?

11. Writing an Objective Summary
An objective summary does not contain your opinions about the text; rather, it includes basic information (plot details) about the text.
For example, the first sentence of an objective summary might be, “The narrator is giving advice to someone beginning a journey.”
A summary that contains opinions might be, “The narrator seems kind and is giving advice to someone who is beginning a journey; however, many times, it is annoying when someone gives advice.”
2-3 minutes

12. Writing an Objective Summary
You have FIVE minutes to complete Activity 3 on page 8 of your guidebook.
You should use the questions to the right to help clarify what you might include.
Remember to include an OBJECTIVE tone by avoiding opinions and first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours).
Be specific—name characters, settings, concepts, etc. before using pronouns to refer to them!
Guiding Questions
Who seems to be speaking?
Where is this story taking place? What is the setting?
When does the action take place?
What seems to be the conflict?
Why is there a conflict? Is there any background information?
5-7 minutes

13. Let’s Share!
3 minutes

14. Objective Summary Sample
The narrator is giving advice to someone beginning a journey. The narrator says that the traveler will not encounter obstacles unless the traveler brings them upon himself. The narrator then previews some of the advantages of a journey: seeing places for the first time, buying precious gifts, and learning from educated people of experience. To conclude, the narrator urges the journeyman to not rush the process but instead to learn all that he can along the way.
2 minutes

15. Allusions…
An allusion is a reference to literature, mythology, history, or religion that writers use to draw comparisons between two things.
3-5 minutes
Explain to students that they will learn much more about these allusions when we look into the background for The Odyssey tomorrow and even more as we study the text in the weeks ahead.
This activity may be tough for a lot of students and will require individualized monitoring and prompting as students work.
If this approach doesn’t work, assigning different words to different color groups might be an option (jigsaw style) as time permits.

16. Tone…
Tone is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject of a text and is revealed through the author’s word choice, organization, choice of detail, and sentence structure.
The tone of a text impacts meaning.
Your understanding of the text, how you feel about the text, and how the text impacts you are all related to the tone.
Look at page 9 of your guidebooks, and let’s discuss words that can be used to describe the tone of a piece of writing. This will be a valuable resource for you throughout the year, so you may want to tag it with a sticky note for easy access!
3-5 minutes
This might be a good opportunity to discuss how connotation impacts tone.

17. Think-Ink-Pair-Share
Using the “Tone Words” guide on page 9 of your guidebooks, complete Activity Five on page 8 of the guidebook.
Take a moment to THINK before you begin writing. This step is important as you work to organize your thoughts and can keep you from getting frustrated with critical thinking questions!
Take about three (3) minutes to write (INK) your thoughts.
PAIR up with an elbow partner (a neighbor) and discuss what you wrote.
Who would like to SHARE with the whole class?
5-7 minutes

18. Activity 5 Sample Response Using CCC
“Ithaka” is written in second person (you, your). The narrator employs a reflective and instructive tone as he addresses his audience directly. Cavafy writes, “You’ll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body…” (lines 6-9). In these lines, Cavafy sounds as if he has experienced this type of journey on a personal level—giving instruction regarding what is required of the audience if they hope to have comparable success on their respective journeys.
2 minutes

19. Theme Discussion Let’s pause here for a second to discuss THEME.
Considering what you identified in your summary and what we have discussed regarding connotation and tone, what theme do you think Cavafy might be trying to communicate in this poem?
3-5 minutes
Take this opportunity to engage the class in a group discussion using accountable talk. Remind them not to speak over one another and that they should try to build on one another’s ideas as they discuss!

20. Exit Ticket
Respond to the prompt for Activity Six found on page 8 of the purple packet INDEPENDENTLY.
If you get stuck and need help, raise your hand and wait for your teacher to assist you.
Once you finish, place your work from today in the basket at the front of the room.
No homework tonight! YAY!!!
The remainder of the class period
The entire lesson takes somewhere between 42 and 57 minutes to complete without leaving time to complete the exit ticket, so try to save time where you can to allow time to complete the task at the end.