Aim: How can we use the theory of neuroplasticity to analyze Odysseus as a dynamic character?
For the start of the lesson we began with the Dynamic Charac and Growth Mindset google document. For our Whole Class Discussion, the question was “How open/receptive are you to try something new even when it is scary?”
Some students said that they are not very open to try something new because it might be out of their comfort zone, some students did not like change, and were scared of the results of trying new things. Some students also said that they wanted to try new things but their anxiety held them back. I thought to myself that I am not very open to change, unless it is clear it benefits me.
Then we started watching a video on neuroplasticity. In the video they talked about how our brain has roads and paths that we take when we show habits or do anything, and if we go along a new pathway that we use more the old one gets weaker. This shows neuroplasticity, which is the idea that our brain can always change and we can always learn new things and develop new paths.
When I watched this video, I also thought about how a lot of the time adults sometimes just stop trying to learn new skills like instruments, because they think their brain is hardwired, and it makes me sad to think that people might waste their life not learning.
Credit: freepik on Nohat
Then we went on to spirit reading, where Peterson and some students read a series of paragraphs where we talked about learning agility, which is the concept of the speed people learn and the flexibility with which they apply that learning. Learning agility can be increased through experiencing failure and persevering. Growing is about learning from failure, and changing as a person because of failure, and to not be afraid of failure is to not be afraid of growth and potential to become better. In the Odyssey, Odysseus shows examples of a person who grows from his failures, learning from Poseidon punishing him to respect the gods more and not eating Helios’s cattle, and from his own men dying to become a better leader.
After these paragraphs we were proposed with the question: How do characters evolve or remain unchanged over the course of a story?
A dynamic character is a character that evolves and grows by the end of the story, learning from their experiences or conflicts throughout their story. These characters could be fixed into a way of thinking at the start of the story, and change to a different point of view by the end of the story.
A static character is the converse of the dynamic character, and does not change throughout the whole story, keeping their point of view and way of thought throughout all their experiences, and does not learn or change from the events in the story.
An example of a dynamic character that I think of would be the grinch. At the start of the story of the grinch, he is a very terrible character, wreaking havoc and making other people feel bad, but at the end, through the events in the story, the grinch gradually grows to become a happier character, and a kinder character as well, and learns to be nice to others.
The Grinch and his dog by Dr.Seuss
Then we went into breakout rooms. Our task was to fill out a chart where we would include evidence of a mistake Odysseus made and how he learned from it. We analyzed Odysseus as a character and learned that his excessive hubris leads to terrible things happening, and as his men die, he learns that he needs to be smarter and not let his pride get to him, like when his hubris led to Poseidon’s punishment.
For the enrichment for this section, there were two videos, a poll, and a quiz. The poll consisted of a simple question asking you to choose between fixed mindset and growth mindset. For this poll, I chose a growth mindset, since based on what I learned from this lesson, a growth mindset allows you to develop new skills quicker, become a more flexible person, and become a better person by realizing your mistakes. The interactive quiz told me I had a growth mindset after giving me several questions, but to be honest I think that you cannot say that for sure, because you learn it yourself throughout life.
I watched both of the videos. They talked about how successful people are not successful because they have good looks or good iq, but they have grit. They talked about having a growth mindset can help you be a gritty person, since people with growth mindsets learn when they fail and keep trying. The second video was a Ted Talk by Carol S Dweck. She talked about how not yet compared to a failing grade allows children to think about themselves and see how they can improve in the future. She also talked about how it is more important to train perseverance than rely on talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQx39z99_Js
This is a video I found on failure, it relates to what Carol S Dweck talked about and how failure should be something you learn from rather than fear. People who learn from failure will achieve great things, because they will keep persevering.
Aim: How are ancient Greek values of respect and loyalty for family revealed in the episodes, “Twenty Years Gone…” and “Argus” in Homer’s Odyssey?
We went over a recap of “Twenty Years and Gone”. Athena turned Odysseus into a beggar when he arrived back at Ithaca, facing the suitors who were swarming Penelope in her own home. Odysseus also reveals himself to his son, Telemachus, and they create a plan to fight the suitors.
Then we went over what a motif is. A motif is a recurring image, spoken or written word, sound, act or another visual or structural device that has symbolic significance. Basically, a motif is a recurring pattern throughout the story, like an object or an idea or event.
An example of a motif that I think about is the pyramids of Egypt in the alchemist. Throughout the story, Santiago dreams about these pyramids to reinforce the idea of knowing yourself and where you want to go, and how Santiago knew with all of his heart he had to go to the pyramids.
The Pyramids of Giza by Peter Kupcik
Then, we went into group work, and talked about Argus, Odysseus’s faithful dog. There were three questions we had to answer. We talked about how faithful Argus was to Odysseus, and whether or not it was a coincidence Argus died right when Odysseus arrived back. I said that it was not a coincidence since it somehow knew it was him, because dogs can tell from more than appearance. When I read about Argus, it made me very sad that he got neglected.
Then we went on to the “The Suitors & Penelope” google document.
Aim: How does Homer Further develop Odysseus’ characterization as a cunning hero in his exchange with both the suitors and his wife, Penelope?”
“Penelope” pdf [2 pages] “The Suitors” pdf [3 pages]
First there was a whole class discussion. We were instructed to imagine if a family member or friend disappeared for twenty years. I personally think that I would probably keep hope somewhere in the back of my mind, but I would act as if I lost hope, because I know that I would not want to be hoping for something my whole life that would not happen.
In the teamwork section, we read Odysseus’s response to Antinous. When Odysseus arrived in Ithaca, he begged for food, and Antinous did not show a single shred of hospitality to him. Antinous went so far that he threw objects at Odysseus instead of giving him food, breaking something called the natural order. We talked about three goddesses who were known as the furies who punished men for crimes against the natural order. The natural order is a pyramid with gods at the top, with everyone else below, in order of status like kings to peasants to animals, and Odysseus was the king of Ithaca. Penelope also realized that Antinous might get punished by the gods for breaking the natural order.
Attached was a video of Penelope interacting with Odysseus while he was disguised as a beggar. In my opinion I think that they did a very good job with this scene, they portrayed Odysseus as much more feeble and old than I thought, but also much more wise.
The Odyssey (1997)
Then we went on to teamwork, but we did it independently. I wrote about how Penelope would knit and then undo a shroud over and over again, saying that she would marry when she finishes the shroud, which is placed on people after they die. She is a very clever character for fooling all the suitors with her trick, and also faithful. I also wrote about Odysseus’ oath to Penelope that he would come back to Ithaca, and how immediate it had to be or else she would marry, but he had to stay hidden for his plan. I believe that Penelope contributes to the repeating motif of loyalty, she has stayed faithful to Odysseus for many years and through many hardships.
Aim: How does the concept of “nostos” enhance our understanding of Homer’s Odyssey and the cultural significance of Odysseus’ homecoming?
“Twenty Years Gone” pdf [5 pages]
Then, for the final lesson, we read about the concepts of Nostos and Kleos.
Nostos: Greek word for homecoming, returning, returning to the light or life. An example of this would be finally coming back home after a long journey across the world.
Kleos: glory and fame at the cost of life. An example of this would be a soldier dying in battle, which was considered to be very honorable. They would become immortal because they would have a long lasting legacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNxqWtNf7Ok This is a video on the meaning of kleos I found, it helps to add on to the knowledge in the lesson and reinforce it.
Nostos and kleos can be clearly shown in the Odyssey. For example, a clear example of nostos would be Odysseus finally coming back to Ithaca after all of his perils. A clear example of kleos would be how Telemachus was concerned about if Odysseus died in battle or pathetically, since dying in battle would bring him glory. To add on to the ideas of nostos and kleos, remembering the dead was extremely important. For example, in the Odyssey, Elpenor asked Odysseus to remember him when he buries him, because when someone is forgotten, that is when they die.
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus can be seen gaining kleos and also valuing nostos since he goes through many perils and battles and wants to go home more and more. Coming home after the journey is said to be hard, having to cope with all the traumas of your past or of war. There is also the issue that everyone back home may have changed, and things may not be as good anymore, or the other way around, but it still takes a lot of time to adjust.
I'm also sure he remembers the horror of the cyclops killing his men.
Reflection
These lessons all taught me many things. The most important thing these lessons taught me is how you can always learn and change, and your brain is not hardwired. We watched videos on neuroplasticity, the idea that your brain is always changing, and also the idea that you can learn from failure. These ideas really resonated with me, because I always feel like I am not good enough when I fail instead of thinking of how I can improve. This lesson made me start truly analyzing myself as a person when I fail in school, and thinking about how I can break this habit, or how I can fix my mistake to become a better person and gain more knowledge. In the future, I will use the ideas from this lesson to grow when I fail, but not just in education, but in everyday life, like messing up the piping system in an apartment building and causing a flood. I can learn from every single mistake, every single failure that I do, and become a better person. I know I will remember the ideas from this lesson for all of school, and hopefully for all of my life, because if people learn from failure all of their life, and always keep trying to learn new things, then by the time they die, I would think that they lived a good life. Just knowing these ideas taught in these lessons can help you cope with failure greatly, and I think that in life these ideas are absolutely invaluable to growth. Additionally, I also learned about how to notice if a character is dynamic or fixed, and what motifs are. This information will help me in the future to analyze characters in depth and also analyze the themes of a story based on recurring ideas.
Credit: Harriet Adams “Are you Learning to Fail, or Failing to Learn?”
Visual representation of growth vs fixed mindset I created in 3d Paint. The brain on the right has a fixed mindset. They are caged behind this mindset and are not willing to step out of their comfort zone, or their cage to try to learn new things, and this cage keeps them from truly learning. The brain on the left is open to learning and failure, and this is the growth mindset brain, who is exposed to the world and not in its comfort zone, but learning as it goes on.
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