Lesson 13 RL SP Odysseus: Dynamic Character & Growth Mindset
Aim: How can we use the theory of neuroplasticity to analyze Odysseus as a dynamic character?
Do Now/Class Discussion:
Right off the bat, the class seemed split in half in the idea of trying something new. Half of the answers said that they were cautious and probably not very open to the idea. They were afraid of the outcomes and didn’t want something bad to happen to them. As a result, they would probably not risk it and not even try the new thing at all. The other half said they were more open to the idea and would be excited to try something new. Trying something new could be really fun; there would be no expectations for this new task. I could see both sides and how people would be afraid of the outcome but also be excited about something new.
Secondly, after the do now, we watched a video on neuroplasticity. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g )
Neuroplasticity is the theory that our brains can adapt and be changed/molded like plastic throughout our lives, not just during childhood. We can slowly rewire our brain when making different decisions/actions, different pathways are used/made in our brain, slowly making that pathway seem like second nature and replacing the old one. Even if you’re reluctant to try new things, you can still overcome this challenge.
Next, we did some spirit reading on neuroplasticity/learning agility. Learning agility is the speed at which people learn and the flexibility with which they apply that learning. Some ways to increase learning agility are, but not limited to: seek challenging feedback, reflect on what worked well and didn’t in different situations, and think about what could have been done differently and more. After learning about this, we can apply to Odysseus. We see that he learned from his encounter with Polyphemus/the Cyclop. Odysseus learns the value of his men’s lives and chooses better in the future.
Moving forward from spirit reading, we discussed two different types of characters, dynamic and static characters. A dynamic character is one that grows/evolves and undergoes some kind of change by the end of the story (this can be positive or negative). The change is usually brought about by the learning that results from some kind of conflict. Some examples of these characters would be: Nemo from Finding Nemo, Beast from The Beauty and the Beast, and Simba from Lion King. On the other hand, a static character is one who does not change or evolve over the course of the story. Some examples are: Dory from Finding Nemo, Disney princesses, and Scar from The Lion King.
A video on dynamic vs static characterization → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azUsjQwF_UI
Lastly, for this lesson, we had some class discussions/teamwork. Odysseus is not a perfect person. He has flaws and made many mistakes over the course of this journey. However, he has learned and grown from his mistakes. One dangerous situation Odysseus and his encountered was Polyphemus the Cyclop. Odysseus’s men wanted to go on the island to steal and stock up on provisions meant for their ship, but Odysseus, although acknowledging the brilliant idea, decided against it. He insisted that they stay on the island and wait for the inhabitant to return and they met the Cyclop for a price. Odysseus lost the lives of several of his men. As we progress through the story, we can see Odysseus has learned his lesson when it comes time for him to decide between Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus chooses Scylla because while Scylla would take 6 of his men, he would not risk losing everyone, including himself to Charybdis. He learned the value of his men’s lives and not to hastily go into something like entering the Cyclop cave or Charybdis.
Enrichment:
Video on Growth vs. Fixed Mindset → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVyc4qBn5mQ
Interactive Quiz: Growth vs. Fixed Mindsets → https://www.londonacademyofit.co.uk/blog/interactive-quiz-fixed-vs-growth-mindset
Mentimeter on Growth and Fixed Mindsets → https://www.menti.com/u1co8g9ius
The Power of Yet → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic
14 RL SP: Odyssey: Odysseus' Homecoming
Aim: How does the concept of “nostos” enhance our understanding of Homer’s Odyssey and the cultural significance of Odysseus’ homecoming?
Do Now/Class Discussion: Continuing from last lesson’s discussion, we can definitely confirm without a shadow of a doubt that Odysseus is a dynamic character. He learns from his past mistakes and he changes (for the better person, in my opinion) from the conflict he faces. For instance, I wrote that Odysseus learned to value his crew members’ lives, instead of carelessly sacrificing them to foes that would have never happened (Polyphemus) if he had just left. One interesting point one of classmates, Joanne, brought up was when after Odysseus encountered Polyphemus, out of pride/hubris, Odysseus yelled out his name, which caused Polyphemus’s father, Poseidon to curse him. As a result, Odysseus learned to keep a low profile especially when he was dealing with the suitors of his wife, Penelope. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuy26Iir57h6BGE7FGKOvmgutlVgrLut/view?usp=sharing )
Spirit Reading: After the class discussion, we spirit read and learned the concepts of Nostos and Kleos. Nostos means return. It is the Greek word for homecoming, return to light and life. Kleos means glory, fame won at war. This is often achieved at the cost of one’s life. However, Oydsseus is different because in many cases, you either achieve one or the other. Many mortal Greek heroes could achieve kleos and immortality by dying in battle, but not be able to return home as they have died. Or the other way around, they do not achieve kleos but they do come home thus, reaching the goal of nostos. Odysseus is different in this way because nostos is very important to him. He wants to return home without dying. Successfully, he returns home with a few of his men and in the end, achieves nostos unlike many Greek heroes. However, he also achieves kleos by enduring the challenges he overcame during his journey home and participating in battle in the first place (The Trojan War).
Enrichment:
What is nostos in the Odyssey? → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sep_fOnez-k
15 RL SP: Odyssey Argus
Aim: How are ancient Greek values of respect and loyalty for family revealed in the episodes, “Twenty Years Gone…” & “Argus” in Homer’s Odyssey?
Do Now/Class Discussion: We discussed the following quotes:
In addition, we also compared these quotes to “Twenty Years Gone…” and basically said that family is important, but although you are family, blood is sometimes just blood. Family can forget about you and even betray you. Especially if you’re gone for twenty years, the chances of your family and the people that were around during that time remembering you are very low to none. It is even less likely that they will stay loyal to you when they don’t even remember you. We see this happen with Odysseus when he returns home from his long, long journey.
Recap of “Twenty Years Gone…”:
Athena turns Odysseus into a beggar to disguise him, so people would not recognize him.
Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, at first doesn’t believe that this beggar is his father until Athena turns him back into his original form where they have an emotional meeting.
Finally, they hatch a plan to drive all of Penelope’s suitors away.
What is a Motif? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcOv2T-vOcg )
A motif is a recurring image, spoken or written word, sound, act, or another visual or structural device that has symbolic significance. It can be a single object that appears multiple times throughout the work with most of the emphasis placed on the item.
Class Discussion: We conversed about how Odysseus didn’t meet Argus because he was afraid that his dog would give his identity. (Remember he was still his disguise he got from Athena) Argus’s death was no coincidence because the Greeks believe in fate and that Argus will at least see his master one last time before he passes away. This is also related to the motif of loyalty because Argus has been waiting 20 years to see his master again. And finally when he sees Odysseus again, he can peacefully pass away. Furthermore, we also know that Argus has not been treated well while Odysseus has been gone. The treatment of Argus could relate to the fact that most have probably forgotten about Odysseus and don’t respect him as much as they used to when he used to rule as King of Ithaca.
Enrichments:
Books 13-14 → The Odyssey by Homer | Books 13-14 Summary and Analysis [2:39]
Books 15-16 → The Odyssey by Homer | Books 15–16 Summary and Analysis [3:09]
16 RL SP Rev: "The Suitors" & "Penelope"
Aim: How does Homer further develop Odysseus’ characterization as a cunning hero in his exchange with both the suitors and his wife, Penelope?
Class Discussion: If someone had gone away for 20 years, I would definitely lose hope at that point. It’s been 20 years; anyone would move on after a while and live their own life. If someone came back after 20 years, I think that anyone would be shocked as they would believe that person had passed (especially if they’re older) and not cling on to the hope that they’re still out there.
Teamwork/Class Discussion - “The Suitors” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ucD8eGPP2VPKIncTKf3kPhUY49a7wA_i/view?usp=sharing :
When Antinous attacked Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, it defied the natural order. (The natural order is this hierarchy where the Gods are first, then royalty, next wealthy, maybe merchants next, and so on.) Antinous went ahead and threw objects (without knowing it was Odysseus) at Odysseus, the beggar, asking for food. In this case, the Furies would have been summoned in order to bring balance back to the natural order. To avenge Odysseus after someone lower than him in the natural order defied him. In addition, Antinous broke Xenia, which would have resulted in a very angry Zeus if Odysseus were a god in disguise or Zeus, himself.
Enrichments:
Books 17-18 → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt3mmBHxhw8&feature=emb_title
Odysseus’s Journey → https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=2154285a3d9a4448a1a6951dabd512c4
Reflection:
This was a jam packed session with the four lessons and it taught me a lot. The lesson on neuroplasticity taught me about the brain and myself. I learned that the brain can adapt and mold based on different situations and environments. We can rewire our brains and we can often overcome some of our own personal struggles by making new choices and creating new pathways in our brains as a result. This made me realize that I can change and when I want to change a bad habit, it is possible. I shouldn’t be so stubborn about changing when my brain can so easily adapt. Applying this to Odysseus showed me how even the most prideful man can change and learn from their mistakes, which means I can also change. If he can have a growth mindset from losing so many men from each foe, I can also learn and improve from my past problems and continue to better my own life. Failing isn’t the end of the world. It was also really good to relearn what a motif is and learn what nostos and kleos are as they are likely to come up again in the future for my classes. In addition, knowing this extra information wouldn’t hurt me as even when I watch television or a movie, I could spot this and help me better analyze some of the characters and why they do what they do. In conclusion, I will definitely keep using the theory of neuroplasticity in my everyday life and be more open minded.
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