Greek Myths Series Audio Lesson E12 The Odyssey – Adapted Stories (Extended) | Greek Mythology

This lesson is E12 within the Greek Myths Series. These are curriculum-style audio mini-lessons built for real classrooms, with ready-to-use assessments that line up with ELA and social studies literacy standards. Press play, then discuss or assign the flexible worksheet and assessments—no extra prep.

Myth Focus: The long, winding homecoming of Odysseus after the Trojan War, showing how cleverness, temptation, divine anger, and hard-earned wisdom shape every step of his return to Ithaca.

Key Figures: Odysseus | Penelope | Telemachus | Athena | Poseidon | Polyphemus | Circe | Tiresias

Big Idea: The Odyssey shows that even the most heroic journey is shaped by choices, and that courage, guile, and self-control must work together if a leader hopes to return home and restore peace.

In this stand-alone episode, “The Odyssey – Adapted Stories,” students travel from the burning city of Troy through islands filled with lotus, a one-eyed Cyclops’s cave, Circe’s enchanted palace, the shadowy edge of the Underworld, and the treacherous straits of Scylla and Charybdis. They hear why Tiresias’s warnings matter, how ignoring the cattle of Helios brings disaster, and what it costs Odysseus when he lets pride and impatience slip into his decisions. Finally, they watch him step back into his own hall in disguise, reclaim his bow, and choose between endless vengeance and a fragile but necessary peace for Ithaca.

Perfect for myth units, listening centers, sub plans, early finishers, or ELL/intervention.

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What’s included

• MP3 episode (~25 minutes)
• Teacher’s guide and answer key (PDF/DOCX)
• CCSS alignment section for Grades 6–8 and CCRA (suitable for Grades 9–12 depending on your classroom needs)
• Themes & discussion prompts: 5 open-ended themes designed for whole-class or small-group talk
• One-page graphic organizer (cause & effect)
• 5 SAT-level vocabulary words in context
• Short answer questions (1–5): focused on recall and basic reasoning
• Challenge questions (6–12): focused on application, inference, creative response, historical connection, and civic/modern connection
• 20-question multiple-choice self-graded exit quiz

What makes Greek Mythology Audio Lessons different?

• Short on time, big on thinking: each episode is a complete myth mini-lesson in about 25 minutes of audio, with everything built around one clear mythic moment and its consequences.
• Designed for listening stations and full-class use: calm pacing, clear vocabulary, and printable supports that work whether you play it whole-class or at a single Chromebook station.
• Flexible assessments, one myth at a time: from verbal discussion to organized notes, from short answers to multiple-choice, you can scale rigor up or down without rewriting materials.
• Offline-friendly: load the MP3 to an old phone, tablet, or computer and use it even if Wi-Fi is unreliable.

Classroom use ideas

Whole-class lesson

• Press play during ELA or humanities, pausing at key moments to answer the short answer questions.
• Use the Main Ideas & Themes questions to get hands in the air and push students beyond simple plot summary.
• Have students complete the graphic organizer and/or worksheet individually or in pairs.

Listening center / stations

• One device + headphones + worksheet = an independent mythology station.
• Great for early finishers, small-group rotations, or mixed-level classes where some students need more listening practice.

Make-up lesson / home learning

• Send the audio and worksheet home for students who missed the lesson.
• They can listen once, fill in the organizer and questions, and come back ready to join discussion.

What to expect

• Fits real schedules: use in a single class period, during morning meeting, as a station, or as a ready-made sub plan.
• Micro-lesson design: one extended episode, one legendary journey, clearly explained with built-in vocabulary and structured follow-up.
• Easy to use: audio, teacher’s guide, discussion prompts, graphic organizer, short-answer and challenge questions, and a 20-question MC quiz are all aligned and ready to print.
• Differentiated assessment: verbal (discussion), visual (graphic organizer), written (short answer and challenge), and recognition-based (MC quiz) options built around the same core story.
• No internet required: download once; play anywhere.

If you’re looking for an engaging, classroom-ready way to explore journeys, leadership, and self-control in Greek mythology, this Episode 12 “The Odyssey – Adapted Stories (Extended)” audio lesson provides a complete, offline-ready mini-lesson. Students see how every island, monster, and temptation becomes part of Odysseus’s long road home—and what it takes to restore peace after years of war and wandering.