{"id":15367,"date":"2026-07-24T05:06:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T00:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15367"},"modified":"2026-07-24T05:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T00:06:22","slug":"english-teachers-embrace-new-film-adaptation-of-the-odyssey-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15367","title":{"rendered":"English teachers embrace new film adaptation of The Odyssey : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"storytext\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-134977\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"&#10;        --source-width: 3074;&#10;        --source-height: 2049;&#10;    \">\n        <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/400\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 400w,&#10;https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/600\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 600w,&#10;https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/800\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 800w,&#10;https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/900\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 900w,&#10;https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/1200\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 1200w,&#10;https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/1600\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 1600w,&#10;https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/1800\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg 1800w\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1025px) 650px, calc(100vw - 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30px)\" class=\"img\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x2049+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Matt Damon is Odysseus in THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Matt Damon is Odysseus in a new film that was written, produced and directed by Christopher Nolan.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                    Melinda Sue Gordon\/Universal Pic\/Melinda Sue Gordon<\/p>\n<p>                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><br \/>\n              <svg class=\"icon icon--info\"><use href=\"#icon-info\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n              <b>toggle caption<\/b><br \/>\n            <\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><\/p>\n<p>        Melinda Sue Gordon\/Universal Pic\/Melinda Sue Gordon<\/p>\n<p>    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Casey Crowhurst has taught high school English for the past 16 years. One text has never gotten much easier to teach.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<em>The Odyssey<\/em> was always one we kind of struggled with,&#8221; he says. Getting his students at Monticello High School in eastern Illinois to pay attention was a tall order.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You tell them, &#8216;Hey, this was written 2,000 plus years ago.&#8217; And right away, they&#8217;re gonna be like, &#8216;well, why do I have to learn this?'&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside id=\"ad-backstage-wrap\" class=\"ad-wrap backstage\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<\/aside>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5903075-100\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5631779\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/28\/nx-s1-5631779\/ai-schools-teachers-students\" data-metrics-ga4=\"{&quot;category&quot;:&quot;recirculation&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:&quot;story_recirculation_click&quot;,&quot;clickType&quot;:&quot;inset box&quot;,&quot;clickUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.npr.org\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/28\\\/nx-s1-5631779\\\/ai-schools-teachers-students&quot;}\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-format=\"webp\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" type=\"image\/webp\"\/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1066x1066+267+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F24%2Ff1%2Ffbda743449de8579f61efbc1a890%2Fai-ban1.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt=\"Chanea Bond teaches composition and American literature classes at Southwest High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas. Bond has banned AI from her classroom; swapping computers for pencils and paper \u2014 lots of paper.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/a>         <\/p>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5903075-100\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p>Crowhurst, like many teachers, uses clips from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0118414\/\" target=\"_blank\">1997 Hallmark miniseries<\/a> and other adaptations of <em>The Odyssey<\/em> to help keep students engaged. The students are not afraid to tell him that they find the dated special effects silly.<\/p>\n<p>So after Crowhurst saw <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/16\/nx-s1-5894855\/the-odyssey-christopher-nolan-review\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Odyssey<\/em><\/a> when it opened last weekend, he posted his gratitude for the film&#8217;s director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mr.crowhurst\/video\/7663262460232715534\" target=\"_blank\">on TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I just saw the Odyssey and I want to say on behalf of all English teachers: Thank you, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/17\/nx-s1-5884838\/christopher-nolans-the-odyssey-delivers-on-an-epic-imax-scale\" target=\"_blank\">Christopher Nolan<\/a>. Thank you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There are countless adaptations of Homer&#8217;s epic poem, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rKMgPRGEnvU\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Simpsons<\/em><\/a>, to the stage, to other movies with big name actors. Erin Hall, an English teacher in Charlottesville, Va., says she&#8217;s excited to add a new version to her teaching toolkit.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I love including any kind of outside media in my classroom,&#8221; she says. &#8220;It gets kids excited to learn.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Some teachers, including Sarah Noll at South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., use visual adaptations of the epic poem to help her multilingual students learn English.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They create a kind of dictionary of the important vocabulary,&#8221; she says of her students: things like ship, sea, king, suitor.<\/p>\n<p>Hear how Crowhurst, Hall, Noll and other teachers hope to use the new movie in their classrooms. Click the audio link above.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"ad-secondary-wrap\" class=\"ad-wrap secondary\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<\/aside>\n<aside id=\"mid-story-recommendations-mount-piano\" class=\"mid-story-recommendations-mount-piano\" aria-label=\"recommended stories\"\/>\n<!-- END ID=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by:\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/g-s1-123933\/nirvi-shah\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Nirvi Shah<\/em><\/a><br \/><em>Visual design and development by:\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/348775569\/la-johnson\" target=\"_blank\"><em>LA Johnson<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matt Damon is Odysseus in a new film that was written, produced and directed by Christopher Nolan. Melinda Sue Gordon\/Universal Pic\/Melinda Sue Gordon hide caption toggle caption Melinda Sue Gordon\/Universal Pic\/Melinda Sue Gordon Casey Crowhurst has taught high school English for the past 16 years. One text has never gotten much easier to teach. &#8220;The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3074x1729+0+160\/resize\/1400\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F4c%2Fa3bee50e43fab4f64965c0a7ac14%2Fct-03414.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}