The Odyssey 2 package (textbook and Assessment Book) has been designed to meet all the requirements of second and third year of the Junior Cycle English Specification. This package empowers students to engage confidently with the three strands of language set out in the specification: Oral Language, Reading and Writing.   

Key features include:

• Fresh and engaging material, including texts newly prescribed from 2022 onwards. Students explore YA fiction, spoken-word poetry, media and infographics, graphic novels, blogs and radio documentaries as well as much-loved extracts from classics.
• Ten themed units built around the 39 Learning Outcomes, to encourage student engagement and skills development.
• Strategies (such as R.E.E.L.) and Exam-Style Questions aid student confidence in writing well-structured, focused answers and help them to become exam-ready.
• Learning Intentions, aligned with the Junior Cycle English Specification, stated in student-friendly language throughout.
• End-of-unit tailored reflection exercises encouraging students to actively engage in their own learning.
• A unit dedicated to Shakespeare introduces the Bard’s world and writing as well as a generous selection of extracts from across his work.
• Grammar and language points are presented through engaging activities.
• Online Teacher Resources including Schemes of Work.

Odyssey 2 Assessment Book

The accompanying Assessment Book contains:

• Ten units, linked to the Odyssey 2 textbook units, designed to empower students to supercharge their writing across the genres and in formal assessment situations.
• A section dedicated to the Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs), providing a clear and student-friendly explanation of both CBA 1 and CBA 2.
• An explanation of and guide to the Assessment Task.