Atwell- Chapter 6 (Minilessons)

Nancy Atwell writes that giving short minilessons is similar to a pez dispenser of wisdom. Her analogy made me giggle, but her minilessons excited me! Atwell says that a minilesson is a "forum for students to share what they know and for us to figure out collaboratively what we know--to think and produce knowledge together and lay claim to it as a community." This is PERFECT for my 7th graders at Erwine. These minilessons were lessons that she used with her own 7th and 8th grade classes.

At Erwine, Mrs. Sukie has three groups of students that she sees for two consecutive periods a day. The first period is Language Arts, while the second is Reading. I will be teaching the Language Arts period for my unit, while Mrs. Sukie teaches the Reading Period. The students will be reading "The Adventures of Ulysses" with Mrs. Sukie, so she has asked that I create my Language Arts unit with a focus on Greek Mythology. I was THRILLED to see Greek Mythology and Philosophy minilessons on Atwell's list!

There were a few ideas that I especially loved:

• Reading myths (and translations) aloud
• "Read and discuss poems that allude to myths"
• Greek stems in English words
• "Listen to, discuss, write scripts for, and perform ten well-known myths."

• (This is the book that Mrs. Sukie will be teaching)
• (This book will directly follow)