An Elementary Odyssey: Teaching Ancient Civilization Through Story

By David H. Millstone

Imagine a darkened chamber of rapt listeners, thrilled by tales of adventure and bold deeds . . . intrigued by faraway lands . . . moved by the plight of heroes caught in the grip of fate . . . amused by the folly of men . . . and inspired by the devotion of parents and children, husbands and wives, gods and men. Now, imagine that the darkened chamber is your own classroom. The listeners are your students, who keep the Homeric flame alive through their study of The Odyssey . They create rough cartoons, vivid murals, and elaborate dioramas of the ancient world. They retrace Odysseus' voyage on contemporary maps. They script and produce fantastic puppet shows. Read various versions of The Odyssey (from comic books to full translations). Study the Greek roots of the English language. Retell the story and write epic poems. And in doing so, discover new ways to comprehend the ancient world-and our own. In An Elementary Odyssey , David Millstone offers a thoughtful approach to curriculum design. You'll find practical suggestions on how to organize a curriculum, involve parents and other community members, and motivate students of all abilities. You'll be engaged by anecdotes, artwork, and lively excerpts from students' writing. You'll find specific teaching techniques, bases for evaluation, ideas for projects, and extensive bibliographies and resources. In short, you'll find a model for creating a classroom in which the arts and literature, writing and social studies are truly integrated.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0435088416
• ISBN13: 9780435088415
• Release Date: May 1995
• Publisher: Heinemann
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.6" x 7.4"
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

Finally, A Book that Really Explains How To Teach!

David Millstone must be a great teacher. His book on working with fifth grade students on the Odyssey Project is one of the best books on teaching and curriculum design I have ever read. I have been a social studies teacher for many years and have long searched for a book that would give me concrete ideas on sharing an important text with students, on designing good projects that help kids engage deeply with that text, and on assessing their knowledge during and at the end of the unit. Millstone does just that in this book and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. His students are so lucky to have him.