Free audiobook - DeAulaires Greek Myths online

For anyone interested, there is a free audiobook of DeAulaires Greek Myths available online right now.  I'm not sure if this is ongoing, or just for a limited time.  You have to sign up to get a newsletter in order to download.

https://www.facebook.com/PenguinRandomHouseAudio/app_391853374173361?ref=page_internal

Changing narration sections

MEA CULPA!

Last night as I was reading through The Odyssey, I realized that I created and posted narration sections for books 6 and 7 rather than 5 and 6.  The ones I listed for book 5 are actually for book 6.  I am posting new sections for book 5 that make more sense with the narrative.

If you have already begun your narrations according to what I posted over the weekend, that's fine.  Please don't redo them!  It won't hinder our class discussion.

Here are the correct sections

Book 5

• 1-84
• 85-200
• 201-277
• 278-353
• 354-423
• 424-end

Book 6

• 1-70
• 71-185
• 186-254
• 225-331

Odyssey Book 5-6 narration sections

Book 5

• 1-70
• 71-185
• 186-254
• 225-331

Book 6

• 1-77
• 78-181
• 182-235
• 236-347

Week 5

Great class today!  Congratulations to our winning "bard" Kate Meine, and to Luke Gray and Corbin Travis for bravely donning the toga and enchanting us with your storytelling!

Writing

This week we moved on to the elocution lesson for essay 1.  This essay is ALL ABOUT STRUCTURE!  Please suppress all urges to dress up this essay in order make it more interesting.  If its "interesting" you will have to rewrite it.  Stick to the form!

Your essay should contain no more than 6 sentences;  one to two sentences for your introduction (depending on whether you choose to use a colon to combine the thesis and enumeration with your exposition), one for each of the proofs in your proof section, and one for your conclusion.  Your thesis should be stated 5 times, once in your introduction, once in each proof, and once in your conclusion.  Include the numerical "scaffolding" in your proof section (the first reason..., the second reason..., the third reason....) followed each time by the thesis and the proof.

Refer to the samples on page 118 in your workbook.  Remember to double space.  Attend to your verb tense and sentence structure.  Do not use contractions.

IMPORTANT
I failed to mention in class that you need to use the self-edit checklist on page 108 of your student workbook.  Please attach this checklist to the front of your essay.

Reading assignment

The Odyssey

• Books 5-6 (narration sections TBA)

Metamorphoses

• Book 5
• Narrate "the rape (kidnapping) of Proserpina"

DeAulaires

• pages 56-62

Narration sections: Odyssey Book 4

Book 4

• 1-58
• 59-119
• 120-218
• 219-289
• 290-362
• 363-480
• 481-624
• 625-672
• 673-768
• 769-end

Please check your bags!

Luke is missing his copy of The Odyssey.  Please check your bags for an extra copy and let me know if you accidentally picked his up.

Have a blessed weekend!

Week 4

We are in the process of writing our first essay, the "rudimentary" persuasive essay.  This essay is as basic as an essay can be, containing only the bare essentials: an introduction, thesis and proofs, and a conclusion.  This is the foundation on which we will build for the rest of the year.

Last week we completed the invention portion of this essay (an ANI chart).  This week, we'll move on to arrangement.  The final product of the arrangement process is an outline.  However, to transition from the ANI chart to an outline, we must pass through an intermediate step - the arrangement worksheet.
The outline begins with an introduction.  However, a writer should not think first of how to introduce an essay.  Rather, it is necessary to think first about the thesis and proofs, followed by the conclusion. The introduction is the last thing a writer decides upon.
Since the "thinking order" is different from the "writing order" we add the arrangement worksheet to train our minds to think in the right order before approaching the outline.

Writing assignment:

• Check to see if any of your I column points might argue for A or N.  If they do, move them.
• Choose the 3 most compelling reasons in A
• Choose the 3 most compelling reasons in N
• Choose whether you will argue in favor of the A(affirmative) or N(negative) position.
• Complete the Arrangement worksheet on workbook pages 4-5
• Use the information from the arrangement worksheet to complete an outline according to the template on page 6.  You may use the blank outline handout from class.

Reading assignment:

The Odyssey, Book 4 (narration sections TBA)

Metamorphoses, Book 4

narrate the following stories

• Cadmus and Harmonia
• Perseus and Atlas
• Perseus and Andromeda
• Perseus and Medusa

DeAulaires

• pages 114-122

*Bring your narrations for Echo and Narcissus from week 3 since we didn't get to discuss that story today.

Narration sections for The Odyssey, book 3

Last week, I gave brief titles for each narration section.  This week, I'd like for you to come up with your own.  Here are the sections by line number.

1-30
31-66
67-101
102-200
201-252
253-328
329-384
385-429
430-end

Week 3

Today we discussed the difference between analytical questions (used to gather relevant information) and normative questions (questions that lead us to make judgements based on "norms").  We were able to identify several examples of norms in this week's reading.  We encountered the norm of hospitality (proper conduct toward guests and conduct of guests in the home of a host), the norm of looking out for others (Ithicans' responsibility to act against the suitors), the norm of respecting elders (Telemachus' treatment of Athena in disguise and the suitors' disrespect of community elders), and the norm that discourages rash vows (Apollo and Phaethon/Jephthah's vow in the Old Testament book of Judges).  

These norms, and many others, guide us in right judgement and conduct.  For example, one might argue that German citizens had a responsibility to stop Hitler from killing the Jews in World War 2 which would reflect an understanding of justice similar to that voiced by Mentor in today's reading of The Odyssey.  Some of the norms we encounter in our reading will be tightly connected to specific societies, their circumstances, and their customs, while others will be universal as shown by their many illustrations across time and culture.  Careful consideration of the norms we encounter in our reading will help guide us on the path to wisdom!

Writing Assignments 

• ·      Choose character and action from any myth we have read so far
• ·      Complete top of ANI chart handed out in class
• ·      5-10 reasons in each column (number them)
• ·      check 3 rules for chosen action (actual, voluntary, specific time)

Reading Assignments
Highlight and narrate as you have in previous weeks.  Find at least one blue in each myth and in Book 3 of The Odyssey.

DeAulaires

• ·      Cadmus founds Thebes - pg 108 (last two paragraphs) through pg 110
• ·      Actaeon and Diana – pg 44
• ·      Zeus and Semele - 64 – 66 paragraph 2
• ·      Echo and Narcissus - pg 92

    Ovid

• Read Book 3.  Write narrations on the stories listed above for DeAulaires

   The Odyssey

• Book 3
• Narration sections TBA by the weekend

Week 2

Our class is off to a great start!  I was very pleased with this first round of narrations and discussion.  We'll continue reading, highlighting, and writing narrations for next week's reading.

I have set up our assignment record (click on the picture of the greek guy with his ancient laptop and stylus to the right).  Please check this record weekly to see if you have any previous work to complete. Next week I will assign the letters for the columns on the assignment sheet.

Each Thursday I will check the current week's reading during the break.  I'll also take up written assignments, both for the current week and previous weeks.  If a student needs a previously assigned reading assignment checked off, it is the STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY to come to me at break time and show that the reading has been completed.   Incomplete assignments are always due the very next week!  In the absence of extenuating circumstances (severe illness/injury, family crisis, etc. ) parents will need to assess incomplete work not resubmitted after the second week.

Week 2 reading:

The Odyssey  - Book 2
narration sections

• 1-81 (Telemachus takes the scepter)
• 82-145 (who is to blame?)
• 146-207 (prophecy and response)
• 208-223 (Telemachus' plan)
• 224-257 (Mentor's indictment - suitor's response)
• 258-300 (Telemachus and Athene)
• 301-320 (Antinoos and Telemachus)
• 321-356 (plan of the suitors)
• 357-412 (preparations)
• 413-end (setting out)

Ovid's Metamorphoses - Book 2

Read all, but narrate only the following sections

• Phaethon
• Jove and Europa

DeAulaires

Read and narrate these sections

• The Muses (pg 100-101)
• Eurpoa (pg 108 - first 5 paragraphs)
• bring last week's narration of Phaethon (pgs. 82-84)