Week 12

We have come to the end of our writing assignemnts for this year.  This week, we'll write essay 6.  I encourage you to continue to write essays using the tools we have learned so far between now and summer break.  If you plan to practice essay writing and are interested in ongoing online assessment, let me know.

There are two possible marks for this class: A and Incomplete.  To receive an A, all work must be finished and be marked with an A.  I will grade any incomplete work you bring to class next week.  Any work not submitted by next Thursday can be submitted online via my Canvas online classroom.  If you need to access Canvas for outstanding work, please email me for instructions. I will use the same fee per assignment rate as for my online coaching class

$5 - invention assignments
$5 - arrangement assignments
$10 -essay

Though we have officially finished our 12 week semester, I'd like to offer another class next week so that we can finish our discussion of books 1-6 of The Aeneid.   These books correspond nicely to The Odyssey - both tales of the wanderings of a national hero.

Reading

• Aeneid - finish through book 6

Writing

• Review the metaphors video.  Click on the "Metaphors be with you" picture to the right
• Workbook pages 75-76
• Write essay 6 from your outline (you must have an A on your outline before writing the essay). Use the essay 6 checklist and attach to your essay

Week 11

IMPORTANT - No class next Thursday, April 7 due to travel.

April 14th - Week 12: Final elocution lesson and discussion of Aeneid books 4-5

April 21st - Week 13 BONUS CLASS: finish Aeneid discussion through book 6 + help session for unfinished work

Reading Assignment

• Aeneid books 4 and 5

Writing Assignment

• Check assignment record for I marks.  Get the work finished/corrected and ready to turn in.
• Sort your A and N columns according to the instructions on pages 10-12
• Guide to Refutation - pp. 66-67
• Essay 6 Arrangement B Worksheet pp. 68-71
• Essay 6 outline according to template on page 72

Week 9- redux (week 10)

We had a large number of students out this week for a variety of reasons.  Rather than introduce a new writing lesson and discuss chapter 3, we had a helps session.  There will be no new assignments this week, however, please check the assignment record for incomplete work.

Week 9

Reading Assignment

• Aeneid book 3

Writing Assignment

• Complete the Invention review worksheets I gave you in class today
• Complete Relation worksheet, pp 79-80
• Make an ANI chart and move as many ideas as possible from the above invention worksheets to your ANI chart.  You do not need to come up with 20 things in your I column this week since we're counting the review worksheets as your I column content.  
• CHANGE from previous lessons - you'll need 30 points in each of the A and N columns for this essay

Week 8

I'm looking forward to reading Virgil's magnificent epic, The Aeneid, with you all.  We're off to a good start.  I appreciate your keen observations today!  You found some noteworthy epic similes.  Watch for themes that seem important to our poet.  We mentioned destiny as one.  What others do you notice?

Reading Assignment

• Read book 2 - follow instructions from last week.  Be sure to block your dialogue!

Writing Assignment

*Challenge assignment - imitate an epic simile

• If you did not pass your outline today, please get a corrected version emailed to me ASAP!  I want you to be able to write your essay for next week, and your outline needs to be approved before you begin.  
• Please check the assignment record for incomplete assignments from previous weeks. Find them, correct them, and bring them to class next week.
• Complete pages 61-62 in your workbook to practice antithesis
• Write essay 5 from your outline 
• IMPORTANT instructions for handing in essay 5.

1. Double space your essay (typed or handwritten)
2. Indent (or tab) each new paragraph
3. Copy the checklist from page 112
4. Write your name in the top left corner of the check list
5. Check your essay carefully for each item on the checklist and check it off
6. Get a parent or another adult to proof read your essay for good mechanics and correct anything they find
7. Staple the checklist to the front of your essay

Week 7

We have come to the end of our journey with Odysseus. This week we'll begin reading Virgil's famous Roman epic, The Aeneid.

Reading Assignment

Book survey - flip through your copy of The Aeneid.  What parts does it have?  Did the publishers include any useful resource material?  What observations can you make about the general structure of the poem? Inside the front cover, list ten things you notice about the book.  

Read book 1

• First, pre-read and highlight by scanning for names (pink) and settings(green).  
• Block all the dialogue and write the name of the character speaking at the top of the block.  
• Next, go back and read slowly and carefully.  
• Use your yellow highlighter to follow the main events.   
• Mark interesting parts in blue (at least one).  
• Use your orange if you notice schemes or tropes we have discussed. 
• Write one "should" question for book 1.
• Be prepared to narrate any section.  The sections are already marked.  Each section begins with an illuminated letter (a letter printed much larger than the rest). 

Writing Assignment

• Sort your most recent ANI chart on The Odyssey (the one I asked you to save) according to the instructions on pages 10-12 of your workbook.  When you are done, you should have a sorted A and a sorted N.  Clearly mark (I recommend highlighting) the best 3 main proofs and best 3 sub proofs under each main proof for BOTH your sorted columns. 
• Select a thesis and complete pages 53-54
• Pick out the content for your essay by completing worksheet pages 55-57.
• Create an outline by substituting the content from pages 55-57 following the template on page 58.

Turn in guidelines

Make copies of your workbook pages or remove them from your workbook.  Do not turn in your book itself.  Staple each assignment separately.  Write your name in the top left hand corner of the top page.  

Week 6

IMPORTANT REMINDER - We will not have class next week due to travel for the CiRCE Retreat

Next Class - February 25

Writing Assignment

• Complete the Parallelism II worksheet on pages 43-47
• Write Essay 4 from your outline (template page 42)
• Copy the checklist on page 111 and attach it to your essay
• Use parallelism in your exposition (4th item on the checklist)
• Use and mark BOTH parallelism I and II in your essay.  One of them will be in the exposition.  The other can be in your sub-proofs, exordium, or amplification.
• Use precise and active verbs.  Avoid being verbs (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) that are not needed for structure.
• Have a proof reader sign your checklist

Reading Assignment

Read "The Odyssey" books 23-24

For each book:

• Write down 5 key events
• Write a "should quesiton"

Week 5

We are moving into arrangement this week, but we're going to change up our essay pattern a bit.  Please put the ANI chart you completed for today in a safe place.  You'll need it in a couple of weeks.

For THIS WEEK, find the outline you used for essay 3.  We are going to add an amplification and upgrade essay 3 to essay 4.  Remember to use your essay 3 thesis to create your amplification rather than your new issue.

Writing assignment

• Complete the Amplification worksheet (Arrangement A for essay 4 - pp. 37-38)
• Find the outline template for essay 4 in the workbook (p. 42).  Use your arrangement worksheet to add part C to the conclusion portion of your essay 3 outline.

Reading assignment

Read The Odyssey, books 21-22

Highlight as usual, and prepare narrations.

NEW THIS WEEK ==> Write a should question for each section!

Narration sections for book 21:

·      1-100

·      101-187

·      188-311

·      312-end

      

     Narration sections for book 22:

·      1-107

·      108-199

·      200-329

·      330-418

·      419-end

• 
  

Week 4

This week we're starting a new essay.  Choose a new issue from The Odyssey.  We have added two new invention tools to your toolbox, Definition and Circumstance.  You should be able to fill your I column relatively easily with these new questions.

Writing Assignment

*I've broken your invention work into 5 days.  Please do this progressively throughout the week rather than trying to whip out 60 ANI points on Wednesday.  Breaking this assignment into smaller tasks will help you develop your skills more effectively than a marathon work session at the end of the week.  Your mind will start working on the issue, even when you're not doing your homework.  Try it!

Day 1 – Write your issue and "mind dump" on your ANI

Day 2 – Do invention worksheets (Definition pp.  51-52 & Circumstance p. 65)

Day 3 – Translate information from your worksheets into ANI points and add to your ANI.  Every bit of information from the worksheet can go on the chart.  If its not something that can go in A or N, put it in I.

Day 4 – Compare members of the group you chose on your definition sheet with your term and put in I.  Refer to Comparison worksheets on 23 & 35 for a refresher on how to use comparison questions.

Day 5 – Finish your ANI chart (20 numbered items in each column)

Reading Assignment

Books 19-20

Keep looking for blues to contribute for discussion.  If your narrations didn't go as smoothly as you would have liked today (a few of you are struggling lately) make more notes in the margins to help you through it.  In these last few books of The Odyssey be especially on the look out for passages that describe situations similar to those the Gospels (we could call them "Christological shadows").  We found quite a few shadows today.  Here are a few...

*Odysseus comes to Ithica in a humble and generally secretive manner dressed in beggar's rags - Christ is born in a humble stable, wrapped in swaddling rags.  Only Telemechus is aware that the King of Ithica has returned.  Similarly, few people are aware of the arrival of the Creator of the Universe amidst his creation.

*Odysseus is recognized by his dog Argos who has been hanging on to life awaiting the salvation of Ithica - Simeon holds the infant Jesus and prays, "Now dismiss your servant in peace for mine eyes have seen your salvation."

*Odysseus judges the suitors for their lack of charity and hospitality - Jesus sorts the sheep from the goats using the same criteria in Matthew 25: 31-46.

There are more!

Hints:

 - How does Odysseus react when people recognize him?

 - How does the general treatment of the suitors toward Odysseus compare to the treatment Jesus received at his trial?

 - How does Odysseus handle verbal and physical abuse?

Narration sections
Book 19

• 1-101
• 102-202
• 203-307
• 308-385
• 386-507
• 508-end

Book 20

• 1-91
• 92-184
• 185-278
• 279-end

Week 3

Writing Assignment

Elocution week - Time to write your essays!

• Prepare to use precise, interesting, and active verbs in this week's essay by completing pages 29-31 in your workbook.
• Be diligent to use correct mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc.) on your worksheet.  This is a writing class, after all ;)

• Refer to pages 120 & 121 for samples of essay 3.  Note the exordia in bold print.  Then write a double spaced essay from your outline. You will add an exordium to the beginning of your essay.
• Once you finish writing, scan your essay for being verbs (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been).  This is a search and destroy mission!  You want to have as few of these life sucking verbs in your essay as possible!   You will need a few (example: The reason....IS that...), but be sure they are necessary and appropriate to the sentence.  If you can use a more precise and interesting verb, change it. 
• Make a copy of the checklist on page 110 to attach to the front of your essay.  If you don't have a copier, you can tear out the checklist since we've already completed the one on the back side. If you tear it out, cut those ugly straggles off the edge of the paper before you attach it.
• Even though the checklist doesn't mention contractions, do not use them in your essay.  They are not appropriate for formal essay writing.
• Have a parent or another adult read your essay to help you find your mechanics errors.  Ask them to sign the bottom of your checklist.

Reading Assignment - The Odyssey Books 17-18

*Find at least one blue per book, and more if possible.

Narration sections

Book 17

• 1-83
• 84-166
• 167-232
• 233-323
• 324-408
• 409-494
• 495-end

Book 18

• 1-87
• 88-187
• 188-289
• 290-364
• 365-end

Week 2

Welcome back!  It was great to see you all again!

Writing Assignment

• Sort your ANI chart (both A and N).  Refer to pages 10-12 if you need a refresher.  Choose the best proofs and sub proofs from BOTH SIDES.  Choose your thesis.
• Complete Arrangement worksheet B, pages 25-26
• Complete Arrangement worksheet A, page 24.
• Return to Arrangement worksheet B, page 27.  Choose your favorite exordium from page 24.
• Complete the outline using the template on page 28.

Reading Assignment - The Odyssey, Books 15-16

Highlight with yellow as you read.  Mark any parallelism or epic similes that you find with your orange.  Find at least one blue per book.  Be prepared to narrate any section.

Book 15

• 1-159
• 160-255
• 256-300
• 301-484
• 485-557

Book 16

• 1-89
• 90-189
• 190-307
• 308-481