Optional Help session day

I hope you all are safe, dry, and have electricity.  The skies finally cleared here, which is good news for us. We have to make our escape every October 31st before 6:00 to avoid the onslaught of trick-or-treaters.  I'm pretty sure all of east Montgomery county busses their kids in to Harpers Landing for the festivities.  I'm glad we won't be driving in the pouring rain tonight during our annual opt-out.

During our optional tutorial today we watched the 1968 version of Dr. Faustus.  Its available for rent through Amazon for $2.99.  I made notes below on the parts that contain nudity so that if any of you want to show the movie "safely" at home you'll know where to pause and excuse your kids.  If you have a student who is struggling to understand the play, the film will likely clear up some of the confusion and give him a helpful overview of the plot.  It will also give you as the parent a chance to discuss some of the themes with him.

Here are some questions you could discuss at home:

What does Faust value most?
Why does his demon servant (Mephistophiles) try to keep him from thinking about heavenly things?
What does Mephistophiles offer Faust each time he begins to contemplate the danger he is in?
Listen for Biblical allusions to Philippians 3:19 and Revelation 6:16
Does Faust "believe in" God and Christ?  If so, why doesn't his knowledge save him?
Why can't Faust repent when he "tries"?

Scenes to skip with time markers:

• 9.50 Shot zooms in on the skull in his study to reveal fantasy images inside the eye socket
• 30.30 A woman facing away from Faust removes her hood to reveal braided black hair.  She then turns and is shown just from the shoulders up in the front and then from the back covered only by her long hair.
• 34-37.30 Woman enters again and lies down (clothed) with Faust.  He caresses her affectionately. Afterwards, various women enter the room, some scantily clad.  The image from the beginning @9.50 shows up again.

Other than that, pretty much any time Elizabeth Taylor shows up she is sporting generous cleavage.  Also, the dancers in the garden scene of the 7 deadly sins are wearing full body flesh colored leotards to simulate nudity so if you prefer to avoid that as well you can excuse your student after Lechery introduces himself to Faust.

Have a blessed week, and I'll see you next Thursday!

Week 8

IMPORTANT: No class next week, October 24th

A note to parents:
Finding time to thoroughly explain all the details of the weekly assignments in class has been a challenge.  Its important that your student have access to the instructions I post on the blog so they know what is expected. I recommend printing a copy of the assignment details for them if they don't have direct access to the blog themselves.

Reading

• Read pages 55 - 64 (scenes 8-10)
• Highlight as usual.  
• Narration Preparation Tip:  If you suspect you might have difficulty narrating, try writing some character + action notes in the margin.  For example, at the beginning of scene 8 a character named Robin appears.  After reading his first few lines you might write the following notes in the margin: "Robin stole Faust's book",  "R - plans to make ladies dance for him".  Notice that either of these notes could be made into an issue: Whether Robin should have stolen the book, Whether Robin should make ladies dance for him. We are reading very slowly, so you can afford to take the time needed to understand what's happening.  
• Write one discussion question from the 5 topics for each scene.  

DVD

• Watch Lesson 3 elocution (Verb Editing)

Writing

• Complete pages 33-39 in your student workbook.
• Write a new essay from your Lesson 3 outline (template on page 32).  Use the checklist on page 213.  You will find a sample essay on page 40 of your workbook
• If you are handwriting your essay, please skip lines so you have room to edit. 

Bonus assignment: Prepare an exordium for our class essay on whether Aeneas should have carried his father out of Troy.  We'll vote on them and choose a favorite.  I'll have a prize for the winner :-)

Week 7

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3




What kind of things does Faust set his mind upon?  Things above, or things on earth?
Can you catch Mephistophilis redirecting his mind during the course of the play?


Reading:

• Review scenes 1-5, especially if you are struggling with the Elizabethan style of language.   Use the helps in the back of the book liberally!
• Scan, highlight, and read pages 39-53 (chorus sections and scenes 6 & 7). Be prepared to narrate any scene.
• Find at least one blue. 
• Write a class discussion question for each scene.

LTW DVDs:

• Watch lesson 3 Arrangement (Exordium)

Writing:

• Guide to Exordium - page 29
• Lesson Three Arrangement B Exordium (arrangement worksheet) pages 30-31
• Complete an outline based on the template from page 32
  

Week 6

I've enjoyed our tour through the first half of The Aeneid!  I hope you have too.  I encourage you to read the second half of the epic on your own.  As we move on to The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, we'll encounter some familiar characters.  Keep asking yourself what virtues are being portrayed in these works?  What vices?

Reading:

• Survey Doctor Faustus and write ten things you notice about this book/edition in the back cover
• Read the notes on pages 6 & 7
• Scan, highlight, and read scenes 1-5. Since its a play, you don't need to block off dialogue in green.  Its already done :-) Be prepared to narrate any scene.  Use the glossary and scene notes in the back to help you.  Look up words you don't know and use the Latin glossary in the back to translate Latin passages.
• Find at least one blue. 
• Write a class discussion question for each scene.  Try to vary the invention topics you use to form your questions.

LTW DVDs:

• Watch lesson 3 Invention (Definition I)

Writing:

• Formulate a new issue for The Aeneid.  Start a new ANI chart.
• Identify the terms in your issue
• Use one term from your issue to fill in the definition worksheet on pages 27 & 28 of your Student Workbook.
• Add information from your definition worksheet to your new ANI chart.  Try to get at least 10 points for your ANI using the topic of definition. Define some of the other terms in your issue to get additional points.
• Use the other 4 topics of invention to add to your ANI until you have at least 20 points in each column.