But I've already read that!

Ever wonder about the C.S. Lewis quote at the top of our blog page? Click on the picture to the right to watch a short video posted by a friend of mine over at Classical Conversations.  

Week 9

Important Reminder!
I'll be traveling for the next two Thursdays.  We will meet again for class on Thursday, November 12th.

This week was our second lesson on essay 2 arrangement.  We cover a lot of ground in this essay! We are moving from a rudamentary 3 proof essay to an essay containing three main proofs with three supporting proofs each.

Last week, we learned how to sort information on the ANI chart.  From now on, the invention and arrangement for every essay will include creating an ANI chart with 20 points in each column, and sorting those points into sub groups for BOTH the A and N columns.

This week we will move from the sorted ANI groups to an outline.  AS ALWAYS, this will involve an intermediate step (Arrangement B, the essay worksheet).  This intermediate step is necessary in order to cultivate the habit of THINKING in the right order when choosing the content for an essay.  

Writing Assignment

• Choose the 3 best groups in your sorted A and sorted N
• Select the best 3 supporting points in each of the groups you chose
• Decide which side you will argue in your essay
• Complete the worksheet on pages 13 & 14
• From the content of the worksheet, create an outline according to the template on page 15 (use your blank outline handout from class)

Reading Assignment

Highlight and narrate in the regular way.  If you have not yet moved from written narration to oral narration, be prepared to read your written narrations aloud in class.  They should explain the content of the section in such a way as to help your classmates remember all the main events in that part of the story.  

The Odyssey, Book 11

*Please be prepared to narrate the last two sections from week 8 since we didn't finish those today in class.  If you completed written narrations for book 10, bring them with you.

• 1-80
• 81-149
• 150-224
• 225-332
• 333-384
• 385-461
• 462-337
• 338-end

DeAulaires

• The Boar Hunt - pages 176-77
• Theseus - 148-157

Metamorphoses

• Book 8, first 5 sections: pages 263-286 (line 782)

Romans Road Media 40% off on Ancient Histories

The complementary history curriculum I recommended in our kick off meeting is currently 40% off for anyone who might be interested.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b6a6f11226682d3dd11804388&id=6db5e93856&e=ee89bce8ca

Week 8

Writing assignment:

• Sort your ANI chart this week.  You need to sort both the A and N columns.  If any 'I' points can be used to argue one side or the other be sure to move them to 'A' or 'N' before you begin.  If you need a refresher on how to sort, you can watch the video for essay 2 arrangement.  You can also refer to the detailed instructions on page 10 of your student workbook.
• Use the sorted columns worksheets that I gave you in class today to list the items in their groups with the labels you gave to each group.  This chart will replace workbook pages 11 and 12.
• Do not use catch-all categories such as "miscellaneous" "random" or "irrelevant".  Keep working with your groups until you can find some unifying idea for each group.

Reading Assignment: 

No myth reading this week

The Odyssey book 10

• 1-55
• 56-132
• 133-209
• 210-273
• 274-347
• 348-448
• 449-495
• 496-end

Week 7 Writing assignment

Sorry...forgot to add the writing assignment to the original week 7 post.

Complete your ANI Chart.

A complete ANI chart contains at least 20 points in each of the A, N, and I columns.  Use your 5 topics questions to gather enough information to fill your ANI.  Number your ANI points so that I can clearly see how many there are.  Do not attempt submit an ANI with less than 20 items in each column.  

Remember that you are not looking for "the good stuff" that you will decide is worthy material for your essay.  You are simply gathering a lot of information that relates to your issue.

Week 7

In a sense, we are starting at the beginning of The Odyssey this week.  What do I mean by that?

Homer begins his tale in the middle of things, showing us the state of affairs at the home of Odysseus and telling of his son Telemachus' journey to find his lost father (books 1-4).  While Telemachus is searching, we are carried to Kalypso's paradise, where Odysseus is finally able to leave the island with hopes of reaching his home (books 5-8).

When a story teller begins in the middle of the story, as Homer does here, we say that he begins "in medias res".  In medias res = in the middle of things.   Books 1-4 and books 5-8 occur over the same period of time.

As we enter book 9, we will be taken back to the beginning of the story in what is often referred to as a flashback.  Over the next 4 books, we'll learn what happened before Odysseus came to Kalypso's island where we found him in book 1.

Handy new vocabulary

• in medias res - in the middle of things
• flash back - a movement of the narrative back to an earlier time
• hubris - pride toward or in defiance of the gods (Niobe/Arachne/many others...)
• motif - an image (often repeated in a story or tradition) representing an idea.  For example, weaving/spinning in The Odyssey represent storytelling and wisdom.  Note that Athena, the goddess most closely involved in The Odyssey, is the goddess of both wisdom and weaving.

Reading Assignment

*Highlight with all 5 colors and block the dialogue in The Odyssey.  Try to find at least one blue per book to contribute to our discussion.  You will continue to highlight the same way all year, unless instructed to change.

*Narrations: You may now move from written to oral narration as you feel prepared to do so.  To become an oral narrator, you will need to come to class with complete written narrations and highlighting.  You will then need to successfully narrate twice without looking at anything while you are speaking.  You will be given 15 seconds to look over the highlighting and notes in the text itself before you begin.  You may not look at your written narrations during this time.  Once you have met these requirements, you may dispense with written narrations for the rest of the year, unless instructed to resume them due to inadequate class preparation.  So far, our oral narrators are Kate Meine and Evie Nichols.  

The Odyssey - Book 9

• 1-81
• 82-104
• 105-176
• 177-249
• 250-306
• 307-406
• 407-461
• 462-end

DeAulaires

• read pages 162-175
• Narrate the story of The Golden Fleece

Metamorphoses

• read pages 223-242 (line 648)
• Narrate - first 5 sections involving Media

Week 6

Writing assignment:

Note: You will create and ANI chart for each essay we write this year.   You can 1) make a copy of the chart on page 3 of the workbook, 2) email me and I’ll send you a printable version, 3) create your own. 

This week, start a new ANI chart with a new issue.

Use any myth we have read, except the one you used for your last essay.

Write all A and N points you can think of easily.

Next, write three sets of comparison questions using the forms given at the top of page 9.  Here is an example of one set of comparison questions.

*How Is X similar to Y?

(Example: How is Penelope similar to Clytemnestra?)

*How is X different from Y?

(Example: How is Penelope different from Clytemnestra?)

Issue: Whether Penelope should have unwoven the shroud… (“terms” of the issue are underlined)

X term = Penelope (term in the issue)

Y term = Clytemnestra (term outside the issue)

Use a term in your issue for X.  Use anything you want to compare to X for the Y term.  Be sure you compare nouns to nouns, and verbs to verbs.  If you choose a character for X, it is often helpful to compare with another character in the same story or another myth you remember.  When you are finished, you should have a total of 6 questions, three similarity questions and three difference questions.

Write at least one answer to each question.  Then go through your answers one by one, decide whether it argues for the A or N side of your issue, then write it in the appropriate column.  If an answer does not argue for A or N, then write it in the I column.  EVERY ANSWER TO EVERY QUESTION GOES ON YOUR ANI CHART.

You want to get as much information on your ANI chart as possible.

Reading assignment:

The Odyssey: Books 7 & 8

Book 7 narration sections

·      1-77

·      78-181

·      182-235

·      236-end

Book 8 narration sections

·      1-95

·      96-151

·      152-265

·      266-366

·      367-420

·      421-520

·      521-end

Metamorphoses

·      Read pages 189 – 202

·      Narrate the story of Arachne and the story of Niobe

DeAulaires

·      Read pages 34-47
 Narrate the story of Arachne and the story of Niobe