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Chari
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| Posted: June 12 2005 at 12:42am | IP Logged
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ALmom wrote:
Also, I found some CHC plans for GK Chesterton works and Murder in the Cathedral by TS Eliot. I've been impressed by a lot of their stuff so we're ordering those. More of it covers the Middle Ages time period, but Ballad of the White Horse is about the ongoing conflict between paganism and Christianity. I really think we'd like to do that one.
Janet |
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Janet, will you please let us know what you think about these once you get them???
Thanks!!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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Kelly
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| Posted: June 13 2005 at 4:33am | IP Logged
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Thanks for the info, Willa. I like your idea of using labels to cover over the offending parts of books. Once I blacked out all the offensive parts of an otherwise good book for the children, whereupon they discovered they could read THRU the blacked-out parts when holding the page to the light. Sigh.
BTW, did you see that the islas program has a Tolkein and Middle Earth course going on? I thought of your LOTR's fan dd when I saw that!
Kelly in FL
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Anne Marie M
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| Posted: June 19 2005 at 8:11pm | IP Logged
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WJFR wrote:
| WE kept a sort of running "theme" which we discussed in light of the different books. It was about the power of imaginative literature in portraying truth, and how fiction can reflect a deeper truth of the spirit even sometimes when the author isn't religious (as long as he is faithful to observed reality). That's how we approached the literary analysis selections I mentioned. |
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Willa, can I pick your brain? I love the idea of a theme, and your specific theme, especially since my 12th gr. ds has discovered literature (especially fantasy) and philosophy and apologetics - all at once! Now, I have a very rusty liberal arts background - but it's the math and science that have stayed with me more, as far as how to teach it (my MA is in math). I'm at a loss as to how to teach literature. Any resources/ideas you can share?
Thanks,
Anne Marie
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Willa
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| Posted: June 22 2005 at 2:10pm | IP Logged
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Dear Anne Marie,
I like everything pretty much everything by Tolkien, GK Chesterton and CS Lewis. Here's a list of books I've found more or less useful on this topic or that I've had my son read.
On Stories by CS LEwis
Poetic Knowledge by James Taylor
On Fairy Stories by JRR Tolkien -- this one is online or the book version
Poetics by Aristotle
or online
Landscape with Dragons by Michael O'Brien
The following aren't exactly on the theme, but I mentioned them earlier so I thought I'd provide the links since my ds did read them. Flannery O'Connor was a solid, devout Catholic who wrote thoroughly modern literature and so I used her book as a springboard to discuss modern literature that is "realistic", rather than the more fantasy-oriented Lewis/ Tolkien type.
Mystery and Manners by FLannery O'Connor
Tenets for Readers and Reviewers (Kolbe's catalog)
These following two are Protestant and sort of similar to Michael O'Brien's book but they are interesting to read:
Reading Between the Lines
Children of a Greater God
I didn't do anything formal with him on the theme but here are a couple of literature study guides that look interesting (haven't seen them personally):
Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings
Novel Inquiries Book Three (scroll down the page to see it) -- this one's from a Catholic perspective.
I hope this helps a bit. I will try to think a bit about writing out more on HOW we did it. Basically, every time he read a book we would discuss what it said about that particular theme.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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Anne Marie M
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| Posted: June 22 2005 at 3:52pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, Willa!
Sean's read Landscape with Dragons(and wants to argue with Michael O'Brien about his views on dragons. . . Sean read and loved Eragon). I'd love to hear more about the "how" if and when you have time, in the meantime, you've given me a lot to read through and think about!
Anne Marie
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Willa
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| Posted: June 23 2005 at 9:29am | IP Logged
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I feel the way your ds does and so do my teens. I don't believe symbols are as "fixed" as O'Brien says. Plus, we like Star Wars. Still, reading his book has led to several interesting discussions around here 
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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TracyQ
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| Posted: July 09 2005 at 9:13am | IP Logged
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We have this, and are going to use it with our 13yo son this coming schoolyear (he'll be in 8th grade)! I found it at our state convention, and I knew he would just LOVE it! I wanted something he'd love, so I paid the hefty price for it. I just needed something a bit more done for me for him. I can't plan everything out every year.
It is a wonderful treasure though! I'll post more about it as we use it throughout the year!
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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ALmom
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| Posted: July 13 2005 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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Chari,
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I have had a chance, finally to look over the Ballad of the White Horse and study guide from CHC. I liked it - and think it will be very useful for us.
It gives a good description of various literary techniques, rhyme schemes, alliteration, consonance, etc. All things of which I am pretty ignorant. It leads the student to break down some of the stanzas identifying rhyme scheme etc. It also gives historical background information and does address the study guide author's particular interpretation. For some, it may be too didactic, but it is well suited for my dd and gives me the technical vocabulary I am missing.
Now ,everyone can have a good laugh. After all this gyration, our daughter found out about a British Lit class for 4 or 5 girls (2 of whom she knows through music)and decided she really wanted to do this. We have decided it is a good opportunity to make sure she gets to discuss real literature and will involve some oral presentations. Unfortunately, she will be reading some things that she has already read - like Beowolf, but what she really needs is discussion opportunities. They will also be asked to chose some independent reading to present to the class, so we still might get to do GKC with her. If not, I know I'll use it with dd #2 for 9th grade.
Janet
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ALmom
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| Posted: July 13 2005 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
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OOps, I forgot to mention that this study guide is thouroughly Catholic as one would expect from CHC. It does address the references to Our Lady, has a question to the student about why GKC would use the term 1st crusade in his ballad. There is also a question about telescoping history. I really liked it - but it won't be an easy read!
Janet
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4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Literature for high school ?
