Monday, February 25, 2013
Seventh Grade History
by D. Lutz
Ancient History for seventh graders takes them way back in time to third grade when they first learned about the fascinating Egyptians, the protected Israelites, the cruel Assyrians, the Greek thinkers and the Roman doers. The class is flying without a textbook this year; reading from primary and secondary sources, pouring over maps, and comparing time lines of ancient civilizations around the globe. Almost every week the students are required to independently research important topics, people, or places and report back to the class what they have learned. In essence, they are creating their own textbook.
This week we will be comparing the original Hippocratic Oath to the oaths taken by doctors graduating today. How are they the same? How do they differ? How does this show how civilization has changed or stayed the same? Next week we are learning about Alexander the Great. By looking at almost a dozen sources, we are going to decide if the man was truly great, or perhaps, just a big bully.
After our study of Greece we are taking quick flights over India, China, and the ancient communities of the Americas, coming back to Rome in time to explore their great accomplishments and shortfalls. Christ will be born, put to death, and resurrected in God’s perfect timing. The threat of persecution, the diversity of languages, and the spider web of roads will take His message and His church to the far corners of the earth. Our ancient studies will lead us to this very pinnacle of world history.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Classical Writing - A Tutor's Perspective
by D. Myers, Granite 8th and 10th Omnibus Tutor
Writing for a classical student involves the ability to present cogent arguments in a clear and winsome manner, with sufficient support to be persuasive and convincing. We do this continually in our Omnibus classes at Granite, where every written assignment is designed to provide opportunity for the students to gain mastery over analytical writing skills.
By the time students come to my 8th Omnibus classroom, it is apparent that they have gained mastery over basic sentence construction skills to enable them to craft sentences and paragraphs that are grammatically appropriate. This is something of a "big deal" because many students without the benefit of the classical training in grammar fundamentals are well behind the curve needed to successfully move forward with what I call "organizational" writing skills. But our Granite students have been so fully immersed in Shurley and IEW that they are well prepared to move through the Logic and Rhetoric stages of writing. I can clearly see this preparation in their work, and I can also sometimes see that important foundation lacking in students who "come to us late."
Assuming our students have had comprehensive grammar instruction when they arrive in my 8th grade class, I immediately begin assessing their organizational skills. As part of the classical "Progymnasmata" program, 8th Omnibus is their exposure to "The Chreia" - which is a type of pre-cursor to the organizational skills we hone during 8th grade. The idea is simple - our written assignments are all about introducing our topic, taking a stand, establishing and developing a strategy for supporting our position, and wrapping up with flair and winsomeness. We see this in historical examples of The Chreia which we examine in class, and then proceed to model. Later, after the students have struggled to model their own Chreia, we transition to a more modern expression of the concepts foundational to the Chreia, and we begin working on mastery over the traditional five-paragraph essay.
The remainder of 8th grade Omnibus writing assignments are related to various strategies involved with successful implementation of a five-paragraph expression. We break it down into component parts, work on those parts, hone those skills and eventually see it all come together in their literary analysis essays - the "major response." For the remainder of high school, the "major response" is a foundational component of their literature studies. By the time they get to 10th grade we are able to see the students synthesize trends and schools of thought from their historical studies, and compare/identify those as expressed in the literature they read. In this way, they are able to join what educator Mortimer Adler called, "The Great Conversation." It's a process and one that, as tutor, I am privileged to be a part of, and amazed to see it develop before my eyes as the students grow in wisdom and understanding. This is the essence and the goal of a classical education.
Writing for a classical student involves the ability to present cogent arguments in a clear and winsome manner, with sufficient support to be persuasive and convincing. We do this continually in our Omnibus classes at Granite, where every written assignment is designed to provide opportunity for the students to gain mastery over analytical writing skills.
By the time students come to my 8th Omnibus classroom, it is apparent that they have gained mastery over basic sentence construction skills to enable them to craft sentences and paragraphs that are grammatically appropriate. This is something of a "big deal" because many students without the benefit of the classical training in grammar fundamentals are well behind the curve needed to successfully move forward with what I call "organizational" writing skills. But our Granite students have been so fully immersed in Shurley and IEW that they are well prepared to move through the Logic and Rhetoric stages of writing. I can clearly see this preparation in their work, and I can also sometimes see that important foundation lacking in students who "come to us late."
Assuming our students have had comprehensive grammar instruction when they arrive in my 8th grade class, I immediately begin assessing their organizational skills. As part of the classical "Progymnasmata" program, 8th Omnibus is their exposure to "The Chreia" - which is a type of pre-cursor to the organizational skills we hone during 8th grade. The idea is simple - our written assignments are all about introducing our topic, taking a stand, establishing and developing a strategy for supporting our position, and wrapping up with flair and winsomeness. We see this in historical examples of The Chreia which we examine in class, and then proceed to model. Later, after the students have struggled to model their own Chreia, we transition to a more modern expression of the concepts foundational to the Chreia, and we begin working on mastery over the traditional five-paragraph essay.
The remainder of 8th grade Omnibus writing assignments are related to various strategies involved with successful implementation of a five-paragraph expression. We break it down into component parts, work on those parts, hone those skills and eventually see it all come together in their literary analysis essays - the "major response." For the remainder of high school, the "major response" is a foundational component of their literature studies. By the time they get to 10th grade we are able to see the students synthesize trends and schools of thought from their historical studies, and compare/identify those as expressed in the literature they read. In this way, they are able to join what educator Mortimer Adler called, "The Great Conversation." It's a process and one that, as tutor, I am privileged to be a part of, and amazed to see it develop before my eyes as the students grow in wisdom and understanding. This is the essence and the goal of a classical education.
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