Need advice on Beginning Rhetoric Level with Unit 3

[MZNM]

We are currently using the dialectic level of Year 2 and are anticipating finishing Unit 2 at the the end of this school year. We will only be covering Units 3 and 4 next year for various reasons (9th grade). We are planning to cover the full year plans for YR 3, 4 and 1 in 10th-12th.

I would like to move my son into the rhetoric level for literature next year when we cover U3&4. I would appreciate any tips on how I should go about it - or what works would be most important to get coverage on. I am currently working through Windows to the World with my son and anticipate finishing that up next year. I could apply the lessons in WTTW to the titles in TOG, but if I can use what's in TOG as written, or in part, that may save me time looking for study guides and the like. My initial thought was to try to cover some of the major novels like Gulliver's Travels. It may be too far into the year to jump into poetry. I don't know. Any advice or tips would be appreciated.

[Pat]

I would strive to blend the two levels and I would look at the R level literature with an eye to what is easier to read and digest.

Without looking I'm not sure exactly what is in Units 3 and 4 of Year 2, so some of what I'm about to say will not apply as I'm thinking about the whole year.

For literature, I would lean away from big poetic works like Dante's Inferno or Paradise Lost. I would pick and chose from the Shakespeare plays offered (I seem to remember as many as five, but maybe I dreamed that). I would look for some short poetry but not expect a younger student to read giants gobs of it (if TOG covers any of the puritan/pilgrim poets, those are good beginner works in my opinion). I would look for the works of prose like Pilgrim's Progress. AND, bad news mom, I think if you have not read these things, I'd suggest you sample them first to get a sense of what is easier to read and digest.


In history, I'd start with adding in the Core readings and then introduce the in depth selections for later topics. I'd then do what I could with the discussions during this transition AND not expect a ton from my student. I'd expect I'd do a lot of teaching with them at first.

You might also look back at the overview Year notes to see what they say about how TOG slowly brings a student up to a level over the year. That will help you figure some of this out.

[MZNM]

Thanks, Pat! You've given some very specific ideas and direction for me as I plan for next year. Thank you for being detailed. It really helped to confirm what I thought would be important, but also gave me more specifics to think about as I flesh it out.

I hear you on the reading! I actually try to read everything ds reads (although I'm a bit behind at the moment). Even with the teacher's notes, I find I can do a much better job discussing the topics if I've digested the material myself. BUT...I have some newer family issues with my parents that may make me thankful for the teacher's notes in the future, so that I can keep school rolling when time gets tight. That's part of the blessing with TOG - flexibility.

Thanks again! I really appreciate the help.