The Morning Classroom

First thing each day we work as a group, and then I work with each student individually.  The Warrior Poet installed an HDMI cable so I can project whatever is on my computer onto the television.  Very handy!  I project chapters of read-alouds onto the TV so the kids can follow along.  Sometimes I highlight sentences or words to illustrate a point.  We also project running lists of characters, etc., onto the TV using the Office program on my computer.  Homeschooling in the 21st Century...

(Note the Amazon box, coffee cup, and Legos-- all indispensible educational tools!  Also, please note the Oxford English Dictionary-- on the entertainment center table-- awaiting its usefulness.)

In this picture, Mariel and I have just finished sorting through her ANI for Lesson 3 of LTW.  We listed her main proofs and subproofs on the white board and now she is copying them into her notebook.

We study throughout the house, but the living room is always our morning classroom.  We enjoy the light that comes through the south-facing windows.

Idealism and Reality

The giant and the conjurer now knew that their wicked course was at an end, and they stood biting their thumbs and shaking with fear. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, soon killed the giant, and the magician was then carried away by a whirlwind; and every knight and beautiful lady who had been changed into birds and beasts returned to their proper shapes. --The History of Jack the Giant Killer, The Blue Fairy Book

Organizing stories are fairy tales, parables, etc., that help us "organize" our ideas about good moral character.  In organizing stories, good always wins. Young children need organizing stories. They realize early on that "something is everywhere and always amiss." They need to know that dragons can and will be slain.

The opposite of organizing stories are narratives that display the complex nature of real people.  Some folks never grasp this.  It is easier to believe that people-- especially people we do not know personally-- are perfectly good or certainly evil.  This is especially true when judging statesmen, politicians and economic leaders.  However, government officials grapple with their own selfish interests as well as governing principles.  New dilemmas arise in business and economics, defying empirical analysis and leaving leaders nonplussed.  Senators and CEOs are complicated, just like the rest of us.

 Today the world is exploding with children who think they can fix things. Young people come equipped with a sense of the ideal which struggles to rise to the surface whether it has been nurtured or not.  I think this is a good thing, although it can be exploited by evil.

We do not need to give up the idea that dragons can and will be slain. They can be. They will be. But we need to understand that human beings are fallible-- more than that, they can be stupid and greedy and even evil (in some areas) at the same time that they are kind and generous and good (in other areas). People are weird. They have blind spots. NO ONE is going to behave righteously every time. Sad, but true. It is just not going to happen. That is reality here on earth.

The broader reality is that the good is coming, and it will not be ushered in by earthly governments, or by pure capitalism, or by parents or teachers or students or bosses or workers getting everything "right".

These two truths-- the earthly reality and the broader reality-- are not commonly taught to children today.  (They are learned through immersion in great literature, especially the Bible.  But that is an argument for another day.)

Should we try to get everything right? Yes, we should. We won't make it, but we will get closer than if we don't try. Should we be surprised when others do not get it right? No, we should not. People are unrighteous. Should we work toward improving the likelihood that people will do right? Yes. (I'm sure I don't have to point out that we as individuals do not get it right either. We already know that about ourselves. Right?)

As a nation we need to understand that people sin. This is wisdom. We also need to learn how our systems work. Unfortunately, a lot of what gets passed off as teaching is merely a list of talking points for one agenda or another. When we learn to value mercy and truth more than we value our own 'side', we will be able to educate our children. Perhaps then our children will be able to articulate what they think is right and wrong about the world, and act effectively in the direction of right, instead of blindly following utopian promises or flailing around in anger. But only if they first understand that all have sinned, and do sin, and will sin.

An article that illustrates the impact of earthly reality on ideology.

LTW Journal 10/27(b)

(Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)  

My exordium examples are done.  I enjoyed making these!  I suspect one cannot have too many examples of a writing "hook", so I am sharing mine here.  Also, here is a link to sample imperative sentences.  And a link to a hilarious joke that illustrates the vague nature of competition law.  It might be a bit long for an exordium, but I liked it.

My essay issue is whether the Supreme Court should have ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil.

(I don't know how to fix the weird bullet points. Apologies for the formatting.)

UPDATE:  Let me know which one is your favorite!

Where is the balance between liberty and justice?

Should a cartel be allowed to suppress trade?

If you build a better mousetrap, will the regulators beat a path to your door?

In 1890 the Sherman Anti-trust Act was passed. That year, Standard Oil possessed 90% of American refining capacity. In 1911 the Act was invoked against Standard Oil, but due to competition from other firms, Standard's refining capacity had already gone down to 65%. (Wikipedia.)

By 1890, the United States was transitioning from an agricultural to industrial society. In the midst of unprecedented growth, the Senate passed the Sherman Anti-trust Act, 51-1. The Act then unanimously cleared the House and became a law. (Wikipedia)

Label the good guys and bad guys in this story: In 1870, John D. Rockefeller started in the oil business. His shrewd success reduced kerosene prices for Americans, and also put many would-be oil magnates out of business. Rockefeller got rich. He and his cronies were condemned for suppressing the oil trade with their innovative business model.

You are a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. The world is changing. New technology and production techniques have brought about new business models. Decide which are lawful and which are not.

In my twenties, I tried to sell Avon. Competition was fierce, and I never liked to persuade hesitant customers. I was terrible at it.

“If I never had a cent, I'd be rich as Rockefeller... Gold dust at my feet, on the sunny side of the street.” (old song) 

In 1952, a representative from the Rockefeller Foundation called leprosy specialist Dr. Paul Brand. “Your work with leprosy shows good potential. Why don't you travel around the world and get the best advice possible? See anyone you want-- surgeons, pathologists, leprologists-- and take whatever time you need. We'll foot the bill.” The trip gave Dr. Brand much-needed confirmation of his findings on the dread disease. (Brand/Yancy, The Gift of Pain)

"Nothing was left to chance, nothing was guessed at, nothing left uncounted and measured. Efficiencies down to the smallest detail of the business were the order of the day. Economy, precision, and foresight were the cornerstones of [Standard Oil's] success.” (Professor Keith Poole, The American Experience, www.pbs.org) 

LTW Journal 10/27

(Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)  

Today we began the Arrangement portion of Lesson 3.  After introducing the types, we came up with some exordia for our practice essay.

(The issue is whether Boromir should have tried to take the Ring from Frodo.)

1.  If everyone was against you, would you still hold your opinion?
2.  Can all tools be used for good?
3.  Do you know the definition of pragmatic?
4.  Imagine being in a forest, chased by a tall dude trying to take the ring you inherited from your uncle.
5.  Consider having the fate of a world in the palm of your hand.
6.  80% of Men are prone to greed.  Nine of these men are Ring Wraiths.  One of them is Boromir.
7.  Only three Hobbits have held the Ring.  Two of them have been consumed.
8.  "It is a gift, a gift to the foes of Mordor.  Why not use this ring?"  --Boromir

(The kids thought of all but #3.  That one was mine.)

Now I am off to work on my own essay exordium while watching the Texas Rangers with the Warrior Poet.  :)  Here we go, Rangers!

LTW Journal 10/25

(Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)   

Most controversies would soon be ended, if those engaged in them would first accurately define their terms, and then adhere to their definitions.  --Tryon Edwards

We stayed in Invention today.  First we took turns reading our definitions.  The LTW way of defining a term causes us to look at both generalities and specifics.  We have to keep our focus on the actual issue, too.  At our house we tend to randomly include ALL the possibilities and go off on tangents, but definitions ought to discriminate.

After definitions, the kids turned in their ANI charts.  Aravis was distressed because she only had around eighteen things on each list.  (We were going for thirty.)  She had detailed sentences for most of her points, sometimes several lines long.  I was sure she already had thirty things on each list!  I told her to list only one detail per bullet point.  She was relieved.

On Thursday, we will move into Arrangement and learn about the exordium.  I am excited.  The exordium is the introductory part of the essay.  At our house we have always called it the hook.  This is the part where the writer reels us in and we as readers decide whether we want to stay.

I started this post with an exordium.  I came up with several others, too:

* Three out of five members of our family are learning to write using Lost Tools of Writing.


* There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.  When asked to define great, he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"   

He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.


* Dare to define! 


 * I first learned about defining terms from Mortimer J. Adler in How to Read a Book.  He said to me, "Reader, you cannot understand where an author is coming from until you know his terms."  (Okay, I am paraphrasing a bit.)


 * Imagine a world where words have no meaning. 

LTW Journal: 10/24

Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)   

While the Warrior Poet watches the Rangers in the World Series, I am keeping him company.  Well, sort of.  We are in the same room, but I am working on my ANI chart for the question, "Should the Supreme Court have ordered the dissolution of the Standard Oil Trust?"

I have been working on this ANI chart for several days now. On the one hand, I think it is terrific.  It makes me slow down.  I have a sense of leisure about developing my opinion since I need thirty items each for affirmative, negative and interesting.  (I might as well wait until I have all of them before deciding.)  I need that time and additional information to correct my faulty notions about the issue, too.

On the other hand, it is torture.  It forces me to look at all sides of the issue! Besides being time-consuming, looking at all sides of an issue means I cannot get comfortable with a straightforward answer.

If I had chosen an issue from an organizing story, in which good and evil are presented in black and white, it would be easier.  Perhaps this is what my middle schooler needs as she learns the concepts in LTW.  But my issue this go-round is one of the first debates between big business and government in the U.S.  And it just is not that simple.  My middle schooler's issue this time is "whether Mr. Elton should have married Harriet Smith."  Much simpler than mine, but not quite an organizing story issue!

I learned about organizing stories in a book on learning differences.  Interestingly, I cannot find any info on it by googling. Organizing stories are fairy tales, parables, etc., that help us "organize" our ideas about good moral character.  Opposite are the more complex, mixed-bag stories in which people aren't only good or only evil.  In organizing stories, good always wins.  Children need organizing stories in their young lives.  They realize early on that "something is everywhere and always amiss."  They need to know that dragons can and will be slain.  And I am beginning to think issues from those types of stories are the simplest to debate when beginning to learn the persuasive essay!  Get all the messy issues out of the way while learning the process!  But I don't know.  It is wonderful the way these messy issues make us think.

Some folks believe that an issue like the dismantling of the Standard Oil Trust does contain characters stolidly good or certainly evil.  That is not what I found, though.  John D. Rockefeller and his cronies were complicated guys.  People representing the U.S. government, whether politicians or statesmen, had to grapple with their own interests as well as governing principles. The world was exploding with new processes and unprecedented success in many areas.  Failure flew in the face of such possibilities.  And people tried to fix things.

Today the world is exploding with children who think they can fix things.  Are these kids that did not have the benefit of organizing stories or never moved beyond them?  I wonder.  Probably the reason is something altogether different.  But they do seem to lack a sense of reality.

Now I am rambling!  I will stop.

Updated 10/28:  That last paragraph about lacking a sense of reality has bothered me ever since I published this post.  You mean we cannot fix things?  You mean we have to move beyond the idea that dragons can and will be slain?  That's not what I meant.  I was trying to make sense of my mind's intuitive leaps:  Katie, have you considered this?  Have you considered that? etc.  I need to be cautious about hitting 'publish' in the midst of ruminating!

We do not need to give up the idea that dragons can and will be slain.  They can be.  They will be.  But we need to understand that human beings are fallible-- more than that, they can be stupid, and greedy, and even evil (in some areas) at the same time that they are kind and generous and good (in other areas).  People are weird.  They have blind spots.  NO ONE is going to behave righteously every time.  Sad, but true.  It is just not going to happen.  That is reality here on earth.

The broader reality is that the good is coming, and it will not be ushered in by earthly governments, or by pure capitalism, or by parents or teachers or students or bosses or workers getting everything "right".

Should we try to get everything right?  Yes, we should.  We won't make it, but we will get closer than if we don't try.  Should we be surprised when others do not get it right?  No, we shouldn't.  People are unrighteous.  Should we work toward improving the likelihood that people will do right?  Yes.  (I'm sure I don't have to point out that we as individuals do not get it right either.  We all already know that about ourselves.  Right?)

As a nation we need to understand that people sin.  This is wisdom.  We also need to learn how our systems work.  Unfortunately, a lot of what gets passed off as teaching is merely talking points for one agenda or another.  When we learn to value mercy and truth more than we value our own 'side', we will be able to educate our children.  Perhaps then our children will be able to articulate what they think is right and wrong about the world, and act effectively in the direction of right, instead of flailing around in anger.  But only if they first understand that all have sinned, and do sin, and will sin.

Updated 10/27 to add a great article that illustrates the impact of reality on idealogy.

Narration Excerpt: Mere Christianity

And this is my favorite narration from Mariel this week.  "Jack" is C.S. Lewis:

Jack found that some people were very disturbed that Jesus had said, “Be ye perfect.” They thought that that meant that “Unless you are perfect, I won’t help you.”

Jack gives them an allegory. When he was a young boy, he had toothaches a lot. When he was in bed at night and he would have these toothaches, he would wait until the pain was terrible, and then go to his mother for pain killer. But when he did that, he knew that he was running the risk of his mother taking him to see the dentist on the morrow. And Jack did not like that dentist. All he wanted was immediate relief. But when he ‘gave’ his mother an inch, she took a foot, or an ell, as he says in the book.

God is like that. In the 13^th chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples the reason he tells parables. “I tell parables because the people who listen have no ears to hear with, no eyes to see with, and no mind to understand. And they don’t want to understand, because they are afraid that they will have to repent and reform. Only the willing ones can interpret my parables.”

Jack says that God requires everything in your life to be surrendered to him, not just parts of it.

Narration Excerpt: The Microbe Hunters

Now I am reading Aravis' narrations.  Here is my favorite portion of hers:

 When Koch told [a famous researcher] of the new discovery, he laughed and said it was nonsense, and if Koch wanted to separate bacteria he would have to have a separate laboratory for each germ. Then Koch proved to be one of the most mature, so far, of the microbe hunters: instead of vilifying Virchow and making great sweeping oratorical speeches about how stupid he was, Koch went back to his laboratory – not in the least discouraged – and set out to find a cure for tuberculosis.

Narration Excerpt: Isaac Newton

I am reading the narrations Cornflower wrote last week.  This is my favorite part so far:

Finally, Isaac was sure about the Law of Gravity!  The moon and AN APPLE obey the same law!

Lesson Plan: Discovering Meaning in a Text

Here is a lesson plan I wrote for Shakespeare class.  We are reading "As You Like It".  I want to show the kids that they already possess tools that will help them interpret the text.

1.  What do you know of grammar? (Talk about nouns/verbs

These two parts of speech can help us discover the meaning of a text.)

2.  Using what we know about nouns and verbs, let's figure out these sentences from today's reading:

"Your virtues, gentle master, are sanctified and holy traitors to you." 

(Virtues are traitors. The rest of the sentence is Adam's praise of Orlando.)

“My master is of churlish disposition and little recks to find the way to heaven by doing deeds of hospitality.” 

(Master is churlish. The rest is an example of his churlishness. “Churlish” is an adjective that describes Master, but we do not have to know that to see that it follows “Master is...”)

3.  Here is part of a sentence from the Declaration of Independence. It even works for our governing documents!

“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes...” 

(Prudence will dictate. Governments should [not] be changed.  The rest of the words enhance or change the meaning of the sentence.  It is easier to see the changes when we highlight the main nouns and verbs.)

4.  Briefly introduce selection to be read.

5.  Read and narrate. 

LTW Journal 10/20

Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)  

A thought I have been pondering:

These rudimentary lessons bring essay-writing down to its lowest common denominator, enabling students to learn a process.  I hesitate to be happy about that.  As I work on my own basic persuasive essay, I find that I want to go deeper and explore the issue more than the form allows. 

As an autonomous adult student, I can break out of the basic rules in LTW in order to explore the issue, but I wonder about students enrolled in a class or being taught this at home by their parents.  They will be brought back to simplicity if they want to include elements not yet covered.  I have already done this once or twice with my own kids.  The student may adhere to form while either struggling internally over what he wants to SAY or pacifying himself with his passing grade.   When lessons are made simple, it is tempting to believe that getting 100 means you have everything you need, when in reality it is only the beginning of understanding.  How do you teach simplified lessons without lowering the standard? 

I have tried going from complex to simple.  I originally taught the Essay to my oldest by having her rewrite great essays-- a method described by Benjamin Franklin in his Autobiography.  Franklin successfully learned to write by doing this, but I am not sure our attempts were effective.  Now I am going the opposite route, moving from simple to complex.  It is easier, but the temptation to lower standards bothers me.  I would love to hear from folks who have successfully used LTW and can explain how it actually raises both a student's standards and the quality of his writing.

LTW Journal 10/19: Finding an Issue

(Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.) 

I realized this week that several posters on the LTWMentor group write essays along with their students, following the guidelines of their classes' current lessons.  I have not been doing that, although I consider our practice essay somewhat my own.  In this essay cycle, I decided to go through the process myself, doing everything I am requiring of my kids.

We are in Invention this week, so I have to find an issue.  LTW does not give too much guidance on actually picking something to write about.  I told the kids that this essay needs to be about what they are reading for school.  I am reading several books with the kids.  Gathering fodder for an essay is tough, so I want to pick a book that fascinates me.  Here are the ones I find most interesting:

1.  Plutarch's Life of Crassus
2.  Paul Johnson's History of the American People (currently dealing with 1880s-1920s)
3.  This Country of Ours (currently reading about the 1800s)
4.  Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
5.  The Bible (Matthew/Leviticus)
6.  Emma by Jane Austen
7.  The New World (Henry VIII just established the Church of England)
8.  As You Like It by Mr. William Shakespeare

Next I need to discover anything debatable in these books-- an issue.  In other words, a topic that can be turned into a 'whether', ie., "Whether Boromir should have tried to take the Ring from Frodo".  (That is our practice essay issue.)  I did not peek into the books to make my list because I want to pick an issue that inspires me to wonder.  Off the top of my head, I wonder:

1. Whether Crassus should have decimated the legion
2a. Whether Congress should have dismantled the Standard Oil Trust
2b. Whether Congress should have enacted the Robinson-Patman Act (also known as the Anti-Price-Discrimination Act)
3. Whether General Jackson should have conquered Florida
4.  Hmm...
5.  (Sort of hard to find a debate in the commands of God (Leviticus).  Ditto for Matthew, since we are reading Christ's sermons.)
6.  Whether Harriet should have refused Robert Martin.
7.  Whether Henry should have broke away from the Catholic Church.
8.  Whether it is better to live at the ducal court or in the wilderness.

Here my two favorites:

*  Whether Crassus should have decimated the legion
*  Whether Congress should have dismantled the Standard Oil Trust

In the next LTW Journal post, I will let you know which one I picked. :)

Little by Little

“Little by little,” an acorn said,
As it slowly sank in its mossy bed,
“I am improving every day,
Hidden deep in the earth away.”

Around five years ago, a sweet lady in our homeschool group offered to teach us crochet.  We went to her house one afternoon a week for several months.  I learned single, double and triple crochet, as well as granny squares.  Aravis, then twelve, made a potholder.  Mariel, age nine, learned the chain stitch, but quickly lost interest and joined Cornflower, age six, watching Disney movies in the other room.
I made a couple baby blankets and started afghans for the girls.  Although Mariel was fascinated by crochet hooks and actually bought several at a garage sale, the girls did not want to start projects.  After awhile I either finished or abandoned mine.  Whenever I thought about our foray into yarn crafts, I felt vaguely dissatisfied.  Evidently, my girls were not crochet-ers.

Then early this year we watched the musical, "Cats".  Aravis was intrigued by the costumes.  She discovered a Cats-costume-making group online.  She practiced crochet stitches until she could make arm and leg warmers. She taught herself to make Cats wigs and tails, which involves fraying homespun, making wig caps out of pantyhose, and combining colors to get the proper cat effect.  A drama friend offered to teach her knitting, and Aravis taught her crochet in return.

She is now officially obsessed with yarn crafts.  She visits Hobby Lobby at every opportunity.  She has almost completed her Cats costume and is instructing her sisters in making their own. There are yarn fragments all over the house, but especially in her room.  Her spending money goes toward more yarn, and her wish list includes homespun, Simply Soft, and don't forget bamboo silk...

Tonight all three girls are listening to Chopin and working on their Cats costumes.  I hear them in there discussing the proper use of hot glue and whether it is better to be paid for babysitting in yarn or money. I am telling this because five years ago I felt like crafting with yarn didn't "take".  But apparently it did. It threatens to overrun my home.  And I like it.

LTW Journal 10/13: Defining Boromir

(Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)

One of the five tools in the Invention canon is Definition. Aravis and I went through workbook exercise to come up with this definition for Boromir:

"Boromir is the member of the Fellowship who does not want the Ring destroyed."

One result of this exercise was our realization that Boromir's motives place him directly in conflict with the rest of the Fellowship. Everyone else is committed to destroying the Ring by helping Frodo get to Mordor so he can throw it in the fire. But Boromir thinks he can use the Ring to destroy Sauron.

Cornflower observed and made comments, but Mariel was sick and stayed in bed. Cornflower then wanted to define her own term, so she and I came up with this about Sir Kay in the King Arthur legend:

"Sir Kay is a man who is Sir Ector's real son."

As the girls discovered, the exercise is a bit like a Venn diagram: How is this thing like others of its kind? How is it different?

The essay for this three-week cycle will be student's choice-- anything that has to do with their reading for school this year. I'm done giving them tough topics! Learning the form is tough enough.

Update:  Mariel is feeling better.  We worked together to come up with another definition for the Boromir issue.  She wanted to define the word, "take".  I was not sure this would be a good idea, but I was pleasantly surprised--

"The word, 'take', is an action verb with a negative connotation."

I am not sure we are using "connotation" correctly.  I think what we really want to say is that "take" is negative in this context.  I get context and connotation confused.


connotation:  an idea or feeling that a word evokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning. (Google)


context:  the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.  (Google)

Wait on the Lord

	The LORD is my light and my salvation;          whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2	When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,          came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3	Though a host should encamp against me,          my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4	One thing have I desired of the LORD,          that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5	For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:          in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6	And now shall mine head be lifted up          above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
7	Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:          have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8	When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;          my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9	Hide not thy face far from me;          put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10	When my father and my mother forsake me,          then the LORD will take me up.
11	Teach me thy way, O LORD,          and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12	Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:          for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13	I had fainted, unless I had believed          to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14	Wait on the LORD:          be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27

LTW Journal 10/9

(Part of an ongoing series detailing our Lost Tools of Writing adventures.  Previous posts here.)

We are finishing Lesson 2 Elocution.

FYI:  The program is organized into three-week, three part lessons.  Each week we focus on a different canon, or "body of rules".  (LTW is based on the first three of the five canons of classical rhetoric:  Invention, Arrangement and Elocution.)  We whizzed through the first lesson, but the second one took longer than three weeks!  As long as we learn the material, I am okay with that.  But back to my subject.

One of the friendly people on the LTWMentors yahoo group helped me quite a bit by pointing out that I was making grammatical parallelism more complicated than it needs to be at this stage.  I needed to hear that.  I tend toward an inflexible attitude when teaching a new format, and run the risk of exasperating my children with too much detail work.

So.  The nouns do not have to be the same exact word.  They just have to be nouns.  Yay.  Sometimes things really are as simple as they look.

What follows are the first paragraphs of the girls' introductory persuasive essays.  I hesitated to post these, as they are political in nature.  Therefore, I might get unnecessary political traffic on my educational blog.  So if you are reading this post to find out more on Rick Perry or the TSA, please understand that we are doing a junior high/high school academic writing exercise.  We are not looking to debate these issues.  Yet.  Let us master our rhetoric skills first.  :)

(I wanted to use the Boromir/Frodo practice essay, but we did a lot of new work on it last week and I cannot find my notes.  Phrasing the proofs in different ways taught us more perfectly what we were trying to prove, so we decided to alter the proofs.  I'll post all that later if/when I find it.  :disorganized:)

They both ended up with subject, verb, direct object as their grammar in parallel.  (We found it much easier to rearrange words if we first analyzed the proof sentences a la Winston Grammar.)  These paragraphs are very simplistic, so remember (with me) that our efforts will get more refined over time.  Right now we are learning the form.

Aravis, age 17

The TSA should not be able to pat us down or put us through full-body scanners for three reasons. The TSA searches invade privacy, violate the law and do not catch terrorists.

Mariel, age 14

Rick Perry should be President of the United States of America for three reasons. He is a Republican, he shows leadership qualities, and he gets great results.

 

(For the record, her father and I are leaning more toward Herman Cain.  Again, not looking for a debate on the subject.  If you want to debate my husband, you can do so on FB.)

Commonplace Book

"Easy writing, hard reading; easy reading, hard writing."

(Robert Louis Stevenson, William Zinsser and Lord Byron have all been credited with saying this.  Also Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway and Alexander Pope.  Perhaps others too.)

Annie Dillard and Sorrow

Yesterday while weeding, Cornflower and I found the skeleton of a mouse.  I suspect it died of thirst.  It has been so dry this year.  The ground is cracked, the leaves brittle, the wildflowers almost nonexistent.  Fire has been a Texas norm this summer, with its attendant loss of cherished and even vital possessions.  The natural world affects us.

The picture of fecundity and its excesses and of the pressures of growth and its accidents is of course no different from the picture I painted before of the world as an intricate texture of a bizarre variety of forms.  Only now the shadows are deeper.  Extravagance takes on a sinister, wastrel air, and exuberance blithers.  When I added the dimension of time to the landscape of the world, I saw how freedom grew the beauties and horrors from the same live branch...  That something is everywhere and always amiss is part of the very stuff of creation.  --Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

While I embrace the idea of fruitfulness in nature, I shy away from considering its horror.   I wonder how much my avoidance has to do with a strong desire to always rejoice.  Yet, as Annie Dillard says, something is everywhere and always amiss.  Indeed, Christ was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

I mourned when I read Annie Dillard's chapter on fecundity.  I wonder if she is missing something, dwelling too much on the physical.  In the midst of sorrow, I consistently crave the ability to rejoice.  Reality encompasses more than the material world.

But perhaps I am the one that is missing something.  We are called to mourn with those that mourn.  I struggle to do this, to share the grief of others.  How do we altogether mourn *and* rejoice?

Key in the process must be "sorrowing not as those that have no hope".  As we witness and partake in the pain, we must embrace a truth larger than the material world.  It is a fine distinction that requires practice.