Since my own school days, I have loved all (or most anyway) of the components that make up the subject that we call English. Literature, Reading, Spelling, Writing, yes, bring them on. When I combine that natural bent of mine with a love of curriculum, well, I am in Heaven. Thanks to Memoria Press , we have had the pleasure of indulging one of my loves, with the review of their Poetry & Short Stories: American Literature Set . Oh, bliss.
Included in this set is:
One Teacher Guide
One Student Guide
One copy of Poetry & Short Stories
As the name reveals, this is a study of American Literature, but it also includes an Appendix of British poems, for your reading pleasure. This material is suitable for grades ranging as early as 7th, up through 12th. It probably is obvious, but younger grades will need more teacher help than the older ones. I am using this with my 9th grader right now.
Whenever I have the opportunity to work with any Memoria Press materials, I am impressed with their attention to detail. There is so much knowledge in these three books.
Walking through the lessons will be much easier if you keep to the instructions that are found in the Teacher Guide. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but this curriculum, as every curriculum from Memoria Press, is rich in its depth and content. As such, you need to thoroughly read all introductory sections for the teacher and student, or risk getting lost before you even begin. There are nine steps to follow while working through Poetry & Short Stories. Are you ready?
1.) - Begin with the Pre-Grammar section, minus the Central Quote, which will be filled in later. This is a thinking exercise that includes some reflective questions to answer.
2.) - The Reading Notes are just that, featuring important information relating to the poem or short story being studied, such as, dates, people and definitions.
3.) - Words to be Defined - self explanatory?
4.) - The Text! Read it, study it, and make key notes.
5.) - Step Five will allow students to circle back around and fill in any definitions that were unknown
6.) - Comprehension questions. Answer and discuss the text.
7.) - Socratic Discussion Questions. Logic makes its way into the lesson at this step, and students will get closer to figuring out the Central One Idea.
8.) - Rhetoric/Expression-Central One Idea Section - You've made it to the point of summary. Students will also support their theory.
9.) - Ah, Step Nine. The Essay Option may be completed if parents/teachers decide to do so.
10.) - For every other lesson that follows, as they say, Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
Those are the steps, now what will be covered?
You will begin by learning to look at a text critically. They want to teach students how to find the essence of a reading, to find what is the central idea that stands out. Students are instructed in using the Trivium to work towards that Central One Idea, which consists of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. In layman's terms, that means that one will pick out the key elements and information, then sort and arrange those facts, making conclusions, and then finally, presents their take on it to others.
The very first lessons will have students learning how to pick out important elements, and how to mark important passages. They will then take that information and learn to break it down through the comprehension questions and reflective questions. Really, they are learning how to think critically.
You will recognize many, if not most, of the authors that are featured. Students will begin with Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. They will read The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe. A course on American Poetry and Short Stories would not be complete without selections from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, or Robert Frost. See the photo below for the Table of Contents.
I had originally considered working through the material at a faster pace for this review period, in order to get a better feel for the curriculum. I quickly discovered that that was not going to work. There is simply so much to work through, and my daughter would be too overwhelmed. So, for the most part, we focused on one section per day. When short enough, we did two. Usually the Pre-Grammar and Notes were combined. Typically, the remaining assignments, the vocabulary, comprehension questions, and so on, were (and are) completed a day at a time. Again, some of those sections could go faster, but then material will be missed.
My 15 year old, 9th grade daughter loves to read for pleasure, but when it comes to classic literature, she often gets stuck. The formality of the language is not an element that she is fond of, so I wouldn't say that she loves the assignments. However, using her words, she is finding the stories "pretty interesting", and in all honesty, that is high praise for her. She does well with the vocabulary and comprehension questions, and as we begin our discussion of the readings, she is able to pull out more from the reflective questions. I'm looking forward to my 8th grader using this next year, as she does love the more flowery language of the classics, and I think that this will be a beautiful fit for her.
The most challenging part for her is the marking of the text. The assignments suggest marking as you read, but she finds, as I do actually, that it's difficult to focus on the text and its meaning, when trying to decide what is "mark worthy". We have therefore opted to read through the selection first, and them come back around to mark. It works much better that way.
My thoughts about this set are in keeping with basically every other resource from this company. I love the depth of the content. I love that there are detailed instructions provided for teachers. I love that the lessons teach students to think critically. Assuming that Memoria Press continues in this way, I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter of their curriculum. This is a worthy addition to your middle school/high school library.
Those are the steps, now what will be covered?
You will begin by learning to look at a text critically. They want to teach students how to find the essence of a reading, to find what is the central idea that stands out. Students are instructed in using the Trivium to work towards that Central One Idea, which consists of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. In layman's terms, that means that one will pick out the key elements and information, then sort and arrange those facts, making conclusions, and then finally, presents their take on it to others.
The very first lessons will have students learning how to pick out important elements, and how to mark important passages. They will then take that information and learn to break it down through the comprehension questions and reflective questions. Really, they are learning how to think critically.
You will recognize many, if not most, of the authors that are featured. Students will begin with Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. They will read The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe. A course on American Poetry and Short Stories would not be complete without selections from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, or Robert Frost. See the photo below for the Table of Contents.
I had originally considered working through the material at a faster pace for this review period, in order to get a better feel for the curriculum. I quickly discovered that that was not going to work. There is simply so much to work through, and my daughter would be too overwhelmed. So, for the most part, we focused on one section per day. When short enough, we did two. Usually the Pre-Grammar and Notes were combined. Typically, the remaining assignments, the vocabulary, comprehension questions, and so on, were (and are) completed a day at a time. Again, some of those sections could go faster, but then material will be missed.
My 15 year old, 9th grade daughter loves to read for pleasure, but when it comes to classic literature, she often gets stuck. The formality of the language is not an element that she is fond of, so I wouldn't say that she loves the assignments. However, using her words, she is finding the stories "pretty interesting", and in all honesty, that is high praise for her. She does well with the vocabulary and comprehension questions, and as we begin our discussion of the readings, she is able to pull out more from the reflective questions. I'm looking forward to my 8th grader using this next year, as she does love the more flowery language of the classics, and I think that this will be a beautiful fit for her.
The most challenging part for her is the marking of the text. The assignments suggest marking as you read, but she finds, as I do actually, that it's difficult to focus on the text and its meaning, when trying to decide what is "mark worthy". We have therefore opted to read through the selection first, and them come back around to mark. It works much better that way.
My thoughts about this set are in keeping with basically every other resource from this company. I love the depth of the content. I love that there are detailed instructions provided for teachers. I love that the lessons teach students to think critically. Assuming that Memoria Press continues in this way, I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter of their curriculum. This is a worthy addition to your middle school/high school library.
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