As a literature teacher, one of the best things that can happen in a class is for students to be so intrigued by a theme or idea that they explore it on their own. This year in 8th grade literature, the students were particularly struck by the Biblical parallels between Narnia and the Bible. Students spent multiple class periods arguing the possible allegories, pushing past the more obvious connections to tease out possible less-apparent similarities. As a final project, students compiled their observations in an essay, complete with a cover illustration. Ella presented thoughtful comparisons in a clear, organized way. She restricted herself to analyzing a few of the most striking characters and included good support from the Bible. I was particularly intrigued by Ella's "weak" parallels; she makes some connections which I've never considered. Not only did Ella present good content, but she demonstrated a strong grasp of form and structure. She employed an introduction with a clear thesis, made use of topic sentences, wrote a satisfying conclusion, and meticulously documented her references. ~ Miss Carissa Davis, Upper School Literature
Classroom Sneak Peek: 4th Grade Fables
One of my personal favorite curricular series is the fourth grade writing workbook: Writing and Rhetoric, Fables by Classical Academy Press. Not only are students exposed to short stories that include a beginning, middle, and end with conflict resolution, but they are taught how to write by parodying and then recreating. In one particular assignment, students were asked to amplify an uninteresting fable by adding details. I was impressed with Jessica's fable because of her rich descriptions! One of my favorite lines in her story was "in angry despair, she kicked a pebble which landed neatly at the bottom of the pitcher." I found myself imagining the scene with ease and clarity. Thank you, Jessica, for writing such a winsome tale. - Miss Leithart, 4th Grade Teacher
Beauty in Storytelling
By Miss Leithart
Once upon a time... What comes to mind upon the uttering of those words in that order? Perhaps you think of childhood enchantment that sweeps your weary mind to a distant land in a far off time, past or future, where there lives a protagonist who will eventually overcome hardship. “And they lived happily ever after,” the story will end. Granted, this formula is more prevalent in children’s literature, for not all stories and novels end happily despite our protestations and verbal opposition. Nevertheless, we all love a good story, and humans have since the beginning of time. For instance, the Genesis Creation is written poetically with a beginning middle and end. God rests on the last day because he saw his creation was good. Thus, from the start, our knowledge of who we are in the universe was given to us in a story like fashion.