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ShannonS

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    Geraldine McCaughrean or Rosemary Sutcliff

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    McCaughrean's The Odyssey offers brighter illustrations, and her version has a lot more dialogue. It also has maps on the inside of the front and back cover. It seems to be more conducive to dramatic storytelling. This goes over well at this house and helped me to keep the attention of my four and five year old boys.

     

    Here is an excert from McCaughrean's. In this scene, Odysseus and his crew have just blinded the Cyclops and are making their escape.

     

     

     

    "They pushed off. They bent across their oars. The sea rose white beneath the prow. Their course lay past the cliff pitted with caves -- right below the cave-mouth where Polyphemus sat feeling about for his enemies. The memories of his two dead companions galled Odysseus: he could not unfix his eyes from the huge hairy back of the weeping Cyclops. All at once he got to his feet and roared, 'I am Odysseus, Polyphemus. I am Odysseus, hero of Troy, and my kingdom encompasses Ithaca, Cephalonia and wooded Zanthe! It was I who blinded you, and the poets will one day praise me for it in songs of sixty verses!'

     

     

     

    The men at their oars stared at him in disbelief. Even his mascot, his own cockerel, pecked him in the arm. But Odysseus was unrepentant. 'What harm can it do?' he blared. 'There's no one but a blind Cyclops to hear me - ha, ha, ha!'

     

     

     

    Polyphemus heard the taunt and rose to his knees, then to his feet. He cocked his ear towards the sound of Odysseus' voice. He picked up the boulder from the opening of his cave and raised it over his head. Before he let it go, he raised his blinded face to the heat of the sun and bawled, 'Father! You god of the oceans! Poseidon, god of the sea -- hear my curse! See what Odysseus, King of Ithaca, has done to your son! Hate him with all the heat of the earth's core -- as I do! Hate him with all the unforgivingness of earth's icy peaks -- as I do! Curse him as I curse him! Avenge me, for I am powerless to be avenged!' And he hurled the boulder."

     

     

    Can't you just imagine reading this to your little ones? I had so much fun with acting out voices and being all dramatic. Homeschool can be such a blast

     

     

    The illustrations in Sutcliff's The Wanderings of Odysseus are more subdued, but are still detailed and wonderful. She gives a much more narrative style telling and almost seems to comment on the actions of Odysseus within her telling, rather than letting the reader or listener deduce things for themselves.

     

    An excerpt from the same scene in the story:

     

     

     

    "Then, seeing Polyphemus stumbling along the ragged clifftop, he cupped his hands about his mouth and bleated at him in mockery. That was not wise, for the sound gave their position away, and in a fury, the blind giant broke off the peak of a rocky hill and flung it after them. The rock fell just ahead of the ship and raised a wave that flung her back toward the shore; Odysseus shoved her off again with a stout pole...and he shouted back "If anyone asks who blinded you, tell them it was Odysseus, son of Laertes and Lord of Ithaca. Odysseus Sacker of Cities!"

     

     

    I suppose it is obvious which of the two I prefer, but they are really both great versions, whichever you choose, DEFINITELY get the large, hardcover edition.

     

    Warning: illustrations in both can be graphic and possibly scary.

    Math, anyone....

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Yes 7!

     

    lol this reminds me of a funny story...

     

    When I was in the military, we had a similar equation go around the division one day. Now our chief, who was very smart, offered the incorrect answer to us (his junior sailors.) I *gently* brought up PEMDAS. His response?

     

    "Well, in mathematical order of 'How I Do S*', I go from left to right."

     

    :lol:

     

    He never gave in otherwise, but always had a smirk on his face and tested us with incorrect answers during triangulation exercises.

     

    Humor trumps trivia any day imo

    Relaxation?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    At the risk of sounding new-agey, I would suggest trying a Bikram (hot) yoga class if there is a studio within a reasonable distance. I know you had commented earlier about not being able to do yoga, but Bikram is not a 'normal' westernized yoga. It is a 90 minute class done in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity. It has helped me with some chronic pain issues related to depression, although I understand that my experience with chronic pain likely pales in comparison to yours.

     

    There is a page on the Bikram website that has a testimonial from a gentleman with RSD. He briefly discusses his therapy and experiences and claims to now be in remission. Like anything in life, of course it is to be taken with a grain of salt, but I just thought I would send this your way.

    Remarque: All qiet... question

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    On a personal note, that is one of my favorite books of all time. I found the story poignant and stunning.

     

    I would definitely assign this. I think the novel is a beautiful critique of the romantic rhetoric of war and honor, and still quite relevant. We can't ignore our darker side. However, did Remarque compromise and stretch too much to make this statement? I look forward to discussing this one when mine are teens.

     

    Yes Paul had his hope almost completely destroyed, but that does not mean the reader will. I ask: What can we learn from this? The answers are not always clear, and that in itself is a wonderful lesson.

    Ugh, Facebook friend woes

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    This may be a bit O/T, but I don't get the concept of becoming Facebook friends with people you barely know. :confused:

     

    Is it a popularity thing? "I have more FB friends than you do, so I must be a better person than you are." :glare:

     

    I don't even want to be FB friends with most of the people I know, let alone with people who are barely even acquaintances.

     

    :iagree:

     

    I am so with you on this one. I find facebook to be a very intimate place - I mean, people put EVERYTHING out there. Only close friends and family for me.

    3 year olds and read alouds

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Yup, normal. ;)

     

    I don't ask my 3yo to sit still or pay attention during read alouds, but she is required to play quietly and not distract the big kids.

     

    Come to think of it, I don't ask my big kids to sit still either. We are always making clay models, coloring, digging in the yard, etc. during our read aloud time.

     

    3yo gets to pick her own picture book that I will read after the big kids book so she doesn't feel left out.

     

    :iagree:

     

    We also use coloring, gardening and home made playdough during reading time. They may look preoccupied, but they are picking up so much. Just read with emotion and voice. Ask a question from time to time to encourage 'digestion'; not a quiz style question, but an open ended and fun one.

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