Windows to the World -- where does this "fit"?

[Christy B]

Thanks to this board, I now want to do more for high school than is humanly possible. :001_huh:

 

I have a growing list of wonderful materials that I would love to use, but I don't know where to fit them in. Starting Points is one, I have no idea if we'll be able to use it, but I sure would like to.

 

My latest is Windows to the World -- this looks PERFECT for my older dd, but when do I use it? She has her heart set on LLfLOTR for 9th, I'm thinking we need to do World Lit for 10th and American Lit for 11th and British Lit for 12th. I don't know if it would be possible to do Windows to the World along with LLfLOTR -- that seems like a LOT of literature. That said, LLfLOTR doesn't have an overkill of writing assignments, which seems to be the focus of Windows to the World.

 

Any suggestions?

[Lori D.]

We're doing Windows on the World this year with a 9th and a 10th grade student. It is a perfect time to use it (early high school years), as it teaches annotation, basic literary analysis, and great specifics on how to write a literary analysis essay. We are spreading WotW out over 2 years and are doing it along with quite a bit of other literature. I'd say you could easily finish it in a year, and probably finish it in under a year, spending about an hour hour a week. (We tend to use it for a few weeks, for about 2-1/2 hours a week, then set it aside for a month or two.)

 

I would say that Windows on the World is NOT a full-year's worth of high school literature. First, it only covers 6 short stories; second, it just doesn't take that long to do. I would consider it worth one semester's worth of material as the Lit. portion of an English credit. So if you save it for 10th grade, you're *definitely* going to need some additional literature -- I'd suggest at least 4 novels and a few units of poetry (perhaps the Progeny Press guide with 3 units on poetry).

 

 

Just to give you a ballpark time estimate, we did Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings last year (8th and 9th grade). We did the reading aloud (which takes more time than reading silently solo), and also read aloud the chapter notes, additional units of material, and did all the discussion questions aloud together. But we also skipped the "busywork" of the comprehension and vocabulary worksheets. We also did not use the writing assignment that popped up about once every 2-3 weeks. Doing it this was, we spent about 4 hours a week on the program (2 hours/week for reading aloud the books; 2 hours/week for everything else).

 

If you were to also include the parts we dropped, I really can't see the program taking you more than 5 hours/week. I think you could easily do Windows on the World simultaneously. Just my opinion! BEST of luck, whatever you decide! And enjoy your lit. journey -- both programs are great! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Lori D.
added info

[Michelle in AL]

I use it very differently than how it's intended. I read the lesson and apply it to the book we're reading, never using the short story. I skip around because some books may have a great setting or unusual point of view, so I use those lessons that apply. If a book has well rounded characters, I use the character lesson with it.

[Christy B]

Thank you for the helpful information!

 

I am threatening to write my own curriculum plan; a two year world history, integrated with LLfLOTR, Starting Points, and Windows to the World. I'll call it "A Hobbit's Omnibus". :tongue_smilie:

[Lori D.]

"A Hobbit's Omnibus". :tongue_smilie:

 

:smilielol5:

 

 

Sold!

[asta]

Thank you for the helpful information!

 

I am threatening to write my own curriculum plan; a two year world history, integrated with LLfLOTR, Starting Points, and Windows to the World. I'll call it "A Hobbit's Omnibus". :tongue_smilie:

 

My kid did TRISMS history 500-1500 this year (9th), and is doing LLfLOTR next year (10th). I am trying to decide between using Excellence in Literature 1 & 2 (2 is being released this summer) for 11th and 12th or going with something like Teaching The Classics/WttW and winging it from "regular" books.

 

When I read the IEW site, it seems like they expect WttW users to already have done TTC, but to me, it seems like they are basically the same thing... I just don't know. I am interested in responses to this thread.

 

 

asta

[Christy B]

My kid did TRISMS history 500-1500 this year (9th), and is doing LLfLOTR next year (10th). I am trying to decide between using Excellence in Literature 1 & 2 (2 is being released this summer) for 11th and 12th or going with something like Teaching The Classics/WttW and winging it from "regular" books.

 

When I read the IEW site, it seems like they expect WttW users to already have done TTC, but to me, it seems like they are basically the same thing... I just don't know. I am interested in responses to this thread.

 

 

asta

 

Did you find the comparison between TTC and WttW? I stumbled upon it at the IEW site and found it helpful. I think it's linked from the product page for WttW.

 

If I can find it again, I'll try to link it.

[Christy B]

Try this:

 

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/files/Lit%20Analysis%20Resource%20Comparison.pdf

[Quiver0f10]

Try this:

 

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/files/Lit%20Analysis%20Resource%20Comparison.pdf

 

Thank you for this!

[Michelle in AL]

Hi Asta, I have Excellence in Literature, TTC and Windows to the World. You can easily use Windows to the World without having done TTC. TTC is some of the same material at a more basic level.

 

I was a little disappointed in Excellence in Literature. It teaches the student how to read closely. It gives lots of additional resources to use to study the context before reading. It really stresses writing and has you refer to other guides for discussion questions. I didn't see any study of literary elements.

[asta]

Hi Asta, I have Excellence in Literature, TTC and Windows to the World. You can easily use Windows to the World without having done TTC. TTC is some of the same material at a more basic level.

 

I was a little disappointed in Excellence in Literature. It teaches the student how to read closely. It gives lots of additional resources to use to study the context before reading. It really stresses writing and has you refer to other guides for discussion questions. I didn't see any study of literary elements.

 

Ohhhh.... this is really good info about EiL. It is hard to tell that about it, even looking at the samples on her website. The entire reason I was going to buy it was for literary elements/analysis.

 

On to TTC and WttW: I looked at that link and saw that WttW is based on "James Sire’s 7 worldview questions". That would be my basic problem. From looking at Sire's books elsewhere on the internet, he doesn't get great reviews for presentation of other views besides Christianity. eg: The reviewers said that, although he presents other religious viewpoints, he essentially discredits them in favor of Christianity. (this is what I read in reviews, I have never seen his material) I would prefer something that doesn't discredit any one view in favor of another, but rather simply presents them. For that matter, I probably wouldn't be looking for any such program for a lit analysis course; that would be something I would put in a theology course.

 

I know that TTC is based on the Socratic questioning method, and I actually have various sources for that. The questions are good, but I can see how they would work better in a classroom or co-op situation, which I don't have.

 

Back to the drawing board.

 

 

asta