King Arhur legends not included in SOTW 2 or Activity Guide?

[ThelmaLou]

Am I missing it, or are there no Arthurian legends included in Volume 2? I don't even see it in supplemental reading in the AG. If it's there, can someone point it out for me? Thanks!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Their is one book for King Arthur listed under the literature suggestions in chapter 17 of the activity guide. There is also a word search under the projects. We chose to cover King Arthur with chapter 2. You can look at our weekly report for that week for book ideas and a few projects. HTH

[Jayne J]

Also in chapter 3 (I think), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is recommended under additional reading. I am just adding a week of Arthurian legend right before the Chapters on King Alfred.

[sagira]

I noticed that too! To me, King Arthur is so cool and part of our culture. We own Our Island Story, which includes the Arthurian legends. What I'm doing is, is backtracking a bit after ds is done reading Tales of King Arthur (Usborne). It's a bit challenging for him, but perfect. We're at Chapter 3 now. Sir Gawain still has to come in through Interlibrary Loan :glare:

[Laura Corin]

I hope she will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she was puzzled by the conundrum: covering Arthur at the time when he might possibly have existed (early Dark Ages) or during the era where he is fixed by the Morte d'Arthur and Hollywood (High Middle Ages).

 

Laura

[ThelmaLou]

Thanks everyone! I jumped in and started reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight yesterday, and my boys were begging me not to stop! We'll definitely be including King Arthur this coming week.

[Tonia]

I hope she will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she was puzzled by the conundrum: covering Arthur at the time when he might possibly have existed (early Dark Ages) or during the era where he is fixed by the Morte d'Arthur and Hollywood (High Middle Ages).

 

Laura

 

:iagree: I remember that conversation.

[Alicia64]

1) for fear of sounding like a prude, I read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (full version) in 9th grade.

 

The version SWB recommends is great in so many ways, but isn't it weirdly inappropriate for 7 year olds? The whole premise is that the Lord's wife is trying to big time seduce the Green Knight.

 

My 7 year olds didn't get it. So I had to figure out the best "G" rated version I could think of to explain what the wife was up to.

 

Now, does that make me a prude to think it's a weird story to tell a 7 year old?

 

Did your kids ask what was happening?

 

2) I highly recommend Jim Weise's audio on King Arthur. Really good.

 

3) Also the Magic Tree House Christmas in Camelot.

 

Alley

[sagira]

1) for fear of sounding like a prude, I read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (full version) in 9th grade.

 

The version SWB recommends is great in so many ways, but isn't it weirdly inappropriate for 7 year olds? The whole premise is that the Lord's wife is trying to big time seduce the Green Knight.

 

My 7 year olds didn't get it. So I had to figure out the best "G" rated version I could think of to explain what the wife was up to.

 

Now, does that make me a prude to think it's a weird story to tell a 7 year old?

 

Did your kids ask what was happening?

 

2) I highly recommend Jim Weise's audio on King Arthur. Really good.

 

3) Also the Magic Tree House Christmas in Camelot.

 

Alley

 

I have Sir Gawain's story in Favorite Medieval Tales by Mary Pope Osborne. My dc are already familiar with the story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (the Bible Joseph), where Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph. They watched the video multiple times too (it's a kids' production), where Joan Collins as Potiphar's wife says in semi seductive voice "Come and lie with me, love."

 

I think we'll be okay :)

[Alicia64]

But when Joan Collins says, "Come and lie with me, love" what do your kids think is happening??

 

They're just snoozing together?

 

My 7 year olds were confused and had a ton of questions when the Lord's wife was trying to get the Knight into bed. And rightfully so, I would have been wondering what the heck was going on too if it had been me!

 

Alley

[nmoira]

My 7 year olds didn't get it. So I had to figure out the best "G" rated version I could think of to explain what the wife was up to.

 

Now, does that make me a prude to think it's a weird story to tell a 7 year old?

 

Your kids understand that Mommy doesn't have boyfriends other than Daddy, and vice versa, right? It needn't be more complicated than that. The knight couldn't/shouldn't flirt (or worse) with the woman because she was married. If he did so, he would be no longer be honorable. FWIW, we went through this with Greek myths long before we hit Arthur. It's difficult to understand why Hera is always angry at Zeus otherwise.

[Alicia64]

I see your point about mommy and daddy and boyfriends, but I think it's apples and oranges.

 

I'll say one more thing and then I'll be quiet :D (I promise) --

 

If a reader (our kids) don't understand how severely (or at all) the Knight is being tested, it blows the whole point of the story.

 

He was being tested: was he a "real" knight or a knight in words only. Turns out he was "real" because he kept turning the wife away.

 

That's why this story has never really previously been shown to the younger set. Or, I'd never seen it until I was 14 -- old enough to understand the test.

 

If you don't understand the test, the story and it's moral doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

It's not the biggest deal in the world, it just struck me as interesting that Susan (whom I love and appreciate in a million ways) would recommend this book. It gave me something to think about.

 

Alley

[nmoira]

If a reader (our kids) don't understand how severely (or at all) the Knight is being tested, it blows the whole point of the story.

Kids can understand lust. Wait until the child is hungry (preferably when doing work at the table) and put a favourite treat on a plate in front of him. Tell him he can't have it because it belongs to someone else. Let him smell it, touch it if he wants. Ask him to please put it on a different plate because you used the wrong one. Put a sign on it that says, "[child's name], I am yours. Please eat me," but remind him that it belongs to someone else. Put an empty plate beside the child. Leave the room.

 

(Wait at least 10 minutes before giving the child his own treat.)

[tristangrace]

Alicia, I think I get where you're coming from. But I think it's OK for kids to read/hear stories that they don't (can't and shouldn't) relate to in a truly meaningful way yet. Hopefully most grade-school kids will have absolutely no clue about s3xual temptation from personal experience . . . but I imagine your kids can glean something meaningful from just the way you explained it: a true knight does not give in to temptation. Surely they have personal experience of wanting to do something they shouldn't. That's the general idea at it's most basic.

 

As for me, I haven't read the book in question, but my rule of thumb is that if it's a good piece of literature that is NOT written in a salacious way, I'll work with it. E.g., my kids have heard an awful lot of Bible stories with "adult content" in them, but I think the stories are important enough to tell now and have them grow into. Just last week we read about Cain and Abel--my kids fight over toys, but I think I can safely say none of them really understand how jealous rage can lead to murder.

 

That said, if you're not comfortable with the material, there's no harm in waiting, either.

[Alicia64]

Thanks, Trista.

 

Well, as I was reading it . . . the temptation stuff started in (I had forgotten, it's been awhile) and the kids started pelting me with questions.

 

After giving this real thought -- and I did finish the story by the way and a lot of it was very nice -- it just seems to me that our culture, on the whole, cuts into the innocence of kids before -- I think -- it's necessary.

 

I realize that I'm coming across as someone who is uptight and, generally speaking, I'm not, but as my boys get older I'm noticing that maybe I am getting more uptight.

 

I'm fine w/ talking to my boys about "having tea," when they ask, but they're not there yet. They get kissing, but that's it. I just think, "all in good time," and I really believe that even the most careful among us allow stuff to smack into our kids' childhoods.

 

Now, I'll be quiet!! :001_smile:

 

Alley