Worldview Academy-The Great Books Academy - Anyone used their study guides?

[Janie]

Sorry about cramming everything in the subject line.

 

Has anyone ever used the material, particularly the study guides, from Worldview Academy, The Great Books?

 

Pros/cons?

 

Thanks!

[Miss Marple]

I've used some of them. They were perfect for what I needed which was discussion points. However, they do not discuss literary elements. They have a definite Christian viewpoint and look at the literature through a Protestant Christian Worldview lens. I used these for content based discussion but I often added in SparkNotes for literary discussion.

 

I believe Luann in ID has also used these.

[Lori D.]

Similar experience here with The Great Book guides as to Cynthia.

 

We've used about half a dozen of these guides. Rather than literary analysis or study guides, each of these is a Q&A format guided discussion of worldview from a Christian perspective. Each opens with background info on the author/times, and ends with a few writing ideas, plus a short summary essay summing up the worldview aspects of the work covered. The Emerson and Thoreau guides each refer to several essays by each author.

 

Of the guides we used, the Beowulf was super; Billy Budd was pretty good; the Emerson and Thoreau guides were difficult for us to use (we weren't reading each of the essays by the authors, just excerpts of one essay from each author). I can't remember what the other 2 guides were that we used. If you can buy them used, so much the better! :)

 

For a little bit of an idea of what the guides are like, check out the free, short audio essays on the website.

 

We found them to be a nice change of pace -- a different perspective -- from the either straight-up literary analysis, or the feminist/Freudian focus of the Sparknotes guides. (Much as I do LIKE Sparknotes and use them frequently, if it can at ALL be interpreted to have ANY sexual allusion, Sparknotes will be SURE to bring that to your attention... sigh...)

 

 

Hope that is of help! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Janie]

Some guides I've found are keyed to a particular translation. Are the guides to translated books by Worldview Academy like this?

 

Thanks!

[Jane Elliot]

Some guides I've found are keyed to a particular translation. Are the guides to translated books by Worldview Academy like this?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi Janie,

 

We've used these guides with the schedule for five years now. There are a few we've skipped as life got in the way, but this is a program we've been very happy with over the long haul because it meets my own goals for a great books study and the format works for me. In other words, there may be more thorough programs out there, but this is one that I can actually get done and that I find worthwhile. As Lori and Cynthia have noted, the guides focus much more on worldview than on literary elements, although he does bring in literary elements here and there. For me though, literary elements are easy enough to pick out (and sometimes I use pinkmonkey, etc for that), but I need a little more help with worldview. Even though we don't always come to the same conclusions Mr. Baldwin has come to (usually, but not always), because of the guides we've had wonderful discussions which have absolutely been the highlight of the high school years for us.

 

You asked if the guides are keyed to a particular translation. This has been my only annoyance with the guides. They are supposedly keyed to a translation (as in usually he gives page numbers), but who knows what translation they're keyed to. :glare: Sometimes the pages match up with the version he sells on his website but often they do not. This year was nice because we had done Modernity before and I had penciled in the correct page numbers the first time we did it. I wouldn't say this is a reason to not use the guides. Just know that it's an issue.

 

I'm really sick this morning, so please forgive me if I've been unclear and rambly. Make sure you don't miss this article , which is wonderful even if you don't use the guides, and the free discussion guide offered on the website.

 

P.S. Janie, I know you are looking for something to use in a classroom setting. In case you didn't know, Mr. Baldwin developed this program for a classical school he used to teach in.

Edited May 11, 2011 by Luann in ID

[Miss Marple]

Janie, I listed some of the books and study guides I used on the swap board a while back. I'll send you a PM with the link in case they might be ones you are interested in.

[Janie]

Great info, Luanne. Thanks for commenting even though sick.

Hope you feel better!

 

I found JB's Martin Luther address this morning and printed it before I read you response. My 6th graders are studying him now, so it is timely, if I have time to read it!

 

Thanks!