Lux Et Veritas Academy Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I am thinking of using these as the basis for our lit discussion after my dd reads each book in 8th grade (Next year). Did you use them? Was it enough?;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I taught an American Lit class several years ago. When preparing for each class, I used Spark notes, Cliffs notes, and a lot of internet resources. The Sparks & Cliff notes were very useful, and I was amazed at how many lesson plans I was able to find on the web. Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I always consult SparkNotes, but I find Cliffs Notes more detailed. I usually will get them both from the library and read them first, to map out a plan for exactly what I want to focus on with each book, and then look for free study guides/lesson plans on the web, read several critiques of the book, and piece it together from there. Of course, I read the book, too. :)(This is easier when it's a book I still remember!) It's a lot of work, but it ends up being exactly what I want it to be, and I can determine exactly what we're going to focus on in each book. That way I can choose the literary elements and types of writing that dd needs to focus on, also, I can pace the reading and writing to be a good fit for her. I've been trying to find something that does all the legwork for me for next year, but I've got a sinking feeling I won't be happy with anything. :001_huh: I do think it's easier to take something and add to it, rather than start from scratch. But I've done that with many, many books, and it went well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 for each lit. book we covered last year for Omnibus II. I relied mostly on Omnibus for the literary discussions, and then before the evaluations (tests) I'd have my girls re-read the summary and analysis portions of SparkNotes for each book. Having them spend some time in basic plot review was very helpful. From what I've seen of SparkNotes, however, I believe they could be a tremendous benefit to aid your literature discussions, because they do include quite a few elements of literary analysis in each book. I also found for the Shakespeare that we studied that the Oxford School Shakespeare editions had some excellent notes that assisted with our Shakespeare studies. Hope this helps! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I used Spark Notes this year to supplement Sonlight 300, which assigned books "just to be read," and didn't include any commentary, questions, etc. They were invaluable. Cheap, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtsmamtj Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I do whenever I can. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I downloaded/printed the free SparkNotes from the website. We found the guides to be quite detailed in information: - background info on the author/time period the work was written - detailed summary of the work - analysis of major characters - analysis of major themes, symbols and motifs - 4-8 discussion questions that could be used as possible writing assignments In addition to Sparknotes, other possibly helpful free online guides: Wikipedia (great background on authors, too!): http://www.wikipedia.org/ Cliffs Notes: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-305321.html Glencoe: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/ Pink Monkey: http://www.pinkmonkey.com/ Book Notes: http://www.freebooknotes.com/ Book Rags: http://www.bookrags.com/ I will say that it's *well worth* buying the lit. guides from Garlic Press publishers: http://garlicpress.com/cgi-bin/shop_gp.cgi?product=LITERATURE They don't have a lot of guides available (maybe 2 dozen), but they are quite meaty, with: - detailed background on the author and time period the work was either written in or is to take place in - in the case of "The Odyssey", detailed info on 4 different translators - chapter by chapter summaries - 8-12 great discussion questions per chapter - teaching text on literary elements and examples from the work you are reading - great writing assignment ideas - additional resources and activity ideas Enjoy your lit. journey! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda TX Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 When I teach Lightning Lit at my co-op, I always use the Sparks Guide to add to our discussion. Sad truth - I am not a "deep thinker"; so having the extra guidance really benefited our class - I could "help" students to look a little deeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelodyInTx Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I am not a 'deep thinker' either so I appreciated the availability of the sparks notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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