Please tell me what you like (or don't like) about TOG Y3 Dialectic

[Carolyn in Ohio]

I have used a year of TOG at the rhetoric level with my older dd, and I am looking at Y3 for next year - 7th grade- for my younger. I really like the looks of the books for history and literature, although I will probably have her read the full versions of the classics that they use abridged version.

 

Please give me your opinions of the dialectic level.

 

thanks

Carolyn

[AngelBee]

We are currently using TOG3 with ds13 in D and dd11 in D literature. We are really enjoying it. :)

[BetterthanIdeserve]

This doesn't do the original poster any good, but in case someone else is interested...

At the Dialectic level I have only taught Literature (my own kids are LG and UG, but I teach D Lit at a co-op). We are just finishing up unit 3, so I don't have anything to offer regarding unit 4 yet.

-The first book of the year, Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier, was painful for most of my students to read. I have 48 7th-10th graders in four different D classes (the 10th graders are struggling readers/new to TOG). I can't say that any of them loved it, and only a few liked it.  It took four weeks and was a poor start to the year (gave them a poor taste for literature). However, it did paint a great picture of what war in Europe/Russia was like at that time. If you are needing to ease into the school year, maybe consider skipping it or reading it aloud so it won't be so painful to your student. Or assign as summer reading? I'm not one to skip usually, but I would preview it before assigning it. 

-Frankenstein - While the recommended abridged version is almost too easy for advanced 8th-9th grade readers (but after Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier that is a nice change of pace), I think it gives a great taste of the original without taking too long. I think the original would be overwhelming (in time and reading level) for most 6th-8th graders. 

-David Copperfield - I think the abridged version is ok, but the richness of the original is missing. However, it is an appropriate introduction for most 6th-8th graders. I would guess that most students would need more time if you assigned the original. I believe this is one where the recommended version was helpful in completing the Student Activity Page.

-The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - this was covered in two weeks and was a lot more reading that what students had been used to. I would try to spread it out over three weeks instead (maybe start reading the week before assigned).

-Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass - this creeped me out as a kid, but I LOVED teaching it. I highly recommend using The Annotated Alice (or Spark Notes) to help you teach it. I borrowed a copy from the library, but I wasn't able to renew it. I indulged myself and bought my own copy. Can't recommend it enough!

-Poetry: Emily Dickinson and William Wordsworth. Younger students would benefit from more hand holding through the poetry. They learned some literary analysis tools, but most really didn't get much out of the poetry if they read it all on their own. (Robert Browning is coming up in Unit 4.)

-I can't think of anything else to caution or consider. I've really enjoyed the selection for the most part.