Another 'how much is too much question'- Reading great books and SWB History of the A

[SusanAR]

I decided that my 10th grade ds would use Spielvoge's Western Civ for a spine as he reads ~9 books for ancient history. Last week he casually read and enjoyed several chapters of SWB's book. Now he wants to read it for history. SWB plus nine works is a lot of reading. Even if I figure one page of Spielvogel equals two of Ancient World, there are still 400+ more pages of reading.

What did you do?

Susan

[Starr]

I like the part about him casually reading and enjoying it and wanting to read it for history. I'd say give it a try. My dh is reading and enjoying it. He thinks it would be good for our 9th grader as well. In my general state of confusion I keep thinking I remember SWB using this book with her son. Does anyone remember this?

[Chris in VA]

Yes, she did use it for her son.

400 pages is nothing--it's well written, and more engaging than Spielvogel, imo.

If you do it over, say, 30 weeks, that's only 13-14 pages a week or so.

 

Just curious--what are your 9 choices for lit? If you don't mind sharing, that is!

[SusanAR]

He will read:

Gilgamesh/ Danniel/ Genesis

Mythology

Til We Have Faces (summer reading)

Illiad

Odyssey

Oedipus Rex

Antigone

Sophie's World

The Republic

Julius Caesar

The Aeneid

 

I hadn't planned to read The Illiad, but he wants to. I think we will get rather tired of the Greeks!

Susan

[Lori D.]

We used Spielvogel's Human Odyssey (high school text) rather than the Western Civ (college text). The first 200 pages covered ancients, so that was a very manageable amount to cover in 36 weeks (about 5.5 pages per week!), plus some supplemental materials (about 200 pages worth). We also did the following ancients Great Books:

 

1. Epic of Gilgamesh (abridged version with Babylonian myths; Jennifer Westwood)

(4 weeks) 80 pages

lit guide = SMARR -- not worthwhile; wish we'd gone with anything else

writing = compare/contrast paper

 

2. The Iliad (Fagles translation)

(12 weeks) 540 pages

lit guide = Novel Unit -- okay; wish we'd tried The Great Books lit. guide

writing = 1 paragraph narrative summation of each of the 24 "books" of Iliad

 

3. The Odyssey (Fagles translation)

(12 weeks) 410 pages

lit guide = Garlic Press publishers -- fantastic!

writing = 2 assignments from the lit. guide

 

4. Oedipus the King

(2 weeks) 75 pages

lit guide = Spark Notes free online lit. guide -- good

writing = none

 

5. Antigone

(2 weeks) 55 pages

lit guide = Spark Notes free online lit. guide -- good

writing = none

 

6. various Greek myths

(2 weeks) 100 pages

lit guide = none

writing = none

 

7. The Aeneid (abridged version; Alfred Church)

(3 weeks) 175 pages

lit guide = free online Spark Notes lit. guide -- good

writing = short paper comparing Aeneid to Iliad and Odyssey

 

We did the Great Books aloud together: 1435 pages of reading/discussing, with some writing. We were also doing the Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings study aloud together (1500 pages reading/discussing), plus the boys each read about 6 historical fiction books below their reading level (about 1200 pages) on their own.

 

This was a lot of reading. It contributed to their credits in the following way:

History = .5 credit (1 to 1-1/2 hours/week = 75-90 hours)

English = 1 credit (2 to 2-1/2 hours/week = 150-180 hours)

Great Books study = 1 credit (2 hours/week = 150 hours)

 

 

 

This year we're doing 20th Century history, with an "eclectic mix" for our Great Books. We'll have 450 pages in the Spielvogel, plus a similar number of pages in some other modern history books. Our eclectic Great Books this year will include:

 

1. Beowulf (with The Great Books study guide)

2. Macbeth (with Parallel Text Shakespeare guide/workbook)

3. All Quiet on the Western Front (discuss only)

4. 2 short stories (Windows on the World (IEW) literary guide/workbook)

5. Diary of Anne Frank (Portals to Literature lit. guide)

6. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denosivich (discuss only) *

7. Cry, The Beloved Country (dicuss only) *

8. 2 more short stories (Windows on the World (IEW) literary guide/workbook)

9. To Kill A Mockingbird (Garlic Press Publishers lit. guide)

10. Much Ado About Nothing (lit. guide to be decided)

 

* = flexible -- will drop these and do them another year if pressed for time

 

In addition, both sons will read 8 historical fiction books (about 1200 pages), plus for the Literature portion of their English credits, one son will do Lightning Lit. 8 and the other will do a "Worldviews in Science Fiction" which we're creating:

 

1. Frankenstein (Shelley) -- with Progeny Press guide

2. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Stevenson) -- with Progeny Press guide

3. The Giver (Lowry) -- with Garlic Press publishers lit. guide

4. Brave New World (Huxley) -- guide to be decided

5. The Invisible Man (Wells) -- Spark Notes guide

6. Animal Farm (Orwell) -- guide to be decided

7. Farenheit 451 (Bradbury) -- with Progeny Press guide

8. Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller) -- just discuss

9. Portrait of Dorian Gray (Wilde) -- just discuss

10. several short stories from Cosmicomics (Calvino) -- just discuss

11. 1-2 poetry units -- with Progeny Press guide

 

 

Hope that helps by giving you some specifics! BEST of luck in your own Great Books journey! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Rhondabee]

My ds started hs'ing in his 5th grade year, and will be finishing SOTW/Kingfisher this year in 8th.

 

I told her I was worried that a college-level Spielvogel might be too big a jump for 9th. She assured me her book would be great, and that it would be easier on him than the Spielvogel (though she did say it does *not* edit out the more risque details).

 

I should have thought to ask her exactly how she used it with *her* son! :blush:

 

hth,

Rhonda