Currently we have more than a few projects going at the same time.
I just completed CW Herodotus Core book for beta testing. It is a book that focuses on Judicial rhetoric (the rhetoric of the court room). It teaches kids to argue for and against issues. It is a ‘fun’ book, I think because it stretches a high schooler to really look at issues, to really look and see that many things have two sides and that while there is truth, there are times when two person’s different perceptions of the same even can make it difficult to discern what really happened.
Here is the Herodotus Table of Contents:
Section One: Refutation and Confirmation 3
Pre-lesson – Introduction to Herodotus………………3
Lesson 1.1 – Refutation and Confirmation………………5
Lesson 1.2 – Introduction to Apollo and Daphne………………8
Lesson 1.3 – Ancient Essay on Refutation………………11
Lesson 1.4 – Ancient Essay on Confirmation………………15
Lesson 1.5 – The Ancient Greek Justice System………………19
Lesson 1.6 – Slant Narratives………………23
Lesson 1.7 – Rhetorical Occasion………………27
Lesson 1.8 – Audiences and Refutation………………31
Lesson 1.9 – Writing a Paragraph………………34
Lesson 1.10 – Clarity ………………40
Lesson 1.11 – Writing a Paragraph on Clarity………………45
Lesson 1.12 – Credibility………………47
Lesson 1.13 – Writing a Paragraph on Credibility………………51
Lesson 1.14 – Possibility and Plausibility………………53
Lesson 1.15 – Writing a Possibility and Plausibility Paragraph………………59
Lesson 1.16 – Propriety………………64
Lesson 1.17 – Writing a Paragraph on Propriety………………70
Lesson 1.18 – Expediency………………72
Lesson 1.19 – Writing a Paragraph on Expediency………………82
Lesson 1.20 – More about Narrative Writing………………83
Lesson 1.21 – Refutation Analysis………………87
Section Two: Judicial Rhetoric 91
Pre-lesson Introduction to The Oresteia………………91
Lesson 2.1 – Three Types of Rhetoric………………94
Lesson 2.2 – Judicial Rhetoric: Stasis Theory………………96
Lesson 2.3 – Agamemnon………………101
Lesson 2.4 – Stasis Theory Applied to Agamemnon………………104
Lesson 2.5 – The Libation Bearers………………106
Lesson 2.6 – Stasis Theory Applied to The Libation Bearers………………109
Lesson 2.7 – The Eumenides………………111
Lesson 2.8 – Stasis Theory Applied to Eumenides………………115
Lesson 2.9 – Progymnasma Commonplace………………116
Lesson 2.10 – Hermogenes’ Commonplace………………122
Lesson 2.11 – Demosthenes’ Commonplace………………125
Lesson 2.12 – Writing a Commonplace Essay for a Virtue………………129
Section Three: Canon of Invention 133
Pre-lesson – Introduction to On the Incarnation………………133
Lesson 3.1 – Overview of the Canon of Invention………………134
Lesson 3.2 – Argument from Definition………………139
Lesson 3.3 – Aristotle’s Four Causes………………142
Lesson 3.4 – Division (A Part of Definition)………………148
Lesson 3.5 – More on Definitions………………151
Lesson 3.6 – Essences (Definition)………………157
Lesson 3.7 – Definition in Essay Writing………………161
Lesson 3.8 – Argument from Comparison, Part I………………166
Lesson 3.9 – Argument from Comparison, Part II………………170
Lesson 3.10 – Similarity and Difference………………174
Lesson 3.11 – Argument from Relationship: Cause and Effect………………180
Lesson 3.12 – Argument from Consequent and Circumstance………………186
Lesson 3.13 – Using Argument from Circumstance for Analysis………………194
Lesson 3.14 – Argument from Testimony………………199
Lesson 3.15 – Argument from Notation and Conjugates………………204
Lesson 3.16 – Review of Invention………………211
Section Four: Modern Argumentation 218
Pre-lesson – Introduction to Machiavelli’s The Prince………………218
Lesson 4.1 – Introduction to the Argumentative Essay………………219
Lesson 4.2 – Decoding an Essay Prompt………………224
Lesson 4.3 – The Special Topics and Essay Writing………………230
Lesson 4.4 – Thesis Statement………………232
Lesson 4.5 – Classical Oration………………235
Lesson 4.6 – Stasis Theory in Essay Writing………………240
Lesson 4.7 – Enthymemes and Examples………………243
Lesson 4.8 – Support for Argumentative Essays………………248
Lesson 4.9 – Confirmation………………256
Lesson 4.10 – Refutation………………260
Lesson 4.11 – Paragraphs and Topic Sentences ………………265
Lesson 4.12 – Analysis of Paragraph………………270
Lesson 4.13 – Writing Body Paragraphs………………275
Lesson 4.14 – Introduction………………277
Lesson 4.15 – Writing an IntroductoryParagraph, Part I………………281
Lesson 4.16 – Writing an Introductory Paragraph, Part II………………285
Lesson 4.17 – Towards the Conclusion: Review of Testimony Paragraph………………287
Lesson 4.18 – Towards the Conclusion: Final Topics and Ethics ………………288
Lesson 4.19 – The Conclusion: Its Purpose………………294
Lesson 4.20 – The Conclusion: Structure and Strategy………………296
Lesson 4.21 – Writing a Conclusion ………………301
Section Five: Logic 305
Introduction 305
Pre-lesson – Introduction to Bede’s Ecclesiastical History………………305
Lesson 5.1 – The Structure of Grammar………………306
Lesson 5.2 – Appeal to Logos………………315
Lesson 5.3 – Material Logic: Attribution………………319
Lesson 5.4 – Aristotle’s Ten Categories………………324
Lesson 5.5 – The Five Predicables………………330
Lesson 5.6 – Predication and Grammar………………338
Lesson 5.7 – Logic as it Relates to Language………………340
Lesson 5.8 – The Four Categorical Propositions………………344
Lesson 5.9 – Venn Diagrams………………348
Lesson 5.10 – The Square of Opposition………………352
Lesson 5.11 – Standard Logical Form………………354
Lesson 5.12 – More on Writing Sentences in Standard Logical Form………………358
Lesson 5.13 – The Quantity in Standard Logical Form ………………361
Lessons 5.14 and 5.15 – Eduction………………366
Lesson 5.16 – Eduction with A-Propositions………………372
Lesson 5.17 – Eduction Given an E Proposition………………380
Lesson 5.18 – Eduction Given an I-Proposition………………385
Lesson 5.19 – Eduction Given an O Proposition………………387
Lesson 5.20 – Making Use of Eduction………………389
Lesson 5.21 – Terms in a Syllogism………………391
Lesson 5.22 – The Power and Limitations of Logic………………397
Lesson 5.23 – Appeal to Logos………………403
Lesson 5.24 – Enthymeme………………407
Lesson 5.25 – Enthymemes in Speeches………………412
Essays 418
Essay 1 – The Expository Essay………………418
Essay 2 – Slant Narrative………………425
Essay 3 – Confirmation………………436
Essay 4 – Refutation………………450
Essay 5 – Commonplace………………462
Essay 6 – The Argumentative Essay………………475
Appendix Review of Skills 486
Writing a Paraphrase………………486
Writing a Summary………………487
Writing a précis………………487
Questions for Appeal to Ethos………………488
Kathy is fast and furiously finishing the Student Guide to Herodotus. if you want to beta test this book with your student, email us: classicalwriting@att.net
In addition, I am writing Plutarch, a book on writing Praises and Blames, both speeches, letters, and essays. It focuses on the classical special topic of Ceremonial Rhetoric. Its modern focus is on letter writing, on the comparison essay, as well as on the continued skills of writing expository and argumentative essays. In Plutarch the student will, among other books, read Uncle Tom’s Cabin (as an example of an invective) as well as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Also, Advanced Poetry has been completed as a second draft for a long time, as well as its student guide. We’re waiting to proof that book and its student guide before they go to official beta testing, also.
Carolyn is working on indices for both Aesop (completed) and also Homer (work in progress). Those will be posted here under free files for anyone to use.
Our practical plan is to finish the core series of Aesop, Homer, Diogenes: Maxim & Chreia, Herodotus, and Demosthenes, and their workbooks or student guides as our top priority.
I will work on Shakespeare (creative writing) after that, and we will also continue to develop our curriculum in terms of student guides to present different options for students starting in high school, students who need to get through Diogenes in a short time, and other special cases for students who did not start with Aesop in 3rd grade.
Lene