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Notes of Lessons
Subject: Tales
Form: IA Time: 20 minutes
OBJECTS:
I. To bring the scene of Christian and Apolyon vividly to the students’ minds.
II. To improve the children’s narration of Bunyan by detailed retelling in their own words.
III. To rouse the children’s admiration for the courage and faith of Christian against his foe.
LESSON:
Step I–Have the students recall details from the previous reading of Pilgrim’s progress, his preparations and location.
Step II–Rouse interest in the lesson by asking the children to think of a time when they wondered what they would do if they encountered a dangerous situation.
Step III–Read the story with feeling, stopping three times to allow the students to narrate each portion. (Pages 59-62)
Step IV–Draw the children to tell what they admire about Christian’s thoughts and actions in this
situation:
a. Encourage them to give details about weapons and strategy of Christian.
B. Get the children to tell what made victory possible.
Step V–Encourage the children to understand that his victory was not because of weapons and skill, but faith.
Step VI–Sum the lesson by reminding of the scripture, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.”
Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan (Yesterday’s Classics edition)
Search “Notes of Lessons” in this volume of the Parents’ Review to see examples of HOE Teachers’ Lessons
I have been GREATLY enjoying the immersion lessons, as I have been trying to implement a CM homeschool ….yet still have a hard time knowing what to do! I loved the ADE consult and the books recommended. Its on my summer wishlist to purchase the Lesson planning session to help me in next year’s lessons. Finding the balance of not saying much, yet bringing things around in the end for a discussion with a 7 and 9 year old has been difficult for me! My children also enjoyed Pilgrim’s Progress reading almost more than any other lesson. They were enthralled and totally captured by his adventure. Taking it in small chunks was almost painful for them because they wanted to keep going!!! Thank you for these latest podcasts, I do appreciate the confidence boost that we are not too far off in what we’ve been trying to do. Looking forward to the next episode.
The version of Pilgrim’s Progress that we have is the Modern English Classic version by Edward Hazelbaker (black cover). The language is updated, but it still has a very authentic feel. Is that okay? I am curious to know why the original language is recommended. How do we know that is what Charlotte would have wanted, when she didn’t have any other options available to her? Along the same lines, does ADE have an official recommendation for Bible translations? I see a lot of people saying we should read the KJV to aid with understanding Shakespeare, but that makes me very uncomfortable. I think understanding the Bible is the most important thing. (I have some training in Bible translation.) I don’t want to place a stumbling block in the way of my children coming to Christ. Thanks for your thoughts.
Ashley,
Though revised versions for children were available in her day, I find no evidence that Miss Mason used them. “Children have an instinctive power by which they are able to sense the meaning of a whole passage and even some difficult words.”(vol. 6, p. 180) Miss Mason herself did not use the KJV, but a more modern translation of her day. A good translation of the Bible should be used, not a modern paraphrase or phrase by phrase translation. As to literature choices, I do not find cases where she departed from the author’s language for the children. In a living education of where the power of language is acknowledged, the standard of the very best language and none reduced to a child’s level are her choices. It is the child who revises or paraphrases, not an intermediate author.
-Liz
There is also this quote:
“A term’s work under the head of Literature accompanies and illustrates the history, historical novels being included when they have taken their place as literature. Children who become familiar with ‘the best writings find inferior work distasteful. And this explains why stories re-told to the children, e.g., from Chaucer, the Faery Queen, or Pilgrim’s Progress, are not approved of. Since the value of the poem or romance lies not in the story alone, but in the telling of it, it is not fair to pick out the story as if the children are capable of enjoying nothing else. They can have the originals read to them when they are old enough, and translations by authors who do not write down to the supposed level of children.” (PR Vol 27, A Liberal Education, No. 2, Practice, by Agnes Drury. p. 671)