I'm seriously considering teaching Rhetoric Literature Y3 in a co-op setting. I have a couple of questions:

1) I know the families that don't own TOG will need a license. With that will I be able to print out the Poetics and Frameworks readings for them?

2) Is the Frameworks and Poetics from year 2 the same as Year 3?

3) Will the Literature Anthology replace the Norton readers? If everyone buys a LA will that cover everything but books commonly available in the library?

4) I will probably have to cut out a few assignments since most haven't had Literature at this level or intensity. Do you have a list of recommended assignments that can be cut without losing the heart of the program?

5) This will be an intro to TOG for most co-op families and I want to do the program justice. If you have any suggestions I'd be very happy to hear them.

Thank you!
Patti

Hi Pattie! Here are my best answers for right now. :-)

1) My understanding is that use of Poetics and Frameworks are covered under the license agreement, but if I were you I would wait until you get that confirmed by a live person at Lampstand Press (or Ray or Marcia could chime in here, if they're floating around...). Obviously you would not be allowed to sell or give copies of Poetics or Frameworks to non-TOG families, and obviously your license to use them would be for this year only unless the families in your co-op are purchasing copies of TOG rather than just licenses, etc. :-)

2) Because we are developing both Poetics and Frameworks so that each of them will eventually cover all four years, the answer to this is that Year 3 P&F covers both Year 2 and Year 3 material (since it was developed later, it has everything for both years), but Year 2 P&F, because it was developed before Year 3 was written, does not contain the material needed for Year 3. Obviously in a similar fashion Year 4 P&F will cover everything needed for Years 2-4 (Year 1 currently does not use P&F at all).

3) You do not need to buy any Norton anthologies for Year 3, and yes, I think that most of the novels we read are pretty widely available in libraries. I think our Literature Anthology covers about a third of the year's readings for $25. That was intentional: we wanted to be able to select the cleanest great works (in terms of content) and give you the best notes we could for high school students, as well as bonus metrical exercises for some of them, for the least expense possible. Our gift to you. :-D Just so you know, you CAN recreate the same poems and readings by diligent internet searching, so it's possible to find those readings for free, though you would miss out on the explanatory notes and of course it would take a LONG time to find, edit, and arrange them all. Still, I want you to know that that's an option. :-)

4) I love it when people ask me for things that I've already made. :-D When you purchase Year 3, you will find on the Loom a document entitled "Teaching Rhetoric Literature". Appendix D has a "cutting chart" that shows all the readings for the year sorted by genre and indicates which ones you can trim or cut without disrupting the general flow of your students' literature studies. This doc also explains each component of the literature program and gives tips for leading classes and co-ops, as well as advice about grading, summer reading, etc. The cutting chart also doubles as an at-a-glance syllabus of Year 3 Rhetoric Literature readings.

5) I would buy the audios on "Teaching with Tapestry" and "Considering Co-op Options", both of which you can find on our website for $6 apiece. I think those are AMAZINGLY helpful for you as a prospective co-op leader, and you could play segments of them for your parents as well. I'd also read through "Teaching Rhetoric Literature" and other introductory documents on the Loom as you have time. Finally, if I were you I would want to be very clear on two things and communicate those clearly to the families who want to join my co-op: 1) what socratic teaching is and how it is different from a textbook approach (try the excellent post by Marcia on this thread: http://tapestryofgrace.groupee...=64910119#64910119), and 2) What degree of parental involvement, if any, you expect. In the co-op where I serve as a literature teacher, it's been important to us that we emphasize the HOME part of homeschooling, keeping parents in authority and in teaching roles when possible, and not turning into a drop-off private school. This isn't necessarily going to be the goal for YOUR co-op, but I think it's important to know where you stand on that whole question. :-)

I hope some of this helps!
Christy Somerville

Wow, thank you so much for the information. I feel like I've been equipped.
I will take you up on your suggestions.
Have a blessed day!
Patti