Teaching the Classics is an eight-hour seminar that shows parents and teachers a powerful method for discussing literature. This method can be applied to any book at any grade level, regardless of the teacher’s experience. It is Center For Lit’s flagship product, and the foundation of all their work.
The seminar builds on the idea that all works of fiction share the same basic elements, including Context, Structure, and Style. Lessons devoted to each of these elements explain how to identify them in any story and use them to understand an author’s theme.
Inspiring lectures and demonstrations by Adam Andrews include live readings of Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, Leo Tolstoy, Beatrix Potter, and more. The syllabus notebook included with the course contains everything a teacher needs to conduct powerful literary discussions, including our exclusive Socratic List – a set of 173 graded discussion questions that can be used with any story in the world. Questions on the list are arranged in order of difficulty: from elementary questions which ask for the mere facts of a story to advanced questions which require discussion of transcendent themes. Properly employed, this list can help teachers engage their classes in important discussions of ideas, and also provide a rich resource for essay assignments.
The complete set includes:
Eight one-hour DVD presentations by Adam Andrews
A 120-page syllabus notebook with complete teacher resources
Full texts of all stories used in the seminar
Our exclusive Socratic list of 173 discussion questions applicable to any story
In-depth essays on Conflict, Plot, Setting, Characters, Theme, and Context
CenterForLit re-filmed Teaching the Classics in 2016 using high quality video and audio. We also redesigned, revised, and expanded the syllabus notebook. The second edition now includes the following features:
Eight one-hour DVD sessions featuring 2+ hours of additional content:
Line-by-line explanations of each question on the Socratic List
Extended discussions of teaching philosophy and techniques
Additional tips for teachers on lesson planning and scope & sequence development
A live “FAQ” discussion addressing common teacher questions
Live readings of classic stories with first edition illustrations by the original artists
Music from Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor
A 120-page syllabus notebook featuring 25 pages of additional content:
Expanded discussion notes for each DVD session
A reorganized Socratic List of discussion questions
A revised bibliography of recommended books for students of all ages
Expanded lists of literary devices, terms, and definitions
Links to new supplemental resources designed for the Teaching the Classics method
IMPORTANT NOTE: Teaching the Classics, Second Edition (2017) presents the same tried and true method for reading and discussing literature that has been helping parents and teachers since 2004. Though the presentation has been significantly updated, seminar alumni investigating the new edition will find the essential techniques unchanged.
ahillehmimi (verified owner) –
Absolutely thrilled with this purchase. It is such a great help as I read and teach my children.