Level: Form III (7th–9th grades)
Subject(s): Citizenship, History, Literature, Philosophy, Theology
Description:
In this precursor class to our original upper-level Inkings & Classics Socratic discussion course, students will develop critical thinking, listening, and discussion skills as they grapple with foundational questions of God, humanity, faith, and imagination. Students will read and discuss a variety of classic literature along with selected works of the writers known as the Inklings, such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, as well as similar-minded contemporaries such as Dorothy Sayers and G. K. Chesterton. This course is designed to be taken prior to or instead of our upper-level Inklings & Socratic Discussion course, not concurrently.
Students will be expected to complete reading assignments in preparation for class as well as some writing assignments. The writing will focus on crafting thesis statements and body paragraphs in response to class discussions of the texts the class is reading so that students can practice and hone their ability to craft and build arguments in writing.
In 2024–25, the focus will be on the Inklings and classics of medieval through early modern literature.
Materials:
2024–25 Families purchase the following required supplies: (Unless otherwise indicated, the listed ISBNs are required, and each sibling needs their own copy. Used books are fine as long as the ISBN matches. Some books will be used again throughout the Intro to Inklings/Inklings & Classics class cycles, and siblings in different classes may share copies.)
- Macdonald, The Complete Fairy Tales, Selections, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 9780140437379
- Athanasius, On the Incarnation, ISBN: 0881414271
- Lewis, The Great Divorce, ISBN: 0060652950
- Song of Roland, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 0140445323
- Mandela, Favorite African Folktales, ISBN: 0393326241
- Luther, The Three Treatises, Selections ISBN: 0800616391
- Hildegard von Bingen, Song Selections – provided on Google Classroom
- Lang, Arabian Nights, ISBN: 0486222896
- MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin, ISBN: 1979086176
- Sayers, Letters to a Diminished Church,* selections, ISBN: 0849945267
- St. Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, Tan Classics ISBN: 0895552272
- Lewis, Weight of Glory,* selections ISBN: 0060653205
- Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress, Penguin Classics, ISBN: 0141439718
- Green, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, Puffin Classics, ISBN: 0141321016
- Chesterton, Manalive, ISBN: 1514340712
- Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia boxed set*, Collector’s Edition ISBN: 0064409392
- any Bible translation (not a paraphrase), NKJV preferred
Other Supplies:
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Lined paper in a 3-ring notebook (can be in a dedicated tabbed section in a multi-subject binder)
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Pens, black ink, 2 or more
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Pencils, 3 or more, pre-sharpened and ready to use
- Erasers
- Optional: Colored pencils, erasable, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and brown
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Recommended: Dictionary—for home use. Consider an app such as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.