Archway Trivium East
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade
Archway Trivium East will be administering the AZMerit state assessment between April 1 and April 24. Scholars in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades will be tested in writing, English Language Arts, and mathematics. Scholars in the 4th grade will also take the AIMS Science assessment.
Please see the calendar below for your child's test dates, as well as look for more information from your child's teacher through email and their blogs/newsletters.
Since assessments will be taken online, the extended testing window ensures that we are able to spread out assessments so that regular instruction may continue. On the nights before your child takes an AZMerit assessment, he or she will not have homework assigned. Please avoid scheduling appointments for your student during their testing dates and times. It can feel challenging to young students to make up merit tests at a different time from the rest of their class.
On a testing day, please make sure your child has a healthy breakfast and gets plenty of rest so they come to school prepared and comfortable. The night before their assessment, we recommend your child gets about 8-10 hours of sleep. To help with stamina and encouragement during the testing days, please send a couple of additional healthy snacks in their lunchbox. Please remind your child to take their time, relax, and to do their best work on all of the elements of the different assessments. AzMerit testing should not be stressful to the student.
If you have any questions, please contact our testing coordinator, Clay Scott.
The phrase, “sailing by ash breeze” appears frequently within the text of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. As explained to Nat, it is a sailing term used when there is little or no breeze to carry the ships sails. The men, using oars made from ash wood, row together to move the boat. It is difficult and strenuous work. In the book, it is often used to compare Nat trying to educated himself amidst the trial of indentured life.
Frederick Douglass, years after Nathaniel Bowditch lived and died, lived his life as a slave for many years. In his narrative, he writes of a pivotal moment in his life.
"Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read. The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering. It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. "
Douglass had a unique opportunity to learn to read, and he took it. His soul hungered to be educated, much in the same way Nat describes his soul yearns to learn. But the question for both of them is, “Did they sail by ash breeze?”
For both Douglass and Bowditch, they had many opportunities presented before them for education. As presented in the previous blog post, it is clear Nat kept being presented with opportunities to learn. Douglass, as well, was presented with many unusual opportunities for his time, including someone who taught him letters, friends he traded knowledge with, and the chance to look at printed material. In both cases, there was “wind” to catch their sails. In other words, both had opportunities to further and better themselves, and all they had to do was catch those opportunities and use them.
As presented in the book, sailing by ash breeze seems a very individualistic endeavor. It is used to convey the idea that an entire ship is becalmed, stuck, and a whole entity, the crew, comes to row in one accord to get it unstuck. Applying this directly to the individual can be a dangerous analogy, though. When it comes to humans, they cannot move a boat by themselves, thus cannot sail by ash breeze without the rest of the crew. Nat takes the educational opportunities that come his way, but also causes others to “row” in the same direction by educating them. In fact, by the end of the book, Nat has dedicated his whole life to the cause of helping others catch a breeze themselves. So, it isn’t so much that Nat sails by ash breeze, it is that he unfurls his own sails and catches the breeze, and helps others to do the same. If we think of ourselves as rowing an entire boat by ourselves, we are either going to have a superhero complex or be incredibly depressed when we find that we can’t actually move a boat by our own strength. But if we take the opportunities we are given, like Nathaniel Bowditch and Frederick Douglass, and get others to row in the same direction, then we actually can cause a change in ourselves, those around us, and maybe even our society.
Nathaniel, or, Nat Bowditch is young when first we encounter him. Within a few chapters he heads to primary school and is recognized as a great and proficient mind in mathematics. He hungers to learn, and does all he can to further his own education. After the Revolutionary War ends, his family hopes that times will get better, for they are poor. Unfortunately, they do not, and Nat is called to work for his father's company and quit his education. His dreams of going to Harvard cease to be an eventual reality, and he calls himself to manhood as the provider of the family. Suddenly, his father announces that he has given Nat over to an indenture-ship for nine years. As an indentured servant, he will learn the trade of chandlery, but he will not be free to marry, make money, or go anywhere without express permission.
Thomas Hobbes, is most famous for his lengthy work entitled, "Leviathan" which details man in relation to government. He claims that man, without government, is truly free. This freedom he titles, "the state of nature." He describes this state as being nasty and brutish, which is the opposite descriptor one might initially think to describe complete freedom. In this state of total freedom, one does have the freedom to do and be anything, however, one also has the freedom to defend oneself completely and totally, to make their own clothes, to harvest and grow all their own food. In the state of nature, man's worse inclinations come out because they are one for all and all for one. Total freedom also means total loneliness. The purpose of government, therefore, is to throw off the state of nature and enter into the state of government. This means giving up many of the freedoms you enjoy in the state of nature (anything from saying whatever you want to also being able to murder whomever you desire) to now having those freedoms curbed, but being able to enjoy the freedom of protection of the herd, and the freedom to buy and trade goods so you can have more free time. Hobbes says that the freedoms we give up in the state of nature are far less valuable than the protections we gain under government. We give up true and utter freedom for a higher quality of life with less freedom.
Nat fears that he is giving up true freedom when he enters into his indentured time. Harvard, marriage, and the hope of an intellectual future all fade away as he signs his papers. But could he actually be in his own small "state of nature" at this point? As he goes through his time as a servant, he finds himself "sailing by ash breeze" which is to say, he takes every opportunity he finds and makes the most of it. Yes, he gave up his natural freedoms, but were those freedoms really to be hungry, be poor, work in his father's shop, and still not go to Harvard? By being indentured, he gained many privileges, like library access, knowledge of ships, anecdotal knowledge from crew mates, and eventually make something of himself which he could not have done alone in his miserable state of true freedom. It is only by giving up his true freedom that he found gains and accessed a career path in which he changed the course of navigation for the rest of history. True freedom is not always best. By giving up certain freedoms and becoming a part of a community, one can gain much more and become truly happy.
Grandparents day will be this Friday at 9:00am. We, the fourth grade, will be performing Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" for the delight of all!
Week 23 was a review week in our writing program. Please note that all three classrooms reviewed different things based on data that was provided from earlier testing. Because of this, all three final typing assignments were different. Please have your student turn in their Wednesday typing assignment to the prompt that calls for "Week 23 Essay assignment."
You will see your student bringing home a paper nightly that is a review and solidification of material covered in our targeted instructional time. Please review these concepts with your student and make sure they can explain these things to you. This is key for understanding as we continue to build upon their base of knowledge!
A monologue from the play by William Shakespeare
As we read through this play, discuss with your child what this monologue means in the context of the play.
KATE: Fie, fie, unknit that threat'ning unkind brow
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,
Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,
And in no sense is meet or amiable.
A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,
Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty,
And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty
Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee
And for thy maintenance; commits his body
To painful labor both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou li'st warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks, and true obedience--
Too little payment for so great a debt.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince,
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway,
Whey they are bound to serve, love, and obey.
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?
Come, come, you froward and unable worms,
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown.
But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.
Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband's foot,
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease.
As a school, we deeply value the art of writing well. We know that our students are tested over it during AZ Merit, but that is certainly not why we teach them to write. Writing brings a joy to the soul that little else does. It causes one to slow down, to edit their thoughts, and to become more creative. Most importantly, it allows us to communicate beautifully with one another. In reading old letters and correspondences, one can see the value they placed on description, arguments, and musings. This joy is what we seek to enliven our students with each day in our writing period.
We began the year by teaching them how to take large amounts of text and organize it. We called this a key word outline. Next, we taught them how to, instead of a word for word outline, create a main idea key word outline that helped them retell the most important facts of the article or story.
In the second quarter, we began to write full, five paragraph informational essays. We added the number of source texts each week so that their essays could be filled with richer information. These questions were purely informational. You may well remember your student writing about the hydrological cycle. We think it very important to build their stamina through informational writing first. After they had learned and practiced the thesis statement and essay through informational essays, we were ready for the next step.
This quarter, we have begun to ask them to order their thoughts to produce an argument. At first, these questions will have very obvious sides they must take. In a recent essay, "Is Arizona unique?" the answer, of course, is yes, but the practice of building a thesis, quotations, and garnering information to prove that point is invaluable. We will spend two more weeks on "obvious answer" essays to practice this technique, while, weekly, making our checklist of how to edit their paper longer and more remarkable.
In the last four weeks of the quarter, the essays will be answering questions in which they can choose either side of the argument. Our seminars will be of great help in setting them up to write well on these topics. Not only will we be asking them to create an argument of their own, but we will be holding them accountable to making their work great. Each week, we will be studying a different American author, and students will be asked to make at least one sentence sound like that author's style of writing. For years, these students have copied create works of literature into journals and on paper through our curriculum, and now we ask that they use what they have copied. In imitating these authors, they will become more aware of their own stylistic techniques and seek to better understand what makes a great author. In addition to that, we will be asking them to use their knowledge of grammar to insert "who/which" clauses and prepositional phrases to make their work more beautiful.
Finally, in the fourth quarter, we will seek to perfect the body of work we have created and create new and more interesting arguments. Students will be asked to take their own work and re-edit the papers, making them more beautiful than before. Students will also be asked to narrate parts of history.
All this, not because we have to, but because we seek to follow a long tradition of great men and women who had beautiful and intersting and good thoughts, and who wrote them down so that their thoughts would not be ephemeral. At Great Hearts Archway Trivium East, we are seeking to create the next generation of thinkers, and thus writers. It is remarkable how far they have come in their writing, and we cannot wait to see it through to the end. Thank you for all your support in this endeavor.
Katharine, a shrew, biting through souls with words. Fox, a wild animal, devouring flesh through teeth. Both are wild. Both untamed. Both alone.
Petruchio enters the story of, "The Taming of the Shrew" in lively colors, promising Baptista, the father, to both marry Katharine and to make her into a loving wife. Though Katharine does not consent to the marriage, they are quickly wed. After they are wed, Petruchio begins to act like a crazy man. He turns her expectations of himself upside down. He is loud, rude, and, when they go home, destructive in nature, allowing not a single moment of peace, bit of bread, or wink of sleep until she consents to obey him fully and perfectly. Through these rough ways and manners, Petruchio succeeds, through fear, alienation, and trickery, to get Katharine to become a self-proclaimed obedient wife.
Last year, "The Little Prince" was read. In it, the Little Prince lands on earth. He finds a little wild fox. The wild fox comes up to him and says, "Please, tame me." When questioned further about this, the fox responds that taming means, "to create ties."
"No," said the little prince, "I'm looking for friends. What does tamed mean?"
"It's something that's been too often neglected. It means, 'to create ties'..."
"'To create ties'?"
""That's right," the fox said. "For me you're only a little boy just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me, either. For you I'm only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, we'll need each other. You'll be the only boy in the world for me. I'll be the only fox in the world for you..."
This exchange displays what the fox was truly yearning for. He longed to care for someone and have that person care for him. Later, as they show what that process looks like, both of them come together, kindly, in virtue, to learn more about each other and to come to depend on one another. It is an equal exchange, where both benefit and both enjoy the process. True taming means an end to loneliness. Even when the little prince has to depart from the earth, the fox tells him that all is not lost, because now the tan and gold color of the wheat will bring him happiness because the fox was the same color.
Shakespeare's comedy about "The Taming of the Shrew," showed a lack of this virtuous exchange. Katharine did not ask to be tamed. Her will was crushed through her appetite being suppressed. Though Petruchio did indeed win Katharine's obedience and she no longer acted shrewish by the end, it stands to question whether or not he did indeed actually tame her. Changing one's behavior does not mean that you have created ties with that person. The government can do that through threat of jail. A father can do that through fear and intimidation. For heaven sake, a play station can change behavior based on scores, lights, and sounds! But none of these create ties. None create friendship. None ease loneliness.
Behavior modification may look like taming on the outside, but the soul's inward state is what matters. As far back as Kindergarten, students saw Eeyore go missing, and, when found, Pooh and friends just sat with him through his sadness. This is what it means to create ties. It means to learn who they are so deeply and so thoroughly, that eventually, behavior modification is the last thing you would think of, rather, uplifting their soul is your goal.
The taming of another is a serious business. You are responsible forever for what you have tamed. But it is a small burden when the priceless gift of friendship is what you receive.
ATE Project Night Information 2019
Archway Trivium East would like to invite you to our Tour through History Project Night event on January 16th, from 6:00-7:00pm. You will have the opportunity to meet and interact with some of the most important figures in the history of the world from ancient times through the 16th century and to celebrate the learning of our Kindergarten through 5th grade scholars.
Please plan to arrive with your scholar (in costume for 1st-5th graders) at 5:50pm. They will then report to their classrooms . Guests will assemble in the courtyard until 6:00 when the community will be invited to begin the Tour through History where they can visit the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome; see the symbols of our very own United States come to life; and view a museum of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Our scholars are excited to share their learning from Project Week and we encourage you to visit as many classrooms as you can on this evening. Plan to make your way back towards your scholar’s classroom around 6:45 to be ready to depart from the event at 7:00.
Costumes and Attendance:
Attendance in costume is an exciting expectation! Attendance will be recorded as a history grade for the 3rd quarter.
Costumes may be simple and should reflect what the historical figure would wear or look like. Everyday objects and materials that you already have around are welcome and purchasing elaborate costumes is not required. Appropriate props are also welcome if they add to the representation of the historical figure. The same guidelines as Historical/Literary Figure Dress Up Day should be used:
· Your costume should cover at least the same areas as the Archway polo and shorts/skirts (just above the knee).
· Items in your costume should not have any logos on them.
· You may wear non-uniform shoes (such as sandals), provided that they are appropriate for your character.
· No masks, face paint, or hair dye are permitted.
· Small props are allowed, but should be put away during class. No props that are weapons are permitted.
· Students who do not follow the guidelines may be sent home.
· Gentlemen should dress up as male figures and ladies should dress up as female figures.
· Students should be careful not to wear any costume that could be offensive to others.
Underneath you will find the five seminars we will be doing for King Arthur. We decided to try reading the entire book before we seminared to see if we could have richer and more intense conversations. Below you will find two of the seminars, and then over the weekend, the last three will be posted.
Enjoy!
Merlin, the Great Predictor of King Arthur’s time, says two conflicting things: That Queen Guinevere (specifically Arthur’s love of her) will be the downfall of Logres, and, that King Arthur’s kingdom will last forever. Merlin, who proves himself time and time again to be an accurate predictor of the future, cannot truly then be saying two things opposite. Either King Arthur’s kingdom will fail or succeed…right?
Ozymandias, a poem the fourth grade memorized last, was written to demonstrate the failing and nihilism of a king. Purporting himself to be the “King of Kings,” he also is remembered by all the negative qualities he so admired. Sneering disdain is written all over the king’s face, and the inscription reminds the traveler relating the tale that Ozymandias seeks despair from all who look at his works. What the traveler is left with is not a jealous despair, but a true lack of anything as the lone and endless sands stretch far away. Ozymandias, the king of kings, built an empire but leaves emptiness behind. He thought his kingdom would last, and yet time and sand were stronger. What caused this?
Merlin, also calling King Arthur the King of Kings, as he truly is king over King Pelles, King Ryon, and others in Britain, also says that his kingdom will last, saying,
“Do you even so…that the realm of Logres may endure for many years as an example to all the men of after time. For be you sure that, though you all die, its fame and its example shall live for ever.” (Green, pg. 71).
Will the lone and level sands stretch over King Arthur’s kingdom eventually, or is Merlin saying something different, especially in light of his mortality and Guinevere’s eventual influence in the demise of the Kingdom?
Looking one page back, the Code of Honor (or Chivalry) is the cause of the difference. When Merlin calls the knights together, he has them pledge to things of metaphysical value. These knights are not called to building great castles or buildings. Roads and waterways are not the foundations of this kingdom (in stark contrast to the Roman Empire right before them). Instead, he calls them to serve God and serve people, as King Arthur did in his initial oath (pg. 9). The details are more fleshed out in this knightly oath, but the end of this oath is that they are building a heavenly city, as St. Augustine talks about in “The City of God.” Indeed, by building the spiritual walls and fortifying the city against sin and evil, the knights and King Arthur are building a city that, though physical walls and castles crumble, Virtue and the honor of seeking after virtue, still thrives. And the city of Arthur is not desolate in this way: Anyone who takes that oath of honor in his or her heart becomes a knight of the City of Logres, and continues the Kingdom in their hearts. Though we do not live in a time of Heaven on Earth, we can be part of the city that continues to bring that city to earth. Ozymandias’s city was destroyed because physical things will always end, but the metaphysical nature of seeking virtue will continue to keep the Kingdom of King Arthur alive today, though the Round Table, Camelot, and Merlin himself are gone…for now.
The true king of Britain was hidden, and then found again by a young man in desperation to find his brother a sword for a tournament. Arthur, true and only son of King Uther Pendragon, vanished until this moment. But when the sword is pulled, all eventually recognize his right to be the King of all of Britain. Following the tradition of Charlemangne in 800 A.D., he kneels before the Archbishop and he makes this pledge:
"'Then if I am indeed King,' said Arthur, bowing his head over the cross-hilt of the sword, 'I hereby pledge myself to the service of God and of my people, to the righting of wrongs, to the driving-out of evil, to the bringing of peace and plenty to my land...'" (Green, Chapter 1).
To be told you are the King of all of Britian, set apart above all other kings, and that you are meant to bring the kingdom of heaven (Logres) to earth, even for a short time, is enough to make one burst with pride. But notice the condition of his soul, for it is displayed in what he pledges. Listed below are the things he pledges in the order he pledges them in:
1. Service
a. to God
b. to his people
2. Justice (the righting of wrongs)
3. Righteous War
4. Cultivation
a. of Peace
b. of physical needs
Like any king, he desires that his kingdom be great, plendteous, and happy. He desires that all invaders leave his boarders, and that the true born Britains may take their rightful place. These are the desires of every king. However, there are two things King Arthur does that stand in contrast to other kings in the book. First, he bows his head over the cross-hilt of the sword he pulled out of the stone. The stone had been placed outside the church, so it signified that the king who pulled it out would be chosen by God. Bowing his head over it, Arthur showed deference to God. The first words out of his mouth, too, show that same devotion, that he should first serve God. This first line makes all the other pledges truly possible. The other kings in the book do serve their people. They fight for them and wage war on others for them. But there is also a tendency towards self-serving. We see this in King Ryon as he defeats and humiliates all the other 12 kings of the land in order to make his kingdom great. But he is not doing it for his people. He is doing it to make his own name feared and great.
By pledging first to serve God, King Arthur is actually saying that he does not want his own kingdom, he wants the Kingdom of Heaven to come down to earth, and that, by first serving God, then can he bless his people with Logres. He is given the ability to bring Logres to Britain because he first pledges himself to God. Justice, peace, prosperity, they all fall under the definition of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Merlin predicts, and we see it played out, that, with the exception of a few wicked magicians still hiding out, King Arthur is able to be the True King of Britain and fulfill his pledge. Other kings have not been able to do this, but King Arthur, in humility, realizes that he cannot be the King Merlin predicts he will be without making that first pledge. All other pledges are fulfilled in the first. And Merlin predicts, too, that in this same humility, King Arthur will once again bring Logres to Britain. The Once and Future King will rule again in all justice and humility, because of his first pledge.
As we go deeper into our fourth grade year, we are excited to share with you some new things we will be doing this quarter. These changes are designed to help your student enter in more fully and engage with the learning process.
Reading Program: In the next few days, you will receive a flyer detailing our new reading program! This program will be designed to engage the children fully in reading for pleasure. We want to promote a love of reading throughout our academy, so please be looking for that flyer and ready to support your student in reading.
Typing: This quarter, we will also be working on typing to prepare for tests which are assessed on the computer. Assignments will be given and completed at home on a computer. It is best to have a full keyboard for this so that students can learn to type properly. There are many bluetooth keyboard options for phone users, so please look into that if you do not have access to a computer.
Semester Party: We will be having a semester celebration centering around Medieval Times this quarter. Please watch for a sign-up genius in your email for this, we would most appreciate your help!
Field Trip: This quarter we will be attending a field trip to the Musical Instrument Museum. Two parents from each class will be offered a spot as a chaperone. We will be choosing by lottery based on whose name is in the fingerprint registry in the office.
Grades: We are implementing a couple of new ways of grading which allow us to be more specific and offer more feedback for your student's growth! Please watch in the yellow folders for anything that comes home that you have questions about. We would love to answer any questions you have!
Please be sure to meet with your student's teachers this week! We have so much to share with you, and we really look forward to the time we get to spend with you.
Week 9: No seminar
In Narnia, the first time, being a Son of Adam and a Daughter of Eve meant that you had a divine date with destiny. The children were fated (perhaps…see third grade’s blog) to be the Kings and Queens of Narnia. But this time, Aslan gives a slightly different take on what it means to be a human. Aslan, speaking to King Caspian, says,
“You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve. And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth.”
We know that to err is to be human. But humans can also achieve magnificent things. Intellectual and moral extremes can be seen throughout history, and it does not look like we will ever stop making grand discoveries and even grander errors. But why does Aslan keep putting humans on the throne? Wouldn't it seem best to put a Dryad on the throne who was always good and whose shoulder's didn't ache with shame of the sins that came before him?
...Is there something that particularly suits a human to rule?
Fyodor Dostoevsky, in his great novel, “The Brothers Karamazov” grapples with what it means to be human as well. One character, in particular, has insight into what this means. Father Zosima, in a homily he gives, says that one is responsible for all the sins of the world.
“There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is so, my friend, and the moment you make yourself sincerely responsible for everything and everyone, you will see at once that it is really so, that it is you who are guilty on behalf of all and for all. Whereas by shifting your own laziness and powerlessness onto others, you will end by sharing in Satan's pride and murmuring against God. " (Book 6 Chapter 3)
Now this is not in the trite sense, but in a deep and true sense. He says that in order to be fully human, one must take responsibility for all sins, and that all must take responsibility for your sins.
At first glance, this seems impossible. But essentially, that is what Aslan is asking Caspian to do. By putting on him all the accomplishments since Adam, he also puts on him all the sins as well. And we see this is actually played out in the book. The humans in the book do things that would make the poorest beggar proud, like Susan asking Lucy for forgiveness, and things that would make the greatest emperor come to shame, like the children fighting with each other so that they miss Aslan. We see Peter taking on the responsibility of putting Caspian on the throne, and Nikabrik sharing in Satan's pride by desiring power for himself.
A King is not responsible any more just for his own sins or successes. He is responsible for all, which is why he must be the one who deals out justice in his Kingdom. And it seems that this responsibility is essentially a human one, which is why a Son of Adam must reign on the throne. On Earth, every human must feel this responsibility, Dostoevsky argues, but in Narnia, there is only one human, (Caspian) and he must take on a Dostoevskian responsibility for all in order to properly rule. For Lewis, there is something about the beasts and spirits of Narnia that cannot take on this responsibility, for they are either good or bad. But a human is both, or can be, and therefore must stand both in extreme pride and shame at the same time and take on the weight of the world for the well being of his kingdom.
As we close the pages of this newly beloved book, let us, with King Caspian, begin anew our rule of our own Kingdoms. Let us, with renewed strength, bear the burdens of all those around us. Let our shoulders droop with shame at the weight of them, and then let our small and feeble frames be called upward into the glorious calling of Humanity. With pride, let justice and mercy flood our kingdoms, our friendships, our family, and our souls.
How Pascal and Lucy teach us the path to faith
The children are back in Narnia. They recognize the land around them. Finally, they begin to come back into the Kings and Queens they used to be. The only character we miss dearly? Aslan.
If we know one thing about Aslan, it’s that he is on the move. And we expect no less from him as we enter into this new story. And so, when Aslan finally shows up in chapter nine, we think, “Yes. Finally. The Lion has come to save and destroy.”
But only Lucy can see him. And worse yet, the others scoff at the idea that she did.
The child-like reader in all of us screams in vain. Have the children forgotten everything they know about Narnia? Not only that, but have they forgotten it was first Lucy that led them to Aslan in the first place? Have they forgotten the sage Professor’s syllogism that they must believe Lucy since she has never lied? But most of all, why can’t the Kings and Queens of Narnia see Aslan?
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, they turn away from Aslan, even Lucy.
Blaise Pascal saw this same thing. Not in Narnia, of course, but in his friends and the people around him. His Wager is arguably his most famous work, but it is his path to belief afterward that is key. He argues that, if you want to believe, you must habituate your body and soul to do the things that cause faith. So, if you want to believe in God, you must attend the liturgy, read the scriptures, and do other things that people of faith do so that, when your body and mind are oriented around those things, the soul may be filled with those things and eventually acquire faith.
The children’s comeback to Narnia is interesting. When they first entered in the last book, they were filled with awe and wonder at the magic and obeyed everything they were told to do (with the exception of Edmund). This time, however, they remember what happened, but are filled with pride of self. No longer are they filled with the wonder of Narnia, but are much more self focused and impressed with themselves. You can see this with how much they argue with each other and bicker. They are not trying to seek Aslan. They are trying to find the answer within themselves.
Lucy, however, is awakened by an urge to wake the trees up, and has a magical encounter. She deeply desires the magic to return and knows that, if it did, they could get to wherever they were needed. Her heart is ready to see Aslan. And so when she does, she is not surprised that he is leading her. But, not unlike her first entrance into Narnia, the other children don’t believe her. This time, instead of going back into the magic of Narnia like she did last time, she turns away from Aslan and follows her siblings. (Further questions to come on her culpability in this matter…)
Lucy, throughout this book, puts herself in positions of looking for Aslan. She awaits his return and does things that awaken her own faith. The children, much more self focused, rely on their own wits and strength. They think they are the answer to the Horn, and they believe they can bring salvation themselves.
It is only, according to Pascal and Lucy, when we put ourselves in positions that habituate our souls to belief that one day we will truly see. If we turn our eyes downwards, we will only see the earth. Let us stretch our necks daily and turn up our eyes habitually so that, one day, we might see Aslan, too.
We first meet the Kings and Queens of Narnia again in a train station going back to school. They are glum because the holiday is over and they must part ways. They have sandwiches in their pockets, children's clothes in their suitcases, and have conversations suited to school children. However, by magic, they are dragged back to Narnia, and, in fact, land right back where they used to reign as Kings and Queens.
But they do not know it.
In fact, as they go about their day in Narnia trying to find food, water, and shelter, they act as children act. Small squabbles break out, feelings are hurt, and mistakes are made. They act, not at all royally, but as children would. And this is okay (if this was your first Narnian book) because you assume they ARE children.
But are they?
When last they were here, they were the supreme rulers of a land full of magic and magical creatures. They ruled the land with grace and peace. They routinely hunted the White Stag, which is a symbol of strength, peace, and majesty. They sought the Good in all they did, and brought lasting Beauty to the realm. And now that they are back, they are children again? Are they royals pretending to be children, children pretending to be royals, or is something else going on entirely?
Prince Hal, of Shakespeare's Henry IV, was next in line for the throne. However, he was a symbol of recklessness to the nation. He kept a company of ne'er-do-well-ers, and joined in with their actions. His immaturity was known throughout the land. The man who would one day be king drank, stole, and partied with the worst of them. However, he makes a claim in Act 1 Scene 2:
I know you all, and will awhile uphold
The unyoked humor of your idleness.
Yet herein will I imitate the sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wondered at
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapors that did seem to strangle him.
He goes on to sum up his speech by claiming that this bad behavior is all an act, and that people will appreciate how good of a king he is because now they see a foil of what could have been. But the bit as quoted above is particularly interesting, because he makes the claim that he is imitating the sun, and that the clouds come to smother his beauty. We will come back to that.
As Hal grows up, he does fulfill the claim of becoming a great king. As Henry V, he leads a charge against France even though the odds agains them seem insurmountable. Though by this time he has become a King in his own right and no one is questioning his integrity, he still faces the greatest challenge of all: Leading men. And the night before the battle, we see him truly come into his own right as King. He goes out among the men and seeks to inspire them by sharing in their humanity. As he spends time with them, he realizes how to best lead them. That time with them is key, for it allows him to give the St. Crispian's Day Speech, which, arguably, gave his men the inspiration to win the battle. Hal grew up from immaturity to a King, but it was not finished until he was actually tested the night before the battle to actually lead his men. His plan to create a foil for himself worked to a point. People were very surprised that he wasn't a total loser of a king. But, that he could win an un-winnable battle by the inspiration of words through sharing in his men's humanity and fears? That took a true king, something that might have always been in him, but that night was brought to fruition.
We see something curiously similar in Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. As they come back into Narnia, we see them changing. Little sparks of moments where they really do not act like children anymore come to light. Susan, at first tired and afraid, does not feel like exploring the tunnel beneath the Hall, but when she picks up her bow down in the treasure chamber, her body and voice seem to change. Peter's voice and posture also change. Children who were once complaining about hunger and a lack of water now are excited and fiercely ready for adventure. They are becoming the people who they are, or, used to be.
And it is the place that is changing them. The more they realize where they are and for what purpose they have come, the more they behave like Royals. It is as if, as Hal says, they are, and will always be the sun, but for a time, allow a cloud to pass in front of them, the cloud of childishness, and when that cloud is stripped away, they become who they truly are: Kings and Queens.
Prince Hal becomes a true king (or, who he REALLY is) the night before the battle. It is that battlefield that changes him from Prince Hal to King Henry V. The children are just children, but when they come into Narnia, it changes them into who they really are: High King Peter, High Queen Susan, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy.
Places change us. They narrate to us who we really are and Time allows us to become those things. Not all is metaphysical. As much as Hal liked to think that it was all just his big plan to hide his true nature, in fact, his true nature had not yet been developed. The physical world around us reminds us, calls us, and shows us ways to become truly Good and to reveal the Beauty which is in us already. Yet we have to be willing to see the clues and to accept that call, like the children do.
So are they children or are they Kings and Queens yet? It is clear that they will take on their own true natures that were already bestowed upon them in the first book. But what of Prince Caspian? Will he allow the true magic of Narnia to make him into the next leader of Narnia?
We shall see...
One difference you may have noticed at Great Hearts is that we like to talk about The Soul. In fact, this language is not just sprinkled, but commonplace in our lesson plans, Headmaster Blogs, orientations, and just generally around the campus. We say things like, "This is good for your very soul," and "The soul can be virtuous," and "That will hurt your soul."
But what do we mean by the soul?
In reading Plato's writings, he puts forward the idea of the tripartite psyche, or, soul. The three components of the human soul include the intellect, the appetite, and the spirit. Over the entire soul, Justice should reign, and does so when the spirit, or the courage to be good, aligns with the logic. When the soul is balanced and each part is doing what it is designed to do, then we are rightly aligned, and our soul can seek the Good. However, if any one part of the soul shifts and takes over an un-just amount of the soul, we ourselves can no longer seek the Good.
But, even if we know what we mean by "This is good for your soul," what good does it do if our students have no idea what we are talking about?
The most beautiful thing about Plato's Tripartite soul is that it is something children actually experience before they can define. If you ask a child, even as small as five, something they do every day, they will tell you with quick certainty: I eat! Yes. You do eat, dear one, and when you want something, like food, that is called your appetite. (You may also want toys and even a hug from your mother when you are tired. This is your appetite, too.) And scholars, what else do you do each day? Quickly, you will be told that each day, they learn. Yes, learned scholars. You fill up your mind with as much information as you can each day and you use it. This is called your intellect. The last one, perhaps, is the trickiest to understand, but it can be understood best, though not fully, by asking the students what is one more thing they try to do each day, and that is to show the virtues. The spirit, when you are small, can be that part of you that seeks virtue or gives you the courage to be virtuous.
And now, for the concept of Justice.
By drawing a circle with three parts, we can play with the thirds in the circle. What would happen to our lives if our appetite was too large? Well, it would encompass our intellect, and part of our spirit! What would happen if our intellect was not rightly aligned? We would become too focused on the intellectual pursuits and forget to, like the aforementioned example, hug our mothers. No part of the soul is bad. It is only unjust when it becomes unaligned to proper proportions.
Easily, a child can feel that this is true. Eating that entire cupcake at the last recess gave him a stomach ache, and now he has to go to the nurse and stop learning. Or, reading a book alone at recess made her miss out on the joys of playing tag with her best friend. These are small examples, but as they grow up into third, fourth, and fifth grade, they can apply these concepts to the characters they are encountering in literature. Edmund seeks his appetite, and betrays his family, so that Aslan has to suffer a terrible injustice because Edmund did not have a just soul. Pinocchio becomes a real boy only when he aligns his appetite to his reason and spirit. Mr. Bowditch seeks justice in his intellectual life, and eventually brings justice to an entire ship of people. And Mary can come out of India into a land of gardens and bring justice to the Moor.
Many more examples can be found throughout literature and history. Now that we have given the students a common language to talk about what is happening within them, it is easier to identify why things are happening to people and how they are growing. This common language binds us to each other and helps us communicate on a deeper level. The most beautiful thing about this is that this is only the beginning of their journey to understanding the human psyche or soul. It is so much bigger and deeper than even maybe Plato could grasp, and their first lesson on the soul will be the first step into using philosophy properly, not to create more mumbo jumbo intellectual nonsense, but to actually communicate deeply and properly with each other.
The rightly aligned soul is a just soul. A community is a reflection of the justice within the souls of each of the citizens. Therefore, let us bring justice to the world by having justice in our own souls.
"The first walls were wet with a brother's blood."
Lucan, a Greek poet writes thus through the recollection of St. Augustine. Remus, striving to found the city of Rome, found himself slain by his brother's hand.
And this was for an earthly city.
Imagine what enmity receiving a heavenly kingdom would cause between brothers. But then again, we don't have to imagine for very long...
St. Augustine, in the wake of the Sacking of Rome in 410 A.D. endeavored to piece together how the Eternal City could be devolving. Thus, "The City of God Against the Pagans" or, more commonly known as "The City of God" was written. A devout Christian of the religious order, St. Augustine wrote over a thousand pages where he carefully fleshes out what an earthly city is, and what a heavenly city is. And in this philosophical masterpiece, a deep truth is uncovered: There are two kingdoms; the first is of the earth, the second is of a heavenly order. The first is lower and eventually must be wiped out so that the heavenly kingdom can replace it.
By the time we get to the last chapter in "The Princess and the Goblin," we are preparing in our hearts to say goodbye to the dear little girl that has filled our hearts with courage, laughter and love. We are glad of the victory over the Goblins, and we are most happy that Curdie's mother finally gets her red petticoat. But in closing the book too quickly, we might miss the shadows of St. Augustine in the background.
First, St. Augustine writes of the desires of the earthly city: "And this is the way of the earthly city: to worship a god or gods so that, with their aid, that city may reign in victory and earthly peace, not by the counsel of charity, but with lust for mastery." (Augustine, 644) So we see, too, that the Goblins in MacDonald's fairy tale desire to wipe out the land people not to better reign or bring peace, but a place to dump their animals that they may fulfill their lusty desires for cream and cheese. They have no intention to rule rightly, they just desire mastery over what is not theirs.
There is also the theme of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom being pilgrims, whereas the earthly citizens desire a land to call their own. We see the King-Papa as a wandering nomad of sort, not staying in his own castle, but roaming the kingdom, making better what he can and punishing what he cannot. He acts not as a ruler, but as a wise steward. The Goblin King, however, rightly rules his caverns, and is only surpassed in his lust for more land by his Queen with the Granite Shoes. These rulers truly desire the earth they rule. As a side note, it is also interesting that they literally desire the stuff of the earth, not even the things on the top of the earth. They say quite bluntly that their tastes are too refined for the kingdom above. They love what they have become: Their earthly kingdom.
Most interesting, perhaps, of all, St. Augustine also writes of a great flood wiping out the first earthly city. It had become rampant with sin and evil desires, and so the God of the Jewish people sent a flood to destroy it, leaving only the righteous behind. In a similar way, MacDonald writes a disastrous flood into the ending of the story, in which Curdie (whom we now know he is of royal blood) saves the people of the palace. St. Augustine also cites several Old and New Testament examples of people who represented the Earthly Kingdom perishing as the Heavenly Kingdom descends to earth. (Cain, pursuing the earthly kingdom, killed Abel, pursuing the heavenly one, Hagar was sent away for Sara's fulfilled promise, Christ was the fulfillment of Adam's sin.)
MacDonald's book ends with the Goblins perishing. Those who did not, it says, came back above ground and perhaps became normal again. Though St. Augustine's treatise is decidedly religious, the theme of two kingdoms diametrically opposed to each other being unable to co-exist seems to be true. The entire time you read this book, you hope for the chapter when Irene will be free to look up into the night sky for the first time. But the only way she can do that is to get rid of the city under the earth. St. Augustine, too, hoped the world would some day be rid of the evils he had watched unfold in his beloved Rome. And this hope pervades in all of us, that we, too, might be free of the stuff of the earth, and see clearly the Forms, the things of the Heavens, and look up into the Cosmos for the first time.
President Kennedy ushered in a new era of space exploration. In it, the modern man has seen wonders beyond imagining. We have seen silky pink puffs of air and are told they are nebulas. We have seen lights curl in on themselves and find out they are spiral galaxies. We can hold pictures of what seems like infinity in our hands. We have seen The Cosmos.
But before Hubble, before Sputnik, before NASA...there was Dante. Led by Virgil, he walked through The Cosmos, journeying first into the Inferno, then into Purgatory, and finally into Paradise, where an even more beautiful realm awaited him above that. Inspiring it all was Beatrice, his muse and guide. Not only did he create one of the most beautiful epic poems in the Western Canon, Dante also wrote about a very specific cosmological structure. In order to descend into the Inferno, Virgil must take Dante down into the middle of the Earth. When they are ready to leave the Inferno, Virgil tells Dante that they must keep descending. From the very center of the earth, the only way up is actually down. So the two descend up to Mt. Purgatory, which they then climb to ascend into the heavenly spheres.
In "The Princess and the Goblin," Irene must trust her guide (which happens to be the Great-Big-Huge Grandmother, whom we will speak of later) to descend into the cave to rescue Curdie. Like Dante, she must trust the path her Grandmother has chosen for her. Curiously enough, to get out of the cave, they do not take the path Curdie would most like to take, the one he took to come in. They descend deeper into the cave of the Goblins, and come out on the other side.
Time also works this way for the Great Grandmother. In the beginning, she looks very old, but as it is discovered how old she is, she looks younger, as if entering into eternity makes you younger, not older, as you climb deeper into ageless-ness.
It is also important to note that the Goblins are in this cave, and that they have trapped themselves down there, noting to themselves that even if they did take over the land, they would never live in it, for their tastes are too refined. Like "The Inferno," Satan is also at the center of the world. He is stuck in a sea of ice, but his tail is free, though it is fanning the ice, freezing himself deeper in the ice with every wave of his tail.
And then, there are the stars. Irene's eyes have the stars in them, though she has never properly seen the night sky. The Grandmother takes bits of the stars and uses them to guide and bathe Irene. The King-Papa has older more experienced eyes that reflect the stars. And the stars guide both Curdie's mother, and many other characters.
After Dante rises into Paradise, he realizes that what he once thought was the center of the universe (the Earth) he realizes is not at all. The Heavenly Realm is the actual center of the universe, and that is where wisdom begins. The character's of MacDonald have stars in their eyes because they realize that the Earth is not the center. The Cosmos are, and their eyes are constantly pointed towards and reflected the wisdom and Beauty of the Cosmos. The characters who's eyes reflect the stars are the ones naturally gifted with faith. They believe in the wisdom of the heavenly realm, and are able to trust that which, at times, is unbelievable. It helps King-Papa to rule his realm, it helps Grandmother to guide, and it helps Irene to save Curdie.
Though not a perfect analogy by any means (and it was not meant to be by MacDonald) the fairy tale we read encompasses themes which can be found in many of the epic poems. When children finally grow up and read Dante, these themes will be dear and familiar to them, as they grew up thinking about Dante before they ever read him.
Many are familiar with William Blake's "The Tyger." In it, Blake is so bold as to ask questions like, "What immortal hand could frame thy fearful symmetry?" and "In what furnace (were you created)?" But the most striking question is, "Did he who make the lamb, make thee?"
This question comes from, perhaps a lesser known work, "The Lamb" by the same author. In a collection entitled, "The Songs of Innocence," Blake pens a simple, repetitive poem in rhyme scheme, meter, and content, which begs the question, is innocence just naivete, or is it something else?
The lamb, free of the stains and weights of the world, relies on his shepherd for care and, ultimately, life. The Tyger, filled with knowledge of the world and experience, relies on himself. Both, according to the poems, created, but both lead vastly different lives based on their respective innocence and experience.
When we encounter the characters in The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald, we see the same question. Irene, a princess, as been hidden away in a less-than-majestic house in order to protect her. Goblins come out at night, and so she, even at age 8, has never seen the night sky. She is so innocent, in fact, that she has met her Great Great Great Grandmother, whom others cannot see, and so we assume a magical quality about her. She is, by definition, innocent of the worries of the world. And yet, when she encounters the Goblins for the first time, she is not afraid.
Curdie, on the other hand, a boy miner, has had much experience with the ills of the world. As we meet him, he saves Irene from the Goblins with his rhymes (Goblins, according to the ever witty MacDonald, are desperately afraid of verse). He even stays in the mines during the night hours when all the other miners have gone, so that he can earn money for a red petticoat for his sickly mother. He has experience, and it makes him unafraid.
Juxtaposed against Curdie and Irene, other miners, who have experience with Goblins, are afraid. Lootie, the nursmaid, is herself innocent of the Goblins, and is afraid.
So, then, you and I both ask, "What is the difference between innocence and experience, if both fear and courage can be the outcome?"
And, hidden between the flowing lines and musical lilt of the narrative, MacDonald hides his answer. He has told us that both characters seem to have royal tendencies. Of Irene, he says, "That the princess was a real princess you might see now quite plainly..." (MacDonald, pg. 11) and of Curdie, he says that he was the more courageous of the miners, and later on, intimates that he had royal blood in him.
Through inferences and direct textual evidence, we can see that innocence and experience are not forms in themselves, but are materials which, in the soul of a courageous and royal one, may be used for the good, but in the soul of a "vulgar" or lacking soul, may be used for the worse. Innocence can make us fearful, but it can also allow us to see the Great Great Grandmother. Experience can make us cowards and let the Goblins overtake us, or it can pluck up our courage and imbue our hearts with words of wisdom to fend off the invaders.
It is the royal heart we wish to pursue, the heart that can be either innocent or experienced, and yet pursue the Good fully. Blake's question of innocence verses experience no longer haunts us, and we can be bold in either, as long as the state of our soul remains boldly pointed towards the Good.
Welcome to Fourth Grade!
Scholars and Parents, we are so excited to begin this year with you. When you came into our classrooms last week, our hearts were filled with joy as we shook your hands and began to get to know you. Our desire for this year is that we would truly adhere to our Athenian Pledge each day, and that we would seek Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in all we do.
Please contact your teacher with any questions!
4C Ms. Arbogast: carbogast@archwaytriviumeast.org
4B Ms. Macleod: amacleod@archwaytriviumeast.org
4A Mr. Pyle: epyle@archwaytriviumeast.org
We, Athenians, will never bring disgrace to this our Academy by any act of dishonesty or cowardice, nor ever desert our fellow Scholars. We will stand for the ideals and principles of our Academy both alone and as a community of learners.
We will respect the Academy’s Virtues of Humility, Courage, Honesty, Perseverance, Responsibility, Friendship, Integrity, and Wisdom. We will do our best to incite a respect and reverence toward these Virtues among our fellow Scholars. We will strive unceasingly to quicken our sense of Citizenship.
Thus in all these ways we will transmit this Academy greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.
Week 1 Course of Study: