Living Memory:A Classical Memory Work Companion

Andrew Campbell

Quidnam PressShelburne Falls, Massachusetts

© 2008, 2017 by Andrew CampbellAll rights reserved.

All material in this volume is believed to be in the public domain. If an error has been made in this regard, please contact the author at quidnampress@gmail.com so that proper credit may be given in the next edition.

Table of Contents

Introduction: How – and Why – to Memorize.......................................................................................7Latin...........................................................................................................................................................15Greek.........................................................................................................................................................67Arithmetic and Mathematics..................................................................................................................91Grammar and Composition...................................................................................................................103Literature.................................................................................................................................................121Religion...................................................................................................................................................207Geography...............................................................................................................................................315World History.........................................................................................................................................331United States History and Civics..........................................................................................................363Natural Sciences....................................................................................................................................409Reference Charts....................................................................................................................................425Appendix: Memory Work in the Ignatian Method...........................................................................449About the Author...................................................................................................................................452

Introduction:How – and Why – to Memorize

About this Book

Living Memory is a compendium of material for students to memorize during their school years, from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It can be used as a resource by anyone pursuing a classical education, including adult learners. It differs from other collections in that it includes a full range of selections in both Latin and Greek, as well as history, geography, hymns, folk songs, science lists, and much more. The selections can be used not only for memory work, but also for copywork, for dictation, or simply for reading.

I have tried to be generous in my selections to allow for different needs and goals. For example, I have included both religious and secular materials in the various languages. Christian materials are not limited to one tradition, but draw from across the breadth of historical Christian orthodoxy. It is my intention that this book be usable by Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians, as well as by members of other faiths. See the introductory notes to each chapter for more tips on making this book work for your family.

Do not let the number of selections overwhelm you. Remember that the book is meant to be used over thirteen years. Although a strong memory will the serve any student well, whatever the task at hand, my purpose here is not to turn out mnemonic prodigies. It is to provide homeschooling parents and other classical educators with a pick-up-and-go resource for memory work. It is not necessary – or even advisable – that students attempt to memorize everything in this book. I hope, though, to offer you some tried-and-true memorization techniques that will make the memorization process both fun and effective.

Why Memorize?

First we must lay to rest a prejudice under which even some homeschoolers labor. In this age of instant digital access, it appears quixotic at best to expect students to commit so much time and effort to stocking their minds with facts and figures – not to mention dozens of poems and prayers in three languages.

For a hundred years, progressive educators have drilled into our skulls their own slogans: that “rote memorization” is hard, dull, and ultimately useless. It represses the child's natural creativity and kills the joy of learning. So we are told.

We should not be surprised to find that previous generations thought very differently. The great ancient rhetoricians considered a strong memory indispensable for their craft. Medieval and Renaissance thinkers turned out books and treatises on the art, containing elaborate systems to

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train the memory to store copious amounts of material and access it instantly. Today we stand amazed at the oratorical skills of political figures of the 19th century and shake our heads in dismay at the sloganeering and sound bites that pass for political discourse today. Our politicians rarely write their own speeches and seem incapable of delivering them without the aid of a teleprompter. Surely something precious has been lost. That something is our memory.

With this social and educational context in mind, I offer the following reasons to return memory work to the curriculum:

(1) Memory is a basic human faculty. We all memorize, if only for simple convenience. We keep track of phone numbers, pin numbers, access codes, passwords, birth dates, names, social security numbers, addresses: dozens of discrete pieces of information without which our lives would screech to a halt.

(2) Research indicates that exercising one's memory regularly may be a key to lifelong mental health. You can now buy products – books, DVDs, CD-ROMs – designed to reduce your “brain age” through memory games.

(3) Memory implies order. When we memorize, we rarely learn a list of random things, unless we are doing parlor tricks. We learn related pieces of information, be they meaningful number sequences (like a phone number), or words (like a poem). To memorize effectively, we must order that which we would learn.

(4) A good memory is the key to good writing. Andrew Pudewa has said that the key to excellent writing is the ability “to communicate ideas in understandable, reliably correct, appropriately sophisticated language patterns.” Those patterns are best learned, Pudewa argues, through reading aloud (hearing) and memorization.1

(5) Cicero and Quintilian were right: to speak well, one must remember well. By accustoming ourselves to the flow of language, free of our habitual ums and likes, we pave the way to greater fluency in speech.

(6) A good memory is absolutely necessary to master the core classical subjects of Latin, Greek, and mathematics. There is nothing more frustrating that sitting down to read a piece of great literature and having to stop every thirty seconds to look up a vocabulary word or verb form. Such drudgery can only be avoided by thoroughly memorizing the grammar of the classical languages and a substantial vocabulary. Likewise, certain formulas and facts are necessary to understand even then simplest mathematical ideas. Memorizing these basics cannot be avoided.

(7) As one of the proverbs in this book says, “Everything I own, I carry with me.” Your memory, unlike your personal library, laptop, or PDA, is always with you. What we learn in our youth remains ours to treasure for a lifetime. This fact was driven home forcefully to me as my mother lay dying of cancer. Too weak to read or even to watch television, she occupied her time by reciting Scripture passages and poetry to herself, almost all of which she had learned before the age of 10. You need never be bored or alone if you carry within yourself the wisdom of the ages.

1 http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/One-Myth.html

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How to Memorize

In my research for this book, I have become convinced that we have made memorization far more complicated than it need be. We must return to basics. And what is basic about the memorization necessary for classical education is that it takes place through the medium of language. Even when working with numbers, we use language: we read the symbolic statement “2+2=4” as “two plus two equals four.”

Natural language acquisition follows a predictable pattern. First we listen, then we speak, then we read, and then we write. Only when we have mastered all four skills at a high level can we be considered truly proficient in a language. I have become convinced that, in order to memorize, we must replicate this acquisition process by listening to the material, reciting it, and reading and copying it by hand repeatedly. When undertaken at a slow and steady pace, with regular – ideally daily – effort, and shored up by consistent review, this process will assure eventual mastery of the material in this book. Repetitio mater memoriae: Repetition is the mother of memory.

Understand that memorization is a skill like any other. Don't be too quick to write off students who swear they “can't” memorize. Accept no excuses – not even from yourself! Not everyone memorizes with the same ease, to be sure, but barring a serious physiological abnormality in the structure of the brain, anyone can memorize. Can your student remember his birthday or cell phone number? He can memorize.

The most effective way to master large amounts of memory work is to apply the various language skills to the task of memorization.

Listening

The student can listen to recordings, whether spoken, chanted, or sung, or to someone reading the selection aloud to her. Dictation pairs listening with writing, while reading aloud to oneself pairs it with the reading step. Asking a student to “listen and repeat” pairs it with speaking.

Speaking

Speaking techniques include recitation, chanting, and singing. I encourage students to whisper or mouth the words to themselves as they do copywork or reading for memorization. (Obviously this needs to be done in a way that does not annoy those around them.) The more rhythmic the language, the easier it is to memorize. That is why it's more effective to chant Latin noun endings or verb forms than just to say them in a normal tone of voice.

Reading

This is usually the first approach to memorization: read something and then cover it up to see if you can remember it. Used alone, it is rarely terribly effective. (Remember those high school

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cramming sessions?) However, when paired with listening, speaking, and writing, reading's effectiveness increases exponentially. Remember that silent reading is a relatively new phenomenon. Ancient and medieval readers whispered under their breath as their eyes scanned the page. This assured that they heard and felt the words (with their mouths) as well as saw them. Read aloud, or read along with a recording. Another effective reading-based memory method is the “disappearing line” technique. It is demonstrated on Memoria Press's Latina Christiana DVDs; an article detailing the technique is available at the Memoria Press site: http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/memorize-lesson.html .

Writing

“Writing out lines” is so strongly associated with punishment that it is hard to imagine why we would want to impose it on our children. But the physical act of writing adds another sense – the tactile – to our memory arsenal. Again, students should whisper as they write to get the most benefit from their copywork. In my experience, typing does not have the same effect. Students should be taught proper penmanship and writing posture to minimize hand and arm fatigue. Using a fine pen makes the writing experience distinctly pleasurable.

I want to mention one further mnemonic technique that has recently been given new life.2 It is called the method of loci (“places”), and it is well suited to highly visual learners, although with practice, anyone can benefit from it. In this technique, which dates back to a classical antiquity and was promoted by the likes of Cicero, Quintilian, and the greatest medieval memory master, St. Thomas Aquinas, the student uses a familiar architectural space, such as his home, backyard, or church, as the backdrop for striking mnemonic images. By linking the desired words to images and images to places, the student creates a visual map of the information to be memorized.

For example, if the student were setting out to memorize the first three presidents of the United States by placing them in loci around his home, he might imagine, standing on the doorstep of his house, a man washing a huge weight in a tub. This image is a mnemonic for “washing” “ton.” Next, on the doormat inside the house, he might picture a man reading the classifieds (“ad” “man” =Adams). In the center of the foyer stands a small boy wearing a monogrammed shirt with a J on it; his mother stands next to him (“Jeff” “her son”).3 The loci masters stress that the architectural frame for the images must be very familiar and that the the images mentally placed in it must be striking enough to be memorable. It is best if the learner creates the images, as they will then have more force.

In addition to these various memory techniques, here are some general principles that will make memory work easier:

2 See Kevin Vost, Memorize the Faith! (and Most Anything Else): Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters (Sophia Institute Press, 2006).3 I have made up these images myself, but the book Yo, Millard Fillmore! uses similar humorous images to help students learn the presidents. A second book by the same authors, Yo, Sacramento, teaches state capitals.

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(1) Memorize in context. I can't stress this enough. One of the unfortunate outgrowths of the interest in Dorothy Sayers' “Lost Tools of Learning” is that too often the Trivium becomes mere trivia. “Poll-parrots” can rattle off dozens of facts, few of which they can apply in context. There is even a whole franchise dedicated to a sort of generic “classical” memory work in which students learn lists of isolated facts that may have no connection whatsoever to the rest of their studies. I do not recommend that you require students to memorize science facts or history dates before they have encountered them in the natural course of their studies. I urge you to arrange your memory work in a way that fits into your curriculum.

(2) Schedule your memory work and recitation time. How you do this is up to you. Some people like to give their students a single daily recitation time that includes material from all their subjects.4 This is a particularly good solution for co-op classes or larger families juggling multiple ages. Younger students benefit from hearing more advanced work, and older students get built-in review time as younger siblings learn familiar material. You can also break memory work up so that the student studies and recites during the period for each particular subject. Recitation can be used as a warm-up for the subject or as a way to end the lesson. Whichever way you choose to handle the timing of memory work, keep it consistent.

(3) Less is more. This is my educational mantra, and it applies to memory work as well as to curriculum. It is more effective to learn a little bit every day than to try to learn a lot all at once. We all remember what “cramming” for a test was like. Do you remember any of that material today? It's more likely that you remember things you recited every day for several years, like the Pledge of Allegiance or a favorite family prayer.

(4) Break it down. There is nothing more daunting that sitting down to memorize a long list or poem. Remind your students that their job right now is to memorize, not the whole poem, but the first few words. Break poems into stanzas, stanzas into lines, and lines into phrases. Use the rhyme scheme as a cue to the next line. When memorizing long lists of names, such a the rulers of Rome, learn chronological subheads first: Kings, Republic, Triumvirates, Emperors, etc., then fill in the names in each group. Lists of dates can be broken down by century. For geographical lists, learn regions first, then fill in the countries or states in them, and finally their capitals. Make use of mnemonic devices if the student finds them helpful (I have listed some of these in the notes after the selections).

(5) Review, review, review. The human brain is not like a computer disk that will record information reliably in an unchanging location and format, to be called up years later. You need a review system. I suggest using a binder (see below), but file folders, index cards, or any other medium that works for you is fine, as long as it allows you to use all four of the basic language-based memory modalities: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

(6) Consider incentives. Not every family is comfortable rewarding children for learning their lessons well. After all, knowledge is its own reward. But some tried-and-true memory systems, such as Scripture Memory Fellowship, offer small incentives like books to keep kids motivated. Even if you don't offer prizes from the outset, consider a special treat

4 For information on how to conduct a Latin recitation in a classroom setting – and the principles apply to other subjects as well – see Leigh Lowe's article at: http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/Latin-Recitation.html .

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when a child has struggled with a memory work piece and triumphed. These small acts of encouragement have a greater impact on our children than we sometimes know.

(7) Let them shine. I encourage you to find opportunities for your children to recite in public. I'm not suggesting that every family holiday become a dog-and-pony show. Homeschooled children are too often quizzed by well-meaning relations and even strangers who can't quite believe the young people are actually learning anything at home. But if you have willing listeners, be they grandparents, neighbors, fellow homeschoolers, or a talent show audience, give your children a chance to recite material that their listeners will appreciate. Latin paradigms will likely elicit a puzzled frown, but well-known poems, songs, or speeches are sure hits.

(8) Clear the deck from time to time. After a few months or years, the number of memory work pieces slated for review may become onerous. Set up a system that allows for past work to be reviewed on a regular schedule, but let go of pieces that no longer serve their purpose. A middle-school child who can use the dictionary or find a book on the fiction shelves at the library doesn't need to be singing the ABC song to you anymore. Use your judgment, and retire pieces as necessary.

(9) Finally, choose memory selections that work for your family. As I said at the beginning of this introduction, it would be an unusual child who memorized everything in this book. I have no intention of requiring my daughter to do so. If one poem does not strike your child's fancy, find another of similar length or style. I've listed the capital of Nauru, although I suspect most parents won't require their children to memorize that tidbit. A child who is preparing for a geography bee, however, or who lives in the region, will want to know that and more. A child who is enrolled in a Scripture memory program such as Awana, or who is memorizing a substantial catechism, may find that their memory work needs for Religion are already amply met. As a homeschooling parent, you retain control over your curriculum at every step. Memory work is no exception to that rule.

Creating a Memory Work Binder

What you need:

● A binder for letter-size paper, 1” min. at the spine● Preprinted tab dividers with the numbers 1-31 (available at office supply stores)● Blank tab dividers● Printer paper● Lined notebook paper● A 3-hole punch

Label and set up the tabs as follows:

● Today● Monday – Friday (or whatever days you will be doing memory work)● 1-31

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● Future (optional)

Copy the memory work items you want your student to learn. Place them behind the “Today” tab. (Place items to be learned later behind the “Future” tab, if you like.) Include some lined notebook paper for copywork; younger students can use horizontal rule paper. If you have students working at different levels, each will need his own binder.

Every day, work through the pieces behind the “Today” tab using one or more of the four language modalities: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Once the student can recite a piece correctly, place it behind the tab for the next day but one, so that the student is reviewing it every other day for at least two weeks. Then place it behind one of the Monday-Friday tabs, where it will stay for one month or four repetitions. (Make a small pencil note in the margin of the page to keep track of the dates.)

Once the piece has been reviewed weekly for the last time – assuming the student is still reciting it well – place it behind the number tab corresponding to the current day's date. That way it will come up again for review in a month. If too many pieces pile up behind one date, spread them out.

Using this system, on any given day a student will study/recite everything behind the “Today” tab, everything behind the appropriate day-of-the-week tab, and everything behind the appropriate day-of-the-month tab.5

An Envoi

It is my wish for all readers of this book that they may feel confident in their ability to teach memory work – and to memorize themselves! But I also feel compelled to add a word of caution.

After the publication of my homeschooling guide, The Latin-Centered Curriculum, I received a startling number of letters from people who had come away with the impression that if their children didn't begin learning Latin in kindergarten, they would be hopelessly behind. Others were coming to traditional classical education after using other methods, or were working with students who faced significant physical, mental, or emotional challenges. The desperation in their messages was palpable, and while I tried my best to assure them that they were doing just fine – for virtually all were – I'm not sure they took the comfort I meant for them.

Yes, classical education is challenging, even for the most able and willing learners. But just as I say, “Any Latin is better than no Latin,” I also say, “Any memory work is better than no memory

5 This technique is based on the tickler file system, used for personal productivity. A similar system, using index cards and a file box, is suggested for Scripture memory at simplycharlottemason.com, and this has given rise to many variations. I wish especially to acknowledge Rose Tell-Drake, who generously shared her notebook-based system with me. Please feel free to adapt the present system to your needs.

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work.” No one is going to come to your door to quiz your child on the capital of Somalia or to make her pipe out all umpteen verses of “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” on pain of certain death. Given how little memorization is required of most school children, knowing a few poems and the times table will already put your children at an advantage.

If you are starting with older children, simply begin where you are. Start by assigning the material that has the most immediate relevance to your children's current studies, be that Latin paradigms, math facts, or geography lists. Slowly add in a few short poems and some Scripture verses. Make it your goal to include at least some memory work in every subject, and add more material as you go along. That's all there is to it.

Remember: the goal is not to pile up trivia in a child's memory just because he is of “Poll-Parrot” age, but to nourish the child's mind on what is good, beautiful, and true. Let your memory work be guided by that truly classical vision.

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Notes on the Latin Selections

This chapter is divided into six parts: Grammar and Vocabulary; Proverbs; Poetry and Prose; Scripture; Prayers; and Hymns and Carols. The first three sections contain mostly secular material from antiquity as well as some more modern pieces, while the last three are religious and are drawn from both ancient and medieval Christian sources. The selections within each section are arranged roughly in order of difficulty, with the easiest pieces first.

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Grammar and Vocabulary

A Father is pater by Sara Coleridge

A father is pater, a mother is mater, A sister is soror, a brother is frater; A child should obey both his father and mother,And brothers and sisters should love one another.

This poem is taken from a collection by Sara Coleridge (1802-1852), daughter of the eminent English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Entitled Pretty Lessons in Verse for Good Children; with some Lessons in Latin in Easy Rhyme and published in 1834, the collection was originally written to help teach her son Herbert Latin and other subjects.

Counting from One to Ten

unus one I duo two II tres three III quattuor four IV quinque five V sex six VI septem seven VII octo eight VIIInovem nine IXdecem ten X

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The Names of the Latin Months

Latin Name Named for:

Januarius Janus, the god of gates and doorways, since this month looked back to the old year and forward to the new.

Februarius februare, meaning “to purify,” after a Roman purification festival celebrated in this month.

Martius Mars, Roman god of war and agriculture. Formerly counted as the first month of the year.

Aprilis aperire, “to open,” probably a reference to the budding flowers.

Maius Maia, a spring goddess.Junius the goddess Juno and the Roman Junius clan.Julius Julius Caesar, who was born in this month.Augustus Augustus Caesar. September septem, “seven,” as this was the seventh month

in the old calendar. October octo, the eighth month.November novem, the ninth month.December decem, the tenth month.

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Factors of the Latin Noun

1. Declension2. Number3. Gender4. Case

Beginning Latin students will learn about all of these factors early on. For reference, here are the meanings of each factor:

1. Declension: the class to which a noun belongs. There are five: first, second, third, fourth, andfifth. Nouns in the same declension use the same case endings (see below). 2. Number: whether the noun is singular or plural.3. Gender: whether the noun is classed as masculine, feminine, or neuter. Note that in Latin, allnouns have gender, not just those that refer to biologically gendered persons or animals. 4. Case: the form of a noun, as determined by its function in the sentence or phrase. There arefive cases in Latin: nominative (NOM-i-nuh-tiv), genitive (JEN-i-tiv), dative (DAY-tiv), accusative (ak-KYOO-suh-tiv), and ablative (AB-luh-tiv).

In addition, nouns may be either common or proper. Common nouns name a non-specific person, place, or thing (girl, city); proper nouns, a specific one (Mary, Rome).

Factors of the Latin Verb

1. Conjugation2. Number3. Person4. Tense5. Voice6. Mood

Beginning Latin students will be learn about the first four of these factors this year. For reference, here are the meanings of each factor:

1. Conjugation: the class to which the verb belongs. There are four: first, second, third, andfourth conjugations.

2. Number: shows whether the verb is singular or plural.3. Person: refers to the subject of the verb. May be first (I/we), second (you singular or plural),

or third (he/she/it/they).4. Tense: indicates the time in which the action takes place. May be one of the following six:

Present, Future, Imperfect, Perfect, Future Perfect, Past Perfect (sometimes called thePluperfect).

5. Voice: whether the verb is active (the subject performs the action) or passive (the subject is

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About the Greek Selections

This chapter has five sections: Grammar and Vocabulary; Proverbs; Poetry and Prose; Scripture; and Prayers and Hymns. The materials are drawn from both classical and ecclesiastical Greek sources. I have provided some background information on the Eastern Christian traditions from which many of the Koine prayers come, since these may to be unfamiliar to some readers. Trans-lations are provided throughout.

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Grammar and Vocabulary

The Greek Alphabet Song

Alpha, beta, gamma, delta,epsilon, and zeta, too;

eta, theta, and iota,kappa, lambda, mu, and nu;

xi, omicronpi, rho, sigma,tau, and then comes upsilon

phi and chi and psi, omegaNow I've said my letters through!

Sing this alphabet song to the tune of Beethoven's “Hymn to Joy.” Note that the second syllable of “omicron” gets the emphasis.

For a summary of Greek grammar, see the Reference Charts in the back of the book.

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Proverbs

Wisdom of the Greeks I

1. Mevtron a[riston.

Moderation is best.

2. Ajrch; dev toi h{miou pantovV

Well begun is half done. (Lit.: The beginning is half of everything.)

3. Melevth to; pa:n.

Practice is everything. – Periander, quoted by Diogenes Laertius

4. E[iV ajnh;r oujdei;V ajnhvr.

Strength in unity. (Lit. One man is no man.)

5. Oujde;n gluvkion h{V patrivdoV.

Nothing is sweeter than one’s native land. – Homer, Odyssey IX, 34

6. Kairo;V d= ejpi; pa:sin a[ristoV.

Everything in due season. – Hesiod, Works and Days

7. Gnw:qi saujtovn.

Know thyself. – Inscription at Apollo’s shrine, Delphi

8. Eujfhmiva =stw.

Peace be to this place. – Aristophanes, The Birds 959 (cf. Luke 10:5)

9. Swfrosuvna, dwvrhma kavlliston qew:n.

Temperance, the best of the gods’ gifts. – Euripides, Medea 636

10. Kavlliston, oJ kovsmoV, poivhma ga;r qeou:.

It is most beautiful, the world, for it is a creation of God. – Diogenes Laertius I, 35

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About the Arithmetic and Mathematics Selections

The information in this chapter is meant as a ready reference for parents and students. How you teach this material, and at what pace, depends largely on the math curriculum you've chosen. Some curricula emphasize memorization of arithmetic facts as such, while others stress computation strategies. Whichever approach you choose, it is desirable that recall of basic arithmetic facts be automatic before students begin algebra. Gaps in this area can seriously hamper a student's progress in the subject.

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About the Grammar and Composition Selections

The material in this chapter is designed to support the study of classical languages – the focus of the traditional classical curriculum – and to reinforce principles taught in your writing curriculum.

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A Grammar Rhymeby David B. Tower and Benjamin F. Tweed

A noun's the name of anything; As, school or garden, hoop or swing.

Adjectives tell the kind of noun; As, great, small, pretty, white, or brown.

Three small words we often see, Called articles - a, an, and the.

Instead of nouns the pronouns stand; I throw, you catch, we jump and land.

Verbs tell of something being done; As read, write, spell, sing, jump, or run.

How things are done the adverbs tell; As, slowly, quickly, ill, or well.

They also tell us where and when; As here, and there, and now, and then.

A preposition stands before A noun; as in, or through, a door.

Conjunctions sentences unite; As kittens scratch and puppies bite.

The interjection shows surprise; As, O, how pretty! Ah, how wise!

A somewhat longer version of this didactic poem appears in Samuel Wilderspin’s The Infant System (8th edition, 1852). Because young Latin students will first learn about personal pronouns in the nominative case, I have modified line 8 to include them. The original reads, “John’s head, his face, my arm, your hand.” I have also changed the beginning of the third stanza slightly to reflect the fact that today we treat articles as a part of speech in their own right, not as a type of adjective.

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A Grammar Catechismby Andrew A. Campbell

The Parts of Speech

What are the eight parts of speech?

Noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, conjunction, preposition, interjection.

What other part of speech is sometimes added to this list?

The article.

Nouns

What is a noun?

A noun names a person, place, or thing.

What are the types of nouns?

Common nouns and proper nouns.

What is a common noun?

The general name for a person, place, or thing: girl, country.

What is a proper noun?

The name of a specific person, place, or thing: Mary, United States.

What is a simple way to distinguish proper nouns from common nouns?

The first letter of a proper noun is capitalized.

What is another way to categorize nouns?

Concrete nouns and abstract nouns.

What are concrete nouns?

Nouns that name something physical: table, book.

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About the Literature Selections

This chapter is divided into five sections. The first, Literary Facts and Lists, provides information necessary for the understanding and appreciation of literature; it includes many mythological references. The second consists of Sayings, Proverbs, and Famous Quotations; here you will find everything from Aesop's morals to short lines from Shakespeare. The next section, Teaching Rhymes, gives nursery rhymes and other short verses meant to convey useful information. This section is most appropriate for the primary grades. Poetry is next, with selections ranging from the simplest children's verse to the great masterpieces of English literature. The chapter concludes with a selection of dramatic speeches from Shakespeare's plays.

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Literary Facts and Lists

Poetic Verse Lengths

Monometer: one foot Dimeter: two feet Trimeter: three feet Tetrameter: four feet Pentameter: five feet Hexameter: six feet Heptameter: seven feet Octameter: eight feet

The student who has learned to count in Greek will have no problem remembering the names of the verse lengths.

The Twelve Olympians

Zeus (Jupiter or Jove): god of the sky, father of the Olympians Hera (Juno): goddess of marriage and women, wife of Zeus Poseidon (Neptune): god of the seaDemeter (Ceres): goddess of agriculture, especially grainAthena (Minerva): goddess of wisdom, military stategy, and handcraft Apollo: god of music, poetry, and prophecy, sometimes associated with the sun Artemis (Diana): goddess of unmarried girls and the hunt; sometimes associated the moon Aphrodite (Venus): goddess of love and beauty Hermes (Mercury): messenger of the gods Ares (Mars): god of war Hephaestus (Vulcan): god of fire and metalcraft Dionysus (Liber): god of wine

A myth tells that the place of Dionysus was originally occupied by Hestia (Vesta), goddess of hearth and home. She gave up her Olympian throne to the younger god since she preferred to tend the sacred fire with her own hands. Hades (Pluto), although a major deity, was not counted among the Olympians; he was believed to live only in his underworld palace.

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About the Religion Selections

This chapter has six sections: Scripture, Prayers, Catechism, Poetry, Hymns, and Carols. The religion selections include material drawn from the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions, most of them, I believe, acceptable to the overwhelming majority of Christians. Still, your family's beliefs and practices take precedence, and you should certainly feel free to substitute other material or skip what does not fit your needs. Members of other faiths should, of course, do the same.

The Bible translation used here is the King James, chosen for its literary resonances in English. In a few instances I have used translations from the Book of Common Prayer, the Latin Missal, the Douay-Rheims, and other sources where these made sense. Catholics who are concerned about using a translation not approved by the Church may substitute the Douay-Rheims, which uses similarly elevated diction. Those readers who prefer a more modern translation may wish to consider the Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition) or the English Standard Version (Protestant). Paraphrases and colloquial translations are not recommended for memorization.

The Catechism section contains information sometimes taught in the context of catechism classes.

In preparing the hymn selections, I have consulted a number of denominational hymnals and recordings to determine which hymns are the most widely known. I have also taken into consideration the literary value of the words and the musical worthiness of the tunes. Additional hymns may be found in the Latin chapter. Even if your congregation uses contemporary praise-and-worship music, I encourage you to learn some of the older hymns at home. They are a precious part of our religious and musical heritage, and your children will benefit from the more complex language – and theology! - in traditional hymns.

The names given after “Music” in the notes are not author's names, but the names of hymn tunes. If you are not familiar with them, consult a hymnal or cyberhymnal.org.

There are many excellent recordings of these hymns available. One particularly helpful and affordable collection is keyed to the Adoremus Hymnal. It contains the first verse or two of many the hymns in this book; the quality of the singing is high. An extra advantage of this collection is that it contains a great many Latin hymns and chants plus the entire Ordinary of the Mass in Latin. The CDs are published by Ignatius Press. Be Still My Soul: The Ultimate Hymns Collection is another readily available anthology and contains many beloved Protestant hymns.

Some of the hymns are very long. I have given as many verses as possible for the sake of completeness, but most churches do not use all of them in worship. I suggest requiring memorization of up to four verses; more than that may prove excessive. Hymns may also be recited as poems in their own right.

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About the Geography Selections

This chapter contains a larger number of lists than any other. I have tried to make these lists complete, but parents should use discernment in choosing what materials their children should memorize. You may decide that, while it is important for your children to be able to name the three regions of Oceania and locate them on a map, memorizing the capital of Tuvalu does not make the best use of their time.

When memorizing lists, use the “outline” method: first learn the categories (e.g., regions), then the content within each category (e.g, names of nations), and finally, the details (e.g., capitals of each nation).

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The Cardinal DirectionsAuthor Unknown

The east is where the sun does rise Each morning, in the glorious skies; Full west he sets, or hides his head, And points to us the time for bed; He's in the south at dinner time; The north is facing to a line.

This short poem about the directions as seen in the Northern Hemisphere appears in Samuel Wilderspin's 1852 book on elementary education, The Infant System. The "dinner time" referred to is the midday meal, and the phrase "facing to a line" means simply "north is directly opposite south."

The Seven Continents

North America South America Europe AsiaAustralia Africa Antarctica

The Four Oceans

Atlantic Pacific Indian Arctic

Some geographers add a fifth ocean, the Southern or Antarctic.

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The Six Regions of the United States

New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, VermontMiddle Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas West: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Major United States Rivers

1. Mississippi (2348 mi.)2. Missouri (2312 mi.)3. Yukon (1979 mi.)4. Rio Grande (1900 mi.)5. Arkansas (1459 mi.)6. Colorado (1450 mi.)7. Ohio-Allegheny (1306 mi.)8. Red (1290 mi.)9. Columbia (1243 mi.)

This list includes all the U.S. rivers over 1200 miles in length. Be sure students can identify them on a map.

Major United States Mountain Ranges

Appalachian Mountains: Eastern U.S. Rocky Mountains: Western U.S. Sierra Nevada: Nevada/California Cascades: Pacific Northwest Coast Range: Pacific Northwest/Canada Alaska Range: South-Central Alaska Brooks Range: Northern Alaska

The ten highest points in the United States are all in Alaska; each is over 15,000 feet. The highest peak is Mount McKinley (20,320 ft.).

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About the World History Selections

The World History selections cover events and personalities from around the globe, with emphasis on those topics of enduring or pervasive importance. More detailed listings of events relating to American history appear in the United States History and Civics chapter.

Younger children need not memorize every date on the list; the most important events should take precedence. Older children can fill in the details as they progress in their history studies.

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Dates and Lists

Periods of Early History

Stone Age Early prehistory-3300 BCAgricultural Revolution 8500-7000 BCBronze Age 3300-1200Iron Age 1200-1st cent. BC

The dates given here apply to the Near East and the Mediterranean.

Periods of Egyptian History

Early Dynastic ca. 2925-2575 Menes, ZoserOld Kingdom ca. 2575-2130 KhufuFirst Intermediate ca.2130-2040Middle Kingdom ca. 2040-

1600Menuhotep II

Second Intermediate 1630-1540 Hyksos rulers, AhmoseNew Kingdom 1550-1070 Amenhotep I-III, Thutmose I-IV, Hatshepsut,

Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV)Third Intermediate 1070-656 Sheshonq I, Nubian rulersLate Period 664-332 Psammatichus I, Persian rulers, Nectanebo IIMacedonian Kings 332-305The Ptolemies 305-30

All dates are BC. After 30 BC, Egypt became a Roman province.

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The Seven Sages of Greece

Solon of Athens Nothing in excess. Chilon of Sparta Know thyself. Thales of Miletus To bring surety brings ruin.Bias of Priene Too many workers spoil the work. Cleobulus of Lindos Moderation is impeccable.Pittacus of Mytilene Know thine opportunity. Periander of Corinth Forethought in all things.

The Seven Sages were men who lived around 600 B.C. Later ages attributed great wisdom to them. There are several different lists of the Seven Sages. This is the one reported by Pausanias (10.24.1) to have been engraved at the temple of Apollo at Delphi, along with the characteristic maxims. Plato has a similar list in the Protagoras (343a-b), but substitutes Myson of Chenae for Periander.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza The Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Temple of Artemis at EphesusThe Mausoleum at Halicarnassus The Colossus of Rhodes The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria

This "official" list of the Seven Wonders derives from a poem by Antipater of Sidon, written in 140 B.C. (Greek Anthology IX.58). Here is an anonymous poem that can also be memorized:

The Pyramids first, which in Egypt were laid;Next Babylon's Gardens, for Amytis made;Then Mausolos' Tomb of affection and guilt;Fourth, the Temple of Diana in Ephesus built;The Colossus of Rhodes, case in brass, to the Sun;Sixth, Jupiter's Statue, by Phidias done;The Pharos of Egypt comes last, we are told,Or the Palace of Cyrus, cemented with gold.

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About the United States History and Civics Selections

This chapter stresses key dates in American history as well as the founding documents of our nation. Patriotic songs, verse, and oratory are also included. Young students should learn a basic outline first, adding in details like the dates of specific battles as they progress in their studies.

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Dates and Lists

The First President

The first president of the United States of America was George Washington.

Elected Officials

Have your student learn the names of the current U.S. President and Vice President; your state governor, senators and representatives; and your mayor or other local official(s).

State Symbols

Have the student learn (1) their state's motto, (2) the state bird, and (3) the state flower.

The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of Americaand to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

Students should know not only the words to the pledge but also proper etiquette for its recitation: We stand facing the flag, with our right hand over our heart. Hats should be removed while saying the pledge. The pledge was originally written in 1892 and has undergone several revisions. The addition of the phrase "under God" was the last such amendation, undertaken in 1954.

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The Thirteen Colonies

Connecticut Delaware Georgia Maryland Massachusetts BayNew HampshireNew YorkNew JerseyNorth CarolinaPennsylvaniaRhode Island and Providence South Carolina Virginia

Make sure that students know that the territories of the thirteen colonies do not correspond exactly to the states as we know them today. For example, Massachusetts Bay Colony included Maine, New York included Vermont, North Carolina included Tennessee, and Virginia included what became the states of Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

The American Revolution: Important Dates

1775 Battle of Lexington1776 Declaration of Independence1777 Burgoyne surrenders1778 Evacuation of Philadelphia1779 Bonhomme Richard naval victory1780 Treason of Benedict Arnold1781 Battle and treaty at Yorktown

The letters in bold type spell out the mnemonic LIBERTY.

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About the Natural Sciences Selections

This chapter brings together lists and mnemonics for basic information in the natural sciences. The material covered here is appropriate to elementary and middle school. Students should memorize this information as they encounter it in the course of their studies.

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Astronomy

The Planets

MercuryVenusEarthMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptune

Pluto was removed from the list of planets proper by vote of the International Astronomical Union on August 24, 2006. It is now classed as a dwarf planet.

Moon Phases

New MoonWaxing Crescent MoonHalf Moon (First Quarter)Waxing Gibbous MoonFull MoonWaning Gibbous MoonHalf Moon (Last Quarter)Waning Crescent MoonNew Moon

Here is a short poem by Christina Rossetti to help remember the difference between waxing and waning moon phases:

O Lady Moon, your horns point toward the east;Shine, and be increased:O Lady Moon, your horns point toward the west;Wane, and be at rest.

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About the Reference Charts

The charts given here are meant for quick reference only; they do not replace the instruction provided in your Latin or Greek curriculum or the more complete information in a comprehensive grammar text. The charts may, however, be used as the basis for Latin or Greek grammar recitation.

Due to the complexity of Greek grammar and the fact that students may go in any one of three directions with the language in high school – Attic, Homeric, or Koine – I have limited the Greek paradigms in this reference section to the Koine material a student may expect to cover by the end of middle school. For more extensive charts, please consult your textbook or a Greek reference grammar.

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