An entry is done in her notebook once a week.

 

 

Shakespeare

 

Shakespeare and Plutarch have often provided some fruitful ideas for narrations with their rich language and drama. I used this suggestion from the Cambridge School Shakespeare as a base for my daughter’s narration below:

 

Imagine you are Caesar’s intelligence agents who have shadowed Brutus and Cassius (in Act 1, Scene 2) and bugged their conversation in order to make a report on them to their master.

 

 

She typed this one & I copied it here unedited, except for the dialogue, where I used a different colour to make it easier to read:

Brutus and Cassius standeth together, talking in low tones, glancing this way, and that way, making certain that no one doth intrudeth forth into their conversion.

Brutus

‘How now, Cassius: what brings thee to converse with me?’

Cassius

‘Oh, my dear Brutus, ‘tis nought but friendly talk.’

There arises a shout from the populace, in the direction of Caesar’s whereabouts

Brutus

“Alack, alack, I fear me that honour hath been given Caesar. Alas for Rome! Ah me! We sinketh thus to the depths of d…. I mean, harrumph, ah, hooray!’

Cassius

‘Thou needst not fear me, Brutus, I am one of those excellent and most trustworthy people, who . . .’
Cassius’s words fade unto the air, as in the distance they heareth the voice of Caesar, who sayeth unto Antony,
‘I want fat men about me, Antonius. That Cassius hath a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much. Sniff. Such men are dangerous.’

Cassius

‘Ah, excuse me. . . now, as I was uttering, when so rudely interrupted, cough, cough, thou canst trust me, Brutus. Thou dost not approve of honours given unto Caesar?’

Brutus

‘Aye, Cassius. Methinks, thee also . . .?’ 

Cassius (drawing Brutus aside)

‘Oh, the day, when men fall down in front of men, made up as gods, when once they were as equals! I, fearless before foes, the terror of mine enemies, reduced to this! I, who once had to draggeth Caesar out of the Tiber!’

Brutus

‘Out upon thee! Explain thine self, eh?!’

Cassius

‘Why, my dear Brutus, upon the banks of Tiber I stood with Caesar, who turned unto me, and spake, ‘Cassius, wouldst thou jump into that flood with?’ I up and spake, ‘Aye Caesar, that would I,’ and forthwith I jumped straightway into that roaring flood, and Caesar jumped in with me. I had reached the farther bank, when whereupon Caesar cried unto me, ‘Help, o noble Cassius!’ (see what opinion he had of me!’) I turning around, with all the goodness of my heart, jumped into that flood once more, and dragged him upon the bank, for, he was too weak, forsooth, to do it himself! And now, I ask thee, Caesar holdeth the laurels?!’

Brutus (impressed)

‘Oh dear, Cassius. Of a truth, methinks thou art more fitted to hold the laurels than Caesar! I bear him no ill will, but the bettering of Rome is in my thoughts, O Cassius.’

Cassius

‘I agree, Brutus. And, moreover, when Caesar had a fever, he asked for water.’

Brutus (horrified)

‘Oh horror! What a calamity. Oh justice, thou art fled to brutish beasts, and men have lost their reason.’

Cassius

‘Yea, Brutus, I hear the trumpets this way come. Thine self I shall meet on the morrow.’

Brutus

‘Aye. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night ‘til it be morrow.’

History

A handwritten narration from Churchill’s Birth of Britain. She is quite neat when she does her copywork and dictation but more haphazard when doing a hand-written narration.

Science

This is from her Anatomy & Physiology book (see here & here for the books we’re using for Year 7)