“A Literature-Based Unit Study

On the Victorian Era”

By Margie Gray

www.cadroncreek.com

Review by Jolene Underwood

NEWSFLASH!!

Many of you may be familiar with Anne of Green Gables either through the film portrayal or from having read the series of books by L.M. Montgomery. What do you know of Anne? She’s a lively, verbose and imaginative young woman with red hair! What do you know of the times she lived in? Hmmm…how about big white houses with picket fences, pastures, gardens and a staple of canned goods (no not like Tomato Soup from Campbell’s but pressure canned vegetables and fruits in glass jars!) OK, well that’s what I think of and my thoughts are heavily influenced by having seen the films and reading the first book by Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables. So why an entire UNIT study on the book and how can it possibly fit 7^th-12^th grade students? Keep on reading if you will, and hopefully you will come away with a clearer understanding of Margie Gray’s unit study, her Christian worldviews and her desire to inspire young women as they grow to be what Christ calls them to.

General Information

Margie Gray may be better known for the unit study, Prairie Primer, based on the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Prairie Primer was written for Grades 1-6 whereas Where the Brook and the River Meet (WBRM) was designed for Grades 7-12. While either study could be tailored to include younger or older students, you will find that the suggested activities in WBRM, and the level of rhetoric, to be best suited for high school level students, or young ladies to be more precise.

Areas of study in WBRM include: Bible, Dictation/Writing, Fine Arts, Health, History, Literature, Occupational Education and Vocabulary. It is suggested that your student keeps a 3-ring binder, with tabs for each of these subjects, to keep their reports, research information and observations filed. This will be helpful for keeping a record of work completed as well as a remembrance of their studies.

Key resources to this study include a beautiful hardcover book called The Annotated Anne of Green Gables, The Green Gables Letters from L.M. Montgomery to Ephraim Weber 1905-1909 (available through Cadron Creek, difficult to find elsewhere), an anthology of poems from the Victorian Era compiled by Margie Gray (Anne’s Anthology), the 1987 Bantam version of Anne of Green Gables and Writer’s Inc. (High-school level handbook). (For a review of the Write Source handbooks, please see: In-Depth Review: Write Source Handbooks.) Additional readings suggested throughout WBRM include: How Should We Then Live? by Francis A. Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer, What in the World is Going On Here? (tapes) by Diana Waring, The Anne of Green Gables Treasury, Pilgrim’s Progress, Aunt Maud’s Recipe Book and others. Your student should also have access to a Bible, concordance, encyclopedias, dictionary and a thesaurus. (All of which can be found online.)

Layout & Format

WBRM is divided into nine units, each covering several chapters from the book, Annotated Anne of Green Gables and/or the Bantam Classic version of Anne of Green Gables. Each unit is designed to cover approximately a months worth of studies (4 weeks).

At the beginning of each unit we find lovely Victorian illustrations done by the hands of Margie’s daughters, Jessica and Alexandria, and another home schooled young lady, Trisha Lynn McKenzie. These include sketches of Anne when she first comes to Green Gables, Anne and her best friend Diana and other time period drawings. Throughout the chapters, simple yet elegant icons and graphics are found around chapter headings. The combination of sketches and Victorian elegant graphics are a nice, warm addition to the book. The typeset is also easy to read and the layout provides easy to use structure for planning or utilizing each week.

Planning Guide

Following the sketches denoting one of the nine units, each week’s instruction (based on generally one chapter in the book) includes a Planning Guide, Assignment Tables and a Study Guide. The Planning Guide is a nice touch that should be helpful for busy moms, or young girls working independently, in planning. It includes a list of items (such as books, videos and other resources) that should be gathered for use during the week. For example, in Unit 5, Chapter XXII, there are twelve suggestions of items to collect. (other weeks generally have less) For this chapter the student will be preparing for activities that are geared more towards home economics and include gathering items such as those needed to make a centerpiece or a collage, ingredients for lemon pie or fresh biscuits and the book, Hidden Art of Homemaking for selected readings. Suggested topics for research activities, videos, field trips and group activities are listed next in the Planning Guide. This chapter includes suggestions to research: church’s doctrinal statement, rules of etiquette for tea, aluminum sources in diet with possible ties to diseases and more. Finally, verse references for Memory Work are listed. Again, the layout and the typeset are nicely done easily accommodating notes in the margin through the book as you plan and even for journaling along the way as new things are learned.

Assignment Tables

When you and your student(s) begin this unit study, you (or they) will determine whether an ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’ grade is to be earned. This is determined by the number of books read in each of four categories: Bible, History, Literature and Occupational Education. Each category will comprise 25% of the overall grade and the student will be asked to sign a Reading Contract in advance that will depict how many and which books will be read for the grade. These books and Contracted readings are spread out throughout the study. In the Assignment Tables for Contract Reading, you will be able to see when a book should be started by subject and for the contracted letter grade. There does not seem to be a suggestion or reference as to how quickly the student should complete the book(s), nor are there page or chapter references unless there are only portions of the book to be read (as in Francis A. Schaeffer’s How Should We Then Live?).

Next is a weekly Assignment Table laying out the seven areas of study against each day of the week. In the various cells are numerical references keyed to activity selections from the following Study Guide. For example (from the same Unit and Chapter as above), on Monday the student may read Chapter XXI from Anne of Green Gables and then complete reading comprehension questions and a follow-up activity. Other recommendations may include activities for History, Bible, Health, Occupational Education and Grammar and Writing. Some activities will take longer than others and you are free to select those you wish to do and those you may modify or do without. However, the Assignment Table is nice either way as it provides a place with planning already done for you as well as plenty of room to write in your own modifications or thoughts for the week.

Study Guide

Each Study Guide begins with the student reading the selected chapter of Anne of Green Gables and working through various Reading comprehension questions and Vocabulary activities (like fill-in-the-blanks). Following this, activities are numerically listed and detailed. Each activity is tied to an academic area of study which is referenced in the margin. Small icons are included to denote the type of activity that is being referenced (writing, reading, discussion, hands-on, mapping etc.). Activity One in each chapter is a dictation assignment that should be worked on daily though it is not referenced in the Assignment Table.

Again from Chapter XXI (found in Unit 5), here is an example of what is included in the Study Guide. Literature – Activity #3 begins with a commentary on Robert Browning and his poetry. The student is then tasked with reading “Evelyn’s Hope” from Anne’s Anthology (which is written by Robert Browning) and will need to discuss with mom (or dad, the “instructor”) Browning’s spiritual beliefs that come through the poem. They will also map his “country of origin”, write a brief biography, and read Hebrews 9:27, which is used to point out scripturally that Browning’s viewpoint, as seen in the poem, is inaccurate. Another example is #10 – Occupational Education which includes commentary on etiquette and a story of Queen Elizabeth II. The student(s) then discuss with the instructor “how she uses manners to make people feel comfortable.”

Appendices

One of the reasons this new version of Where the Brook and the River Meet is so much larger is because of the much expanded Appendices. This section alone covers over 200 pages!

Background Information Appendix

Here your student will find information about a time period or culture studied in a particular chapter as well as original articles or excerpts of writing from various authors. The background information is intended to provide additional insight for the student as they seek to understand the culture or people referenced. In addition, it will fuel some great discussions for student and parent as the philosophies mentioned may not all line up with sound Christian doctrine. Therefore, it should be noted that the information is not necessarily meant to instruct in philosophy and the ways of Christ, but rather to shed light on various viewpoints and cultural backgrounds to paint a better picture of the era and people. Examples include: commentary by Margie Gray on “Knights, Chivalry and Feudal Society”, an article on the author Pansy by Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler, article “On Visiting the Sick” by John Wesley, the poem “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes and much more. This section is a wealth of information and will be valuable in your student(s) studies. How nice to have it right there for handy reference!

Activity Appendix

The Activity Appendix is pretty self explanatory. Activities from the Study Guide requiring additional instruction or information are listed in this section. From the Table of Contents we see instructions for making Rose Geranium Cake, homemade ice-cream, vanilla and raspberry cordial as well as for making a bead ring, for flower pounding and for crocheting a dishcloth (though you may need to refer additional resources for specifics on crocheting).

Unit Quizzes, Final Exam and Answers

Remember that each unit is approximately one month of study (unless you wish to use the book over more than one year). This appendix includes a quiz for each unit that is sectioned by subjects of study. Questions vary from multiple choice, definitions, lists and answering questions like “In what battle did Lord Nelson win the battle, but lose his life?” Each section is weighted with points so that the teacher (parent) may grade accordingly. The answer appendix includes the answers to these quizzes, the final exam and various activities throughout the units.

Appendix of Resources

A list of publisher and resource information for many of the books and activities recommended.

Topics Covered Appendix

For each subject of study there are numerous topics covered and they are listed here in alphabetical order as well as referenced by corresponding Unit and Chapter coverage. Examples of topics: Ambition, Apostle’s Creed, John Calvin, Perseverance, Banking, Collage, Waiting on the Lord, Jewelweed, and so on.

Worldview – Christian or Controversial?

It should be noted that while L.M. Montgomery writes about Anne and the Cuthberts as conservative and Christian, her life did not bear out these beliefs. From her own personal writings, it is apparent that she did not believe in Jesus as the Christ, our Savior, or hold to a decidedly Christian worldview. This error in her philosophy of life and of her worldview is more evident in the book, The Green Gables Letters from L.M. Montgomery to Ephraim Weber 1905-1909 and (from what I understand) her other writings and journals (see Book Review by Keepers of the Faith). From what I can surmise, it seems that Margie Gray has taken this into account as she consistently refers to suggestions or comments made in Anne of Green Gables (AGG) and in the “Letters” book and refutes or expounds upon the concepts using the Bible as the standard for worldview perception. In addition, the frequent references to the Bible and the suggested research and study activities utilizing the Bible and additional readings from books such as Francis Shaeffer’s How Should We Then Live consistently reiterate important worldview concepts from a Biblical perspective and challenge some of the concerns brought up in reading AGG. Unfortunately, much well-loved literature does not come from writers of solid biblical standings. Having the guidance Margie Gray offers in WBRM is a great way to help your student learn discernment in their reading in ways that are well, “between the lines.”

Where Might This Be A Good Fit . . . Or Not?

Just entering the teenage years in our own home, we have experienced the quandaries of what do to make sure that “academic” needs and requirements are met while balancing a home where learning, literature and life skills are encouraged and a part of life. Margie Gray has done a fine job pulling these together for young ladies as they prepare for life after high school. Regarding academics, in the introduction of WBRM Margie Gray addresses High School Credits and a couple of methods used to calculate credits including excerpts from an article by Ellen Davis from an older edition of The Elijah Company Catalog. Tracking coursework is taken into account throughout the book which may be helpful for those slightly uncomfortable with using a unit study during the teenage years rather than a traditional textbook course. While a “Scope and Sequence” is not provided, Mrs. Gray does offer a list of what subjects and credits will be completed through the use of WBRM as well as the “Topics Covered” appendix. These may be helpful for those who would like to use a unit study in the high school years but are unsure, or uneasy, about how to record the work being done.

This unit study will likely be better suited for students who have enjoyed, or would likely enjoy, the book Anne of Green Gables as well as those who are able to work more independently. Parents and students who are comfortable with tailoring a study to meet their own needs will find WBRM quite accommodating.

Personal Notes and Summary

Where the Brook and the River Meet is an interesting literature-based unit study. Even though you will find quantitative measures of testing and quizzing, which is not typically found in unit studies, the overall tone of the curriculum is one of integrating a study of history (specifically the Victorian Era), through literature readings, writing and hands-on activities, with a Christian perspective. Home making skills are intertwined throughout providing a study which rounds out in more than the typical academic areas.

Further Information

This book and several of the additional required resources are available for checkout from our lending library. If you have questions about the library service or would like to provide comments about this review, please email jolene @ christianhomelibrary. org (with the spaces removed).