Oh, Please, Plutarch. (An Introduction to Navigating Plutarch in Your Homeschool)

Have you seen the other two Plutarch posts and still feel like this is a subject area we should chat about? Let’s go!

Why do we study Plutarch?

In the Classical and Charlotte Mason worlds, Plutarch’s biographies can help build moral and character education. Since Plutarch focuses on moral virtues and character development, it fits into the development of the whole person, which is so important in the Classical and Charlotte Mason education.

Plutarch’s writings are considered living books because they present history in a narrative way that is engaging to read. This allows the student to develop a personal connection to what they are reading and helps them remember the story better.

The biographical aspect of Plutarch’s writing allows students to compare Greek and Roman lives, understand the historical context, and consider human nature. Over time, students will be able to compare and contrast the actions of historical figures over time.

Plutarch’s writings allow students to think critically, make connections of moral importance, and help inspire a deeper understanding of human behavior over the course of history.

Beginning Information: While the book that Charlotte Mason recommended was the North translation, Plutarch is an area of study where abridged is better for younger grades. We use the Anne E. White version for our own personal studies. I do enjoy reading the North translations for my own education and enjoyment.

Supplies and Resources For Teaching Plutarch:

Book of Centuries (grade 5 and up) or Timeline Notebook (grade 4)
The Plutarch Podcast : Why Read Plutarch: This podcast episode gives wonderful, inspiring ideas as to why we should read Plutarch.
The Plutarch Project Books
Maps of Ancient Rome and Greece
Blank map of Ancient Rome and Greece

Scheduling:

I have found that Plutarch is an area of study that is nearly impossible to complete in one 20-minute time slot a week.

Rather than push the boundaries with short lessons and frustrate the students, I split Plutarch into two sessions a week. For the first session, we will review vocabulary, add important dates to our timeline journal, complete our century chart, and work on character cards from the last reading.

In the second session, we will read and narrate the next chapter.

Working through Plutarch this way allows us to get the full scope of the lesson without feeling overwhelmed or worked up.

Reading and Narrations:

The bulk of understanding comes from reading and narration. Each week your child should narrate back to you what they heard in the reading text. You can use a narration notebook for a written narration or allow your child to dictate a narration to you and have them add details in the blank box like drawings, timeline notes, or maps.

Timeline and Century Charts:

While studying Plutarch, it is important to give your students, and yourself points of reference in history. During the beginning lessons, write down any necessary dates in your book of centuries and timeline, like birth dates and dates of death.

It may also be necessary to reference any influential wars that are occurring during this period. Ancient Greek and Roman times were particularly marred by war and political lines changed often.

Map Drills:

Many of Plutarch lives span many different areas of the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Since many of these places mentioned in Plutarch look different today, it's important to help provide context for the locations.Maps of Ancient Greece and Rome from the time of the particular life that is being read. Before reading, find the location mentioned on the map.You can also print a blank map of the ancient worlds to add locations as you learn about them.

Character Cards:

Plutarch includes many characters across many different lives. One of the best ways to keep track of everyone is to use character cards. You can write down known important dates, relationships with other people, or character traits of the person.One of the best places to get these cards is from Leslie Manning, From the CM Trenches.

At the end of the day, Plutarch is something you have to jump into and get your feet wet. You can spend hours agonizing over what to do in order to teach Plutarch, or you can start, however imperfectly and see how it goes. I promise, it’s not so hard once you get started!

For Plutarch Journals, please visit our Plutarch section on the website.