It's a surprise holiday here in the Gladly household: we're abandoning our usual homeschooling schedule to celebrate the Ides of March. On the agenda (Latin geek note, in honor of the day -- did you know that "agenda" comes from the Latin "agenda est," meaning "it must be done"?):
- a reading of the Marcia Williams version of Julius Caesar
- a re-enactment of the assassination, with a Caesar made of pillows and crowned with laurel leaves (dried bay leaves from my spice stash), because I have sons who love to stab at things with wooden swords
- a discussion of meter (Shakespeare's blank verse (probably using Antony's funeral oration as an example) vs. Latin dactylic hexameter)
- a primer on calendars -- Roman, Hebrew, Islamic -- with discussion of why the moon has phases and why lunar calendars get out of sync with the solar year
- a quick look at the vocative case ("Et tu, Brute?"), which fits in nicely with our recent study of Mass parts for Lent ("...Sanctus Dominus..." was last week's focus; we'll talk about "Benedic, Domine..." as a contrast today).
After lunch we'll run out to get some ingredients for "Roman treats" -- almond-stuffed dates, a favorite snack here. I'm off to put on my toga. Valete!
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