Lost Tools of Writing 1: Little Britches - Books 1-2

In the Lost Tools of Writing I, we will dive into Ralph Moody’s autobiography, Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers and Man of the Family, peel back layers of critical thinking skills and learn to overcome the challenges every writer is faced with; what to write about, how to order thoughts, and how to appropriately express those thoughts. Through the process of layered reading, we will ask good questions, analyze decisions, and gain a keen understanding of the text. We will learn tools that will guide us to insightful conclusions and judgements, and we will learn to humbly and persuasively share these conclusions using the spoken and written word.

We will be challenged to contemplate and share our discoveries in class. We may be challenged to, albeit with respect and in love, defend our position or humbly acknowledge another point of view. This is imperative because the Lost Tools of Writing is not just a writing program, it is a thinking program. Through this process we will gain insight in how to think logically yet compassionately, therefore gaining imperative life skills. By using Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers and Man of the Family as our sources of contemplation, students will allow themselves the freedom to exercise the tools of thought without a personal stake in the outcome.

We will ask the fundamental question, “should an individual or group have done something”. This is an important question. How many times in our lives do we assess an action we, or someone close to us, has taken and are compelled to contemplate whether it was a good choice? We weigh the reasons why and why not. We come to a conclusion. And finally, we must stand firm in our convictions and express our thoughts strategically but humbly. With guidance our students will sharpen their assessment of an action using Aristotle’s five common topics, learn to arrange those thoughts adequately, and share them eloquently and humbly in a persuasive essay.

Edmund Morrison once said:

“Like stones, words are laborious and unforgiving, and the fitting of them together, like the fitting of stones, demands great patience and strength of purpose and particular skill.”

At the end of this course, our students will be able to write a 10-paragraph persuasive essay that will include: thesis, counter-thesis, proofs and sub-proofs, exordium, narratio, refutation, amplification, schemes, and tropes.

Course Objectives

• Learn to conquer three common challenges all writers face
• Utilize the five common topics
• Put critical thinking skills into action
• Recognize and use six schemes and tropes
• Write eight persuasive essays