British Literature - * High School Credit - 9th -12th grades
Led by Christy Mixson.
4pm - 5pm weekly on Wednesdays at CBC.
Reading with discernment, responding to the literature by recognizing truth in the story, literary analysis, and applying the Biblical world-view will guide the approach to this course. True education includes learning that fuels godly imagination, that trains the intellect, and that develops God-given passions and convictions. This is what we seek.Students will read assigned books during the week and meet weekly for comprehension and critical analysis discussions and exercises. Vocabulary exercises, quizzes, and essays will supplement the reading and discussions.
Books at the beginning of this course include the following: From British Poetry: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Idylls of the King, Beowulf, Selected Canterbury Tales, Selected Poems of Alexander Pope, World War I British Poets; British Drama: Macbeth, Hamlet, Tragedy of Julius Caesar; British Fiction: Animal Farm, Great Expectations, Utopia, and The Space Trilogy.These are planned readings that may later be substituted. A few substitutions could be made based on student preferences or the class may be subdivided into book based groups: these are some available alternate books: Frankenstein, Pilgrim's Progress, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. To begin with, the first 3 books listed under British poetry should be borrowed or purchased for reading.
We will cover 1 book at a time and students will be expected to spend at least 45 minutes every day to read and complete assignments for class preparation.
Preferred Versions of first 3 texts: Sir Gawain - Dover - ISBN: 0-486-43191-6Idylls of the King - Signet Classic - ISBN: 0-451-52875-1Beowulf: Seamus Heaney translation ISBN:0-393-32097-9Depending on needs of those participating, it would be possible to swap the two class times.These two classes complement each other beautifully; understanding the place of each literature book in its historical context is especially beneficial.
