English IV - Semester - 1

Recommended Grade Level: 12

Course Credits: 0.5

Course Price: $285.00

Price $285.00

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Course Details:

The course begins with an introduction to poetry covering structure, rhyme, language elements, nuance, word meaning, and figurative language. These concepts and others (like literary devices and theme) are reinforced through poems by American poets like Walt Whitman, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Robert Frost. British poetry selections from the Romantic period include works by William Blake and Lord Byron. Poetry from the Romantic period provides students with an opportunity to focus on how poets use language to convey meaning, a sequence of events, author perspective, and personal reflection on a literary work. The period's characteristics provide students with a solid grasp of Romanticism and literature and the ability to write objective summaries and cite textual evidence to support their ideas about a text. Poetry concludes with Shakespearean sonnets, which students evaluate for word choice, literary devices, and thematic development. Evaluating poetry helps students develop and fine-tune close reading and analytical skills, benefiting them as they read and evaluate texts in future courses.

The course transitions to American literature. An overview and discussion of its evolution from the 18th to the 21st century helps students understand significant literary periods. They learn concepts like story elements, providing them with skills to evaluate and analyze any piece of literature. Selections include "The Emigrants" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Various narrative techniques are explored to demonstrate how authors use language and story elements to develop a plot and create memorable characters, which also helps students with their writing.

Eighteenth to 20th- century British literature is covered via various mediums like novels, short stories, and drama. This approach exposes students to influential British authors and their works as they apply concepts from the course to various texts. The importance of task, purpose, and audience is reinforced by analyzing selections such as The Lucky Mistake by Aphra Behn and short stories like "Araby" (James Joyce), "The Interlopers" (Saki), and "The New Dress" (Virginia Woolf). Students benefit from an introduction to British drama and some of Britain's greatest playwrights, focusing on "D Company" by Miles Malleson. Previous concepts are reinforced, and narrative techniques such as dialogue and pacing are discussed.

The course culminates in an opportunity for students to apply what they learn to a classic piece of literature, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, in various formats (text, picture book, play, and film).

English language usage and conventions are reinforced throughout the course, and all concepts are reinforced with relevant examples and thorough explanations. Students are provided opportunities to apply their knowledge through a series of carefully selected exercises and assessments. They will write clear and coherent narratives using various narrative techniques. Successful completion of this course prepares students for higher-level courses in English Literature.

Note: This course is not designed for ELL (English Language Learners) students. ELL students may enroll in this course ONLY if they have adequate mentor support at their home school and are able to fulfill all course requirements.

Prerequisites:

Syllabus:

Section 1: Poetry

In this section, you will learn about the following objectives:

Understand English usage as a matter of convention and language in context.
Understand figurative language, word relationships, nuance, and precise language.
Cite textual evidence to support analysis.
Determine themes and their development throughout a text.
Analyze author choices including structure, point of view, perspective, and purpose.
Write engaging and complete narratives using the writing process and enhance presentations with digital media.

Lessons:

Introduction to Poetry
Introduction to American Poetry - Part 1
"The Bean Eaters" (Introduction to American Poetry - Part 2)
"The Road Not Taken" (Introduction to American Poetry - Part 3)
Comparing Poems with Similar Themes and Summary
Introduction to British Poetry
Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Section 2: American Literature

In this section, you will learn about the following objectives:

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks to show a command of formal English.
Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes and consult reference materials when encountering unknown words.
Write to engage and orient readers, vary syntax for effect and provide a logical conclusion.
Use transitional words to connect ideas in writing and narrative techniques to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
Analyze complex characters and their development.

Lessons:

Introduction to American Literature - Part 1
Introduction to American Literature - Part 2
Case Study: 19th Century American Literature
Comparative Study of Early 20th Century American Literature
American Drama

Section 3: British Literature

In this section, you will learn about the following objectives:

Use a variety of techniques to sequence events that logically build on one another.
Use narrative techniques like dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop a story.
Analyze how characters interact with other characters and advance the plot or develop the theme in a text.
Analyze how characterization, plot, setting, and other elements work together to contribute to the development and complexity of a text.

Lessons:

18th Century British Literature
19th Century British Literature
Comparative Study 20th Century British Literature
British Drama - “D Company”

Section 4: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

In this section, you will learn about the following objectives:

Analyze the impact of an author's choices regarding how elements of a story or drama are developed and relate.
Analyze how characterization, plot, setting, and other elements interact and contribute to the development and complexity of a text.
Determine the connotative meaning of words and consider the impact of word choice on meaning and tone.
Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem and evaluate how each version interprets the source text.

Lessons: