Course Overview

The theme for the year will focus on literature from around the world and across time periods. The goal is to use this literature in combination with prior knowledge to build a finely tuned opportunity to succeed in advanced skills of articulation, be it oral, written, or other forms of presentation. We will divide year into 4 general themes and work on units that blend these themes into our goal.

Unit 1: “Teach Me, Oh Wise One” ~ Didactic Literature

• Various Didactic Texts and related stories, folk tales, fables, etc.

• Siddhartha (novel)

• The Alchemist (novel)

• Reading Literature and Narrative Writing

• Reading Informative Texts and Informative/Explanatory Writing

Unit 2: “Who am I?” ~ Defining Philosophies

• Philosophy, Greek Tragedy, Middle Ages, and more

• Antigone, Inferno

• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (novel)

• Reading Information and Writing Arguments

Unit 3: “Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, there once was a tale…” ~ The Art of Storytelling

• Renaissance Lit

• Shakespeare’s Hamlet

• Reading Literature and Narrative Writing

Unit 4: “Saw What?” ~ Modern Outlook in a Changing World

• Modern Lit from Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, etc

• Life of Pi

• Reading Literature and Narrative Writing

• Reading Information and Explanatory Writing

There will be a wide variety of texts, poems, short stories, novels, and plays used for these themes. In addition, we will use a broad range of tools for articulation including discussion, Socratic seminar, journals, blogs, webquests, essays, presentations, dramatic readings, and much more.