What does it mean to be a hero? How do we make good choices? Why is remembrance valuable? When do we know we belong? Throughout human history, we have asked and answered these and other big questions through literature. Epics, short stories, poems, and memoirs offer us insight into these questions and how humans have considered these topics across time and place.
In this literature and writing course, students will focus on five thematic units:
Epics and Heroes
Choices and Decisions
Memory and Remembrance
Relationships and Belonging
Reflection and Research
The course begins by exploring ancient heroes, starting with Odysseus and Beowulf, and continues through to King Arthur, Robin Hood, and contemporary heroes. The second unit focuses on decision-making first by exploring poems and short stories from Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, then with an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Students will view and compare cinematic versions of Macbeth. The third unit explores the idea of memory through a variety of poems and two short stories “Solid Objects” by Woolf and “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Marquez. In the final literary unit, students will read Trevor Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime, and consider the idea of belonging both thematically and in the historical context of Apartheid in South Africa. Throughout, students will cite strong and thorough textual evidence to provide summaries of the texts and support analysis of themes.
Each unit will focus on one type of writing, beginning with an illustration essay where students will explore and explain their own idea of what it means to be heroic. In the second unit, students will write and deliver a persuasive speech, incorporating rhetorical devices to sway their audience to their point of view. Students will compare and contrast two poems that explore the thematic idea of memory in a well-developed literary comparison. Throughout the course, students will write shorter analyses and explanations, demonstrating command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
In the final unit, students will select a topic of their choosing that relates to one of the historical, literary, or thematic concepts studied in the course. They will find, evaluate, and use sources to answer research questions and present their findings in a well-organized presentation.
Students will engage with a variety of readings in multiple genres and will respond to these texts in writing, speaking, and other forms of expression (video, audio, etc.).
About the Self-Paced Course Model
Self-Paced courses are comprehensive, self-paced courses designed for students who need or desire more flexibility in their academic schedule. VHS Learning teachers will regularly interact with students in asynchronous discussions, will host weekly office hours, and will invite students to monthly 1-on-1 progress meetings. Teachers will support students, answer questions, and provide feedback on work. Students will work independently on course activities; the course does not include class discussion assignments or other collaborative work.
Students may start this course on any Wednesday from September through the first Monday in February. Students must maintain enrollment for a minimum of 20 weeks and have until mid June to complete all assignments in the course. It is expected that students will work for approximately 200 hours to complete this course, though the amount of time may vary depending on a student’s work habits and comfort with the material.
Course Essential Questions:
- How do universal themes connect literature across time and place?
- How can we interpret literary and informational texts to understand a wide variety of topics?
- How do writers use literary tools to express their ideas?
- How do we use language and conventions to communicate effectively?
Course Learning Objectives:
- Analyze how ideas are developed throughout or between texts.
- Cite strong and thorough textual evidence, from both literature and informational texts, to provide a summary of the texts and support analysis of themes.
- Analyze the craft and structure of both literature and informational texts, including literary devices and rhetoric.
- Write arguments, informational, and narrative pieces using development, organization, style, vocabulary, and conventions that are appropriate to the purpose and audience.
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- Conduct research to answer a question by evaluating and using a variety of sources, synthesizing learning, and presenting conclusions in a clear and organized way.
Required Texts: Students will need to obtain copies of the following texts which are available at many schools or local libraries or for purchase online for a small fee:
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Students will also need to access one cinematic interpretation of Macbeth, such as Polanski (1971), Wright (2006), Goold (2010), Kurzel (2015), or Coen (2021).
Mature Content: Some texts contain mature themes such as violence, domestic abuse, and racism, and mature language.