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$43

weekly
or $600 for 28 classes
Class

British Literature: Reading and Writing Through the British Isles

Completed by 4 learners
Ages 13-17
Live Group Course
Over 14 weeks we will read Chaucer, Shakespeare, Blake, and Woolf and write essays and creative reflections about what we learned.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(412 reviews)

Live video meetings
2x per week, 14 weeks
3-10 learners per class
55 min

What's included

28 live meetings
25 hrs 40 mins in-class hours
Homework
4+ hours per week. In order to earn a 1/2 credit of high school English, students will need to complete the homework. Each unit will require reading a challenging selection of classic British Literature, discussing it in class, and writing an essay, doing a presentation or a creative piece about it. That means students will need to spend 2-3 hours per week reading and another 2 hours or so writing.
Assessment
Each unit has an assessment via Kahoot based on the study questions in student's Google docs.
Grading
Students will receive feedback on their writing via comments on their Google doc. If a parent requests it before the semester begins, I am also happy to offer a letter grade.

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
Welcome to the Survey of British Literature. In this a high school-level English class, we will learn the historical/cultural backgrounds, characteristics, and classic authors of different movements.  We will read selections from Canterbury Tales, the play Macbeth, selections from various English poets, and three short English novels. 

Outside of class, students will be responsible for reading or watching various materials. This varies from reading a piece of literature to watching a short biographical or historical video. We will discuss the themes of the literature we are studying, the most important authors, and the ways that this period influenced English literature.  Throughout the semester, students will have the opportunity to tailor homework to their individual interests.  We will have a final project that is interest-led and allows the students to walk away with an edited work. 

In order to count for half a credit, students will need to complete all homework.  Parents may of course choose to have their learner only complete the reading.  Please contact me if that is the case for your learner. 

I will mark and return all homework or projects.  The act of editing and revising is what makes students better writers. Spelling, grammar, and writing conventions are important; however, they are not the focus of this class.  If a parent desires a grade assigned, please contact me before the semester begins.   Students and parents should understand that the teacher considers plagiarism as well as the use of generative AI in composition to be unacceptable.  Parents will be contacted if such a problem is suspected and no grade will be given until the assignment is redone.  If a student finds reading and writing difficult, I am willing for them to access the material in audio format and submit their homework in video form. If students find class discussion difficult, I am willing for them to interact with the material through increased writing.  Please contact me before the semester begins to discuss accommodations.

Learning Goals

Students will gain familiarity with classic British literature and authors. They will also improve their skills at both creative writing and literary analysis.

Syllabus

4 Units
28 Lessons
over 14 Weeks
Unit 1: Canterbury Tales
Lesson 1:
Canterbury Tales: The History of the English Language
 Exploring the history of Old, Middle and Modern English 
55 mins online live lesson
4 assignments
Lesson 2:
Canterbury Tales: Prologue
 Introducing the cast and the conceit 
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Canterbury Tales: The Nun's Priest's Tale
 Introducing the humors and the frame story 
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Canterbury Tales: The Nun's Priest's Tale (Part 2)
 Introducing the central fable 
55 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Many of the pieces of older literature we will be reading include scenes that in a movie would be rated PG-13 or even R. We will only be reading selections from Chaucer, but these include drinking and some suggestive language. We will also be reading Macbeth which has multiple murders and the mention of witchcraft. Other pieces will have similar material. Regarding third-party tools, we will be using the Google Suite which requires students to have an account (or use an adult account) however email will never need to be shared with the teacher or other students. We will also use Youtube videos but those can be viewed directly from the Outschool platform.
Supply List
Students will need access to the following works.  Learners are welcome to use ebook, audio, or paper versions.  If you have any questions about choosing a version please let me know.  

"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare
"Canterbury Tale"s by Chaucer (This work should NOT be in the original English.  Please look for a modern translation)
"Robison Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte
"The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells
"Snuff" by Virginia Woolf
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Sources consulted for the literary and historical background of this course include websites such as the Encyclopedia Britannica Online and the print sources below. Baugh, Albert C., editor. A Literary History of England. 2nd ed., Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967. MacCutchan, J. Wilson. Macbeth. A Complete Guide to the Play. 1963. Midorikawa, Emily, and Emma Claire Sweeney. A Secret Sisterhood: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. Mortimer, Ian. The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England : A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century. Simon and Schuster, 2008. Wynne-Davies, Marion. Prentice Hall Guide to English Literature: The New Authority on English Literature. 1990.

Meet the teacher

Joined September, 2019
5.0
412reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am eager to have your learner join the students from five to fifty to whom I have taught English. Although my original BA is in Psychology, I have taught both ESL and English at three different Universities abroad.  I love students and I love literature. I am eager to help North American students get a worldwide perspective on literature drawing from my own experiences as a reader and a traveler. 

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