Learners will engage in a literature study combined with the social club of a Dungeons & Dragons TTRPG that puts them in the heart of the story. They'll explore what life was like in the 19th century, discover weapons, learn secrets, gain allies, and fight monsters until they can defeat the vampire!

Classes will be presented in a small group of 4-7 learners. Learners will be encouraged to discuss their work and collaborate. Literature assignments are the first priority. If we are behind, we will forego gameplay to get clarification on concepts in the literature. Slides will be used to encourage learner discussion. 

The first 30-45 minutes of the lesson will be planned for literature study, and the remaining 45-60 minutes will be gameplay that lets the learners experience the story. 

Learners will complete an RPG Consent form before we begin gameplay so that the teacher and other students know which topics are off-limits (gory violence, spiders, etc.). Learners will, in addition to the practice in writing, reading, and communication skills, be doing conditional math and using logic and critical thinking as they level up their characters, and use the skills their characters have learned and weapons they've found to progress in their adventure. 

In traditional D&D games, players earn XP and level up by accomplishing things in the game (fighting an enemy, being clever in their role-playing, finding clues, etc.). In my campaigns, students gain XP by turning in assignments. I apply the points of their assigned work to their character to encourage them to keep up with their work (otherwise their character may not be up to snuff when they encounter the big bad evil guy). Since these learners are more mature, I trust them to complete their work. 

Learners who reach level 20 characters (all assignments complete with a letter grade of A or B), will receive a digital creation of their character designed by the teacher using Hero Forge, as a reward for their hard work over the semester.

Week 1 - The 19th Century, Gothic Literature, Vocab 1-2, Read 1-2
Week 2 - Nonfiction 19th century reading, Vocab 3-4, Read 3-4
Week 3 - 19th Century Research intro, Vocab 5-6, Read 5-6
Week 4 - Quiz 1-6, Vocab 7-8, Read 7-8, Fairy Tales
Week 5 - Imagery in Gothic Lit, Vocab 9-10, Read 9-10
Week 6 - 19th Century Research Presentations, Vocab 11-12, Read 11-12
Week 7 - Quiz 7-12, Vocab 13-14, Read 13-14
Week 8 - Conflict in Literature, Vocab 15-17, Read 15-17
Week 9 - Informative Writing, Vocab 18-19, Read 18-19
Week 10 - Quiz 13-17, Vocab 20-21, Read 20-21
Week 11 - Epitaphs, Vocab 22-23, Read 22-23
Week 12 - Quiz 18-21, Vocab 24-25, Read 24-25
Week 13 - Conflict in Dracula, Vocab 26-27, Read 26-27
Week 14 - Quiz 22-27, Creative Writing 
Week 15 - Characterization, Group Discussions
Week 16 - Persuasive Writing
Week 17 - Vocabulary & Test Review
Week 18 - Unit Test