In this 16-week class, students will do the first second of American Literature and Composition where we will learn how to analyze fiction and read novels, short stories, nonfiction, and plays, and write short stories, plays, and essays on related topics. This class can be used as a core English/Literature/Language Arts/ELA course for 10th or 11th grade (US standards). For non US-students, please contact me and I can send you the standards to see if it will suit your high school/secondary school year 10, 11, or 12 student's needs.  

Students will read a nonfiction book, two novels, short stories, and plays as we work through various themes and topics throughout the semester. 

Unit 1 - Nonfiction and Analyzing Literature - approx. 4 weeks
In this unit, students will be guided through reading the nonfiction book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas C. Foster. Throughout the unit students will apply the knowledge from the various chapters to novel excerpts, short stories, plays, songs, poems, film, and television shows, and they will learn how to analyze various types of literature. Topics will include quest narratives, the "vampire" in fiction, literary allusions and intertextual references, Shakespeare's lasting influence in literature, fairy tales, Greek literature, the importance of weather and seasons, the purpose of secondary characters, recognizing symbols, did the writer intend that symbol, literary violence, politics and literature, Christ figures and religious allegories, analyzing more mature content, why are books banned, importance of setting, what is a marked character, literary irony, and more. 
 
Unit 2 - The Secret Life of Bees - approx. 3 weeks
Students will read "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. Students will learn about how to identify themes, literary devices such as symbolism and metaphors, style of writing, storytelling structure, cultural identity, and analyze individual quotes from the text and the characters. Various lessons on writing techniques, grammar, and vocabulary will be including in the unit. By the end of this Unit, the student will be able to:
• comment on the symbolism in this novel
• define the term coming of age and explain how the novel is a coming of age novel for the protagonist
• define the term allusion and identify allusions in the text and their relevance to the plot
• discuss how the motif of bees is central to the story by giving examples of where they are discussed and explain their relevance to the plot, theme, and title
• discuss the problem of race in the novel and explain Lily’s growth in relation to her understanding of prejudice in her society

Unit 3 - Drama - approx. 5 weeks
Students will read the plays "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller and "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. Students will learn about the basics of plays, thesis statements, connecting history to contemporary times, identify tragic heroes, plot elements, setting, historical fiction, character analysis, and writing a scene.  Various lessons on writing techniques, grammar, and vocabulary will be including in the unit. By the end of this Unit the students will be able to: 
• identify and discuss the major themes in the plays.
• relate the Salem witch hunts of 1692 to what was happening in the United States in the 1950’s. 
• define a tragic hero and state to what extent John Proctor does or does not measure up to the definition.
• define allegory and state to what extent, and why, the plays may be read as an allegory. 
• explain how Wilder’s characters are universal figures; that is, they are individuals but they also serve to represent human nature in general.
• identify and discuss how the following elements fueled the plot in "The Crucible": superstition, greed and revenge, and mass hysteria
• discuss how and why the set in "Our Town" is a departure from the traditional box set.

Unit 4 - The Joy Luck Club - approx. 4 weeks
In this unit, students will read "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan. Students will learn about how to identify themes, the importance of titles, Chinese beliefs and culture, multi-generational families, recurring imagery, symbols, and myths. Various lessons on writing techniques, grammar, and vocabulary will be including in the unit. By the end of this Unit, the student will be able to: 
• discuss the following themes from the novel: 1) It is important for a woman to develop her individual identity so she has the strength to survive hard times. 2) Because they operate from different perspectives, it is frequently difficult for Americanized daughters to communicate with their Chinese mothers, though they share a great bond. 3) The way things appear to be is often different from the way they really are. 4) As they grow older, the daughters appreciate their mothers and begin to see how similar they are to their mothers. 
• point out the significance of titles including: the title of the novel, the titles of the four parts of the novel, and the titles of each of the sixteen vignettes. 
• discuss Chinese beliefs and culture presented in the story including: 1) the importance of elements like wood, water, and fire to define character traits, 2) types of food the Chinese families enjoy, 3) proper dinner time etiquette, 4) importance of birth year to predict personality traits (e.g., horse, tiger). 
• comment on the following recurring images which appear throughout the novel 
• define a myth and discuss whether or not the story of the Moon Lady is a myth.

***SPECIAL NOTE: You may have noticed that the start date and end date add up to more than 16 weeks; this is because, there are several weeks and/or days we will not meet for school holidays. Before enrolling, if you click the "Show all 32 Meetings" above the Enroll Now button, you will see the dates scheduled to meet and can see what dates are not in the schedule. After enrolling, your welcome email should have the dates we won't be meeting, but if it doesn't, please reach out.