This course will meet twice a week over the course of six weeks. During the course, students will explore the origin of some of the earliest works of literature. They will understand the historical roots and contexts from whence these stories came. The students will learn how cultural beliefs and conflicts, such as Pagan and Christian, manifested themselves in these works. Students will learn the history of the Anglo Saxon period after the fall of Rome, and the early how the early English monarchy contributed to the storytelling of the time. 
I deliver the content using a combination of lecture and PowerPoint, class discussion, and guided research. Students will be expected to read portions of these stories, outside of class. Since the reading is challenging, I will assign small chunks of it to be read outside of class, followed by a lot of discussion, explanation, and support. Students will become familiar with common themes and and archetypes, such as the British Hero, the Heroes Journey, and The Arthurian Cannon. The culminating project will be a literary analysis essay in which students will be provided a multitude of choices of topic, and support and instruction as to how to write the essay. 
The course breakdown will be as follows:

Week One:
Introduction to Early British Literature and History
Beowulf

Week Two:
The Arthurian Cannon
Literary Elements
The early British monarchy

Week Three
Introduction to Arthurian legend
Geoffrey Monmouth and Le Morte D’Arthur

Week Three
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
19th century revival The Lady of Shalott by Lord Tennyson

Week Four
History of Geoffrey Chaucer
Intro to The Canterbury Tales

Week Five
The Knight's Tale
How to write a Literary Analysis

Week Six
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
The Wife of Bath
Culminating Discussion  - literary analysis due