Welcome to British Literature! 

⭐️This FLEX course is worth 1/2 a High School Credit — take part 2/2 for a full year, 1 credit course. ⭐️

Honors Option: 
This class is taught at a standard level, however, I am able to offer additional work for Honors placement. If you would like your student to take this class at an honors level - please contact me.

Welcome students!

This semester-long course is 100% online, taken asynchronously with no specific “live” sessions, or meeting time requirements. It will prepare students for university, and help them become independent learners! Asynchronous courses are great for students who prefer a flexible schedule!

⭐️ Weekly ⭐️
Each Monday a video presentation will be posted to review concepts of the week’s topics, as well as a related assignment 
- Students will take a picture of their assignment to upload to the classroom after completing 
- Students will be asked to respond to the discussion questions that will be posted in the classroom 

| OUR COURSE |

Throughout this course we will cover a comprehensive overview of British literature that establishes a framework of the development of literature. This course discusses five key time periods of British literature, while presenting the material on a level the students will be able to understand. Most importantly, this course explores the problem of the human condition as it occurs in literature and challenges students to understand that problem. They will consider various solutions to the problem and how those solutions differ from those they might make in their own lives

| WHY STUDY BRITISH LITERATURE? | 

British Literature prepares students for the rigors of reading and critical thinking at the college level. They will broaden their cultural literacy and sharpen their sensitivity to aesthetics within the gifts of language and storytelling. Most importantly, this course challenges them to understand on a more personal level the problem of the human condition and recognize solutions to those conditions.

⭐️ Works of Literature: ⭐️ 
Essential
- Beowulf (English Translation), select readings
- J. R. R. Tolkien’s essays on Beowulf

Elizabethan Literature 
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare 

Age of Romanticism and the Victorian Era Literary Periods 
- Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
- or-
- Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 
- AND - The Signal-Man - Charles Dickens

Literary Period of the Twentieth Century 
 The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
-or-
Animal Farm - George Orwell


Learning Objectives: Beowulf 
• Analyze the literary technique of foreshadowing.
• Study the effect of word choice on conveying tone. 
• Summarize the sequence of story event
• Reflect on how the story within a story technique affects pace and flow
• Determine what the text says explicitly vs. a more natural translation 


Learning Objectives: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Explore emphasis in spoken word.
• Research background of historical context.
• Analyze the complex story line and show how the subplots are relatEd

Learning Objectives: Great Expectations
• Examine Dickens's use of parallelism to develop the novel's characters. 
• Identify the ways in which Dickens uses light and darkness as symbols for good and evil. 
• Examine the impact of first person narration on the story.

Literary Objectives: Pride and Prejudice 
• Examine Jane Austen’s use of satire and irony as a critique of England’s  Regency Era
• Examine Jane Austen’s critique of the treatment of women and the social hierarchy 
• Discuss central themes such as: pride, prejudice, judgment, obstacles to success and gender roles

Literary Objectives: The Signal Man
• Examine Charles Dickens’ theme of responsibility, sense of duty and protection, and helplessness 
• Examine Charles Dickens use of the literary device of visual imagery and personification 


Literary Objectives: Screwtape Letters
• Examine C.S. Lewis’ use of the literary device of satire 
• Identify social issues of the time, impacting C.S. Lewis’ symbolism 

Learning Objectives: Animal Farm
• Examine George Orwell’s attempt at blending art and politics 
• Examine the use of the literary devices allegory and personification 

Assignments: 
• 2-3 Page Comparative Essay 
• 3-5 page research paper
• Response: Passage interpretations

⭐️Students will also learn MLA as well as Comparative Essay, Research Paper, and General Paper Writing Instructions ⭐️