High school English is anchored in literature because stories illustrate some aspect of the human condition. When students learn to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize ideas in literature, they learn to think in ways that prepare them for life and other areas of study. Literature's illustration of the human condition is the content that enables great essays and great conversations and great critical thinking. 

In this 4-week class, we focus on short stories. Why? Because short literature is special. Quick narratives quickly introduce us to characters, settings, conflict, and themes that relate to our lives. Short story authors are a unique breed as well, able to craft a satisfying, thought-provoking story that we can read in one sitting. Here, we use classic short stories and integrated poetry to meet learning standards, of course. But more importantly, students learn how to think and write about the human condition, illustrated by an author in a piece of classic literature. 

After teaching this live version of this class for four years, we are finally offering a self-paced version. Each week, students will do work to prepare for the reading. Since we are reading classic short stories written centuries earlier, the texts can be challenging to understand. To prepare, students will do vocabulary work, learn about the author and the historical context, and sometimes even learn some cultural aspects of the story they need to know. After reading the story once, they dive a little deeper with assignments that help them analyze or evaluate the story. I teach them how to do this. With colored pencils in hand, they may draw the structure of an epistolary story, for instance. Finally, students respond to the literature with a piece of writing. This is what they turn in to their teacher for feedback and a grade if you'd like. The writing component helps learners think even more deeply about the text while they create something new (a piece of writing).  

A SNAPSHOT OF A WEEK'S LESSONS (student workload ranges from 2-3 hours per week.  Students have 1-3 video lessons by Mrs. Lemons each week): 
✔️ We begin with an essential question, to get students thinking about some aspect of real life that is illustrated in the literature. 
✔️ Next, we move on to preparation work, which includes vocabulary, bolstering background knowledge, author bios, historical context, etc. Students are quizzed on this material for extra accountability and learning. 
✔️ Students read the story while listening to an audio version. They are encouraged to annotate the story as they read. Again, they are quizzed on the story to ensure comprehension. 
✔️ Students learn aspects of literary analysis, such as irony, figurative language, structure, allusion, etc. 
✔️ Students turn in their annotated story.


📆 SCHEDULE: 
This class can be taken over and over because each month, the stories change. That way, you have a complete year of advanced literature curriculum if your student studies all year! Below is the schedule of skills students learn each month: 

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Edgar Allan Poe