This four-part self-paced (video-based) class will guide students through the creation of two literary essays. This first will be based on a fairy tale of the student’s choice and will examine an action or decision of a particular character. Examples of essay topics are “Was Jack right to chop down the beanstalk?” and “Should the fairy godmother have helped Cinderella?” Students are of course able to formulate their own questions. 

The second essay will be based on a book of the student’s choice. In this essay, students will choose a particular literary aspect such as theme, symbolism, character development, or use of foreshadowing, and compose an essay that examines this topic. 

Both essays will be five paragraphs with an introduction (and thesis), three body paragraphs, and a conclusion (with a restated thesis). Additionally, the second essay challenges students to elevate their writing by meeting various grammatical and literary standards, like including a dependent clause, adverb, and alliteration. 

Students MUST be familiar with the construction of a basic five-paragraph essay. 

Skills taught and/or reviewed in this class are: brainstorming, evidence gathering, thesis generation, outlining, quote selection and usage, citation creation, and literary analysis. 

Each video lasts roughly 40 minutes, not including in-video activities. Each video begins with a warm-up, followed by an instructor presentation with interesting content, activities, and examples. The assignments and instructions are very clear. 

After each class, students should plan on submitting their body paragraphs for instructor feedback and the completed essays for a full evaluation. 

All submitted essays will receive a full evaluation.