Introduction to High School Literature (Live and Self-Paced options)

Conventional Track

This course provides a broad introduction to literature and concepts that will prepare high schoolers for future literary study. We will define a variety of terms and engage in literary analysis not simply as an academic exercise, but as a means of increasing the richness and delight of our literary experience. The course is organized by genre, with units on short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction, with a variety of engaging novels spread throughout. See course book list below.

This class meets on Wednesdays at 1 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

Note: Space is limited. Be sure to enroll early to secure your spot.

Student Expectations for Live Classes:

• Attend a one-hour, weekly, live course session
• Complete each week’s assigned reading
• Take a short, online, comprehension quiz
• Answer a weekly, online, discussion question
• Submit two literary analysis papers and one creative project

About Self-Paced Classes:

• Students have access to recorded lectures on each reading assignment.
• Students have access to weekly reading pacing guides and auto-graded quizzes.
• Although we recommend following the syllabus in order, students are free to choose what to read and when.
• Self-Paced classes do not include live class sessions or teacher support. 
• All recordings will be available from September 2 through the end of the following August. 

Book List

There are many options for acquiring these books. You can purchase them from a local or online retailer. You can check them out of the library. For most, you can download electronic versions or access them online and read them on your computer screen. In addition to the books below, we will be reading a variety of short stories, poems, plays, essays, and articles that will be provided to students in digital format.

If a particular edition or translation is listed, it is important to acquire that version. If no specifics are included, any version will work.

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, by Madeleine L'Engle (Adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson; be sure to get the graphic novel and not the traditional version)

Our Town, by Thornton Wilder

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass