British Literature students read, from a critical and historical perspective, major literary works found in a variety of published sources including Norton Anthologies, Prentice Hall Literature Series and teacher owned (photocopied for students) sources. These readings include: Holy Grail myths, Celtic mythology, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Renaissance poetry, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and King Lear, and selected writings from Henry James and George Orwell. Students respond to these readings in weekly formal essays or creative writings that are graded according to carefully explained assessment criteria. Each writing assignment focuses on a particular theme such as “The Holy Grail enigma” or “Celtic mysteries” or “Chaucer’s political agenda” among others. All assignments link together to support the process of reading and writing and for each assignment students create a visual aid reflecting concepts and ideas expressed in their written work. Skills such as six trait editing, critical thinking and reading, planning and organizing along with learning strategies are emphasized. Students also practice public speaking in weekly classroom presentations and do a formal presentation as part a final performance assessment project.

Text:  Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes, the British Tradition, Prentice Hall; copyright 2000.