English Lit (grade 9)...what do we REALLY need to cover/do?

[SparklyUnicorn]

So we are using Oakmeadow.  DS likes the book selections.  I think they are decent.  But the assignments....no.  They feel very pointless to me (and him). 

 

I am just not sure what we REALLY need to be doing for English Lit other than reading good books (and discussing some of them).  That's what we have done for years, but I keep thinking we are supposed to be doing more than that. 

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

[Ms Brooks]

Take a look at Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing AP Edition. I don't think AP makes any difference. The reading is short story, poetry, and plays. A good textbook approach that you can adapt to your needs. I looked at Oakmeadow and thought it was not challenging/thought provoking enough. 

Edited September 30, 2016 by Ms Brooks

[yvonne]

I think a good English Lit study would include essays about the works read.

 

For most works, you can search online for essay topic suggestions.

[quark]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for.

 

For me, it is not just about covering a number of topics/ lit devices/ expectations. It is about developing sensibility towards how different people live and engage with their world. So for me, it was never really about writing a certain number of essays or covering the standard list of books or ensuring he could argue/ analyze. I knew he could do these things well and while he needed practice to improve I wasn't planning for it to be done solely via literature. For me, in one sentence, literature is about emotional engagement with well-written books.

 

I found this article today when googling for something else and parts of it relate quite well to the way I wanted my son to learn literature. I thought it might be helpful to the discussion.

 

Literature's Emotional Lessons

 

Edited September 30, 2016 by quark

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok this is great.  I think I now have a really good plan moving forward. 

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

That was a really great article, thanks for sharing.

[Lori D.]

So we are using Oakmeadow.  DS likes the book selections.  I think they are decent.  But the assignments....no.  They feel very pointless to me (and him). 

 

I am just not sure what we REALLY need to be doing for English Lit other than reading good books (and discussing some of them).  That's what we have done for years, but I keep thinking we are supposed to be doing more than that. 

 

Any suggestions?

 

An English credit is typically 1/2 Lit and 1/2 Composition, with some optional Vocabulary and/or Grammar review thrown in. So about half the time you would have instruction in writing and time for research / writing / revising.

 

Is this your English credit? Then if you don't want to write about the Lit, reading/discussing could fill the Lit half of your credit and you add a 1-semester writing program -- straight up Composition, or Journalism, or Creative Writing, for example.

 

However, if this is an all-Lit course (doesn't include formal writing instruction), then it typically involves reading / thinking about / analyzing / discussing the Literature, and then writing about the Literature through reader responses and essays and other possible types of output.

 

For my Lit. & Comp. co-op classes, for the Lit. portion, I DO feel it's helpful to do more than read/discuss, as good as reading/discussing is. :) I  provide background info on the author/times of author's writing and events that influenced the author's thinking and writing. That allows discussion to go deeper and for History and Literature to "reverberate" back and forth and for each to inform the other. The further I go in this journey of reading and teaching Lit (and this year, Film), the more I see how critical understanding the times is -- the social, political, economic, and philosophical aspects of the culture, as any piece of Art (painting, music, film, literature...) has absorbed that and is reflecting or rebelling or speaking to that in some way.

 

I also provide a weekly do-at-home lesson with a list of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to them that they will see in the section we'll be reading; guided questions -- both for literary analysis, and for discussion, and background info that enriches and expands whatever Lit we are reading.

 

But that would be easy enough to provide a short list of a few of those topics every few weeks or so, and have the student pick 1 or 2 topics and the student research and then either present on that -- orally, an essay or research paper, a power-point, or a short 1-2 paragraph answer to a specific question -- or, both of you (and if you have another student old enough/interested) do some research and enjoy discussing findings. 

 

- literary elements that strongly show up in the section we're reading that week

- common themes and more common themes arranged by general topic (in the Lit, or related somehow)

- and topics in literature:

* specific genres and conventions (dystopian, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, magical realism, epic...)

* literary movements / literary periods (gothic, romanticism, naturalism, modernism

* philosophy and worldview

* book vs. film adaptation 

* comparison of this work with other works by the same author at different stages of writing

* comparison of this work with works by other authors on the same theme, or from the same time period

* comparison of this work with works in the same genre across the centuries

 

 

re: to the article Quark linked (thanks, btw! :) )

I have always taken that as a given -- a huge reason we read Literature is to learn from it, to experience life and choices from the perspective of others. To wrestle with the struggles in those books teaches us how to wrestle through issues in our own lives.

 

I always open and close my co-op class year with that reminder -- and throughout the semester, with every work, I try and ask questions to prompt putting yourself in the shoes of another to try and understand why they did what they did, or thinking through what you would have done differently and why...

 

 

PS -- I see I'm too late to the party and you already have a game plan, OP. ;) Good luck! And hope your son has a great Literature journey this year! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

 

PS -- I see I'm too late to the party and you already have a game plan, OP. ;) Good luck! And hope your son has a great Literature journey this year! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

Aw no.  Your advice is always great and much appreciated.

 

 

[eternalsummer]

For us, I teach critical thinking through literature.  So part of that is learning about the craft of writing and what choices the writer made with regards to the language (including perhaps unconscious choices, if there is such a thing) in order to communicate whatever it is the writer is trying to communicate.  The other part is analyzing the messages themselves on their merits and with respect to their origins and influences.

 

Some people teach critical thinking through science or math or something, though.  I just understand it best through writing/reading so that's how I teach it.

[Lori D.]

Aw no.  Your advice is always great and much appreciated.

 

You're sweet! :)

 

I forgot to mention -- if the books are fine but the assignments are not clicking, what about a quick search for a guide or info or assignment ideas on each individual book for substituting? Some lit. guides out there are pretty good and have some interesting assignments... Which Oak Meadow English are you guys doing -- or rather, what's your book list? We might be able to help you brainstorm some alternative assignments for some of the books...

 

Just a thought!

[SparklyUnicorn]

I definitely plan to have him read the books either way.  Nothing wrong with the book selections at all.  In fact he liked one so much he wanted to read the sequel immediately after and went through half of it in about a day.  He used to read like that all the time, but has not in awhile.  So that's a plus.

 

I'd love to just read read read.  I really don't want to turn this into a chore of weird craft projects and fuzzy questions. 

[Soror]

I definitely plan to have him read the books either way.  Nothing wrong with the book selections at all.  In fact he liked one so much he wanted to read the sequel immediately after and went through half of it in about a day.  He used to read like that all the time, but has not in awhile.  So that's a plus.

 

I'd love to just read read read.  I really don't want to turn this into a chore of weird craft projects and fuzzy questions. 

Bumping out of curiosity.. What did you end up doing?

 

I love the theme and course list of OM9 but I know ds would hate the artsy stuff. Personally, I was considering just cutting out all that stuff and just focusing on the lit and writing but then again I'm not certain on the writing assignments either, it would be easier to see it all and of course we are nearly 2yrs off from needing it so it is hard to gauge exactly what will be right at that time but I want to start prepping early.

Edited November 29, 2016 by soror

[coloradomomof5]

Lori

Do you teach online co-op lit/writing classes? If so, where and when? If not, why and could we encourage you to start?

 

 

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[Lori D.]

Lori

Do you teach online co-op lit/writing classes? If so, where and when? If not, why and could we encourage you to start?

 

Alas, strictly local at the moment. Someday, though... if I could get someone ELSE to do the GRADING of the papers, lol... I'd LOVE to try teaching a live online lit! It's great to know I might already have someone interested in participating. :)

 

(Right now, I'm in the midst of grading/commenting on the revision stage of the long essay from my high school film co-op class (just finished grading/commenting on the rough draft stage last week), and it is KILLING me, which is making me never want to do any class every again...  :tongue_smilie: )

Edited December 3, 2016 by Lori D.

[coloradomomof5]

U make the assignment and do the live discussion and I will grade my kids work. Or outsource it. It's the discussion I can NOT get the boys to banter with to save my life.

 

 

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