Literature studies for high schooler

[mom4peace]

My DS15 is exceptionally bright and exceptionally resistant to literature study. He completed Lightning Lit 7 and The Lord of the Rings lit study in 7th and 8th grade then read an assortment of literature that went along with his other courses for 9th grade. He really needs some more formal literature study. I'm considering Hewitt for American Lit, but I'd like to find something that better fits his interests to make it more palatable. I'd love to find a utopia/dystopia literature study or science fiction lit course, but I'm coming up with nothing.

 

I have nothing against the classics presented by Hewitt's offerings, but this child needs to be wooed a bit to get over an aversion to literary analysis. He's interested in psychology, science, math, and history.

 

Thanks for any ideas (and we're open to online courses as well).

 

Sarah

[TippyCanoe]

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Edited November 21, 2012 by Doodler

[quark]

Coursera has a free 10-week scifi fiction course coming up in July. You might try it to gauge interest before purchasing a program?

 

https://www.coursera.org/course/fantasysf

[Jenny in Florida]

I don't know if this will be helpful, since it's not a curriculum that is laid out for you. But I'm planning a year of dystopian stuff for my son's 2012 - 2012 English class. Here's the assigned reading list. (Ignore the years. That was me putting them in chronological order.)

 

1516 – Utopia

1726 - Gulliver’s Travels, Part 4

1854 – Walden (excerpts)

1895 - The Time Machine

1932 - Brave New World

1938 - Anthem

1945 - Animal Farm

1947 - Short Story: The Machine Stops

1948 – Short Story: The Lottery

1949 - 1984

1953 - Fahrenheit 451

1954 - Lord of the Flies

1954 - Short Story: All Summer in a Day

1961 - Short Story: Harrison Bergeron

1968 - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

1971 - The Lathe of Heaven

1973 - Short Story: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

1994 - The Giver

2002 - Feed

2010 - Hunger Games trilogy

 

 

The short stories I found online, by the way.

 

Edit: Ooops, I meant to mention I found this online, too, which might make a good jumping-off point: http://www.nhadulted.org/grants/D45DystopianLiteratureClass.pdf

 

 

I also found literature guides for a few of the titles.

 

 

He'll also be assigned to choose four other books to read, either from the stack I have on the shelf or from the library.

 

 

Some of the books we'll read aloud together. Others he'll be reading on his own. For any of the books he's reading independently, I've created weekly review sheets with questions culled mostly from free online guides.

 

 

Toward the end of the year, as he's re-reading The Hunger Games trilogy, we'll read together and discuss The Hunger Games Companion ( http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hunger-games-companion-lois-h-gresh/1101010282?ean=9780312617936 ), which compares and contrasts the world of The Hunger Games with classic dystopian fiction.

 

 

And, as he finishes reading each book, he'll write a short paper about it.

 

 

That'll be it.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2012 by Jenny in Florida

[TippyCanoe]

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[mom4peace]

Coursera has a free 10-week scifi fiction course coming up in July. You might try it to gauge interest before purchasing a program?

 

https://www.coursera.org/course/fantasysf

 

I just found the Coursera course yesterday after posting the message. We don't generally homeschool in the summer, but having only one class might make the work go a bit better. )My younger son is signed up for one of their history classes for fall, and I might add my older to that as well, if his schedule allows it.)

 

Thanks!

[mom4peace]

Thanks, Doodler, for the fine ideas. My DS isn't on the spectrum (his younger brother is), but he has some of the Aspie traits that make analysis hard. He did take a short "Film as Literature" course last fall, which was an excellent way to start thinking more about the elements of fiction writing. I definitely don't expect fine literary analysis from him, but I'd like a better understanding of how fiction works and some more exposure to fine literature. He struggles when reading dialect and quickly becomes lost if the English is too stilted or just from another era.

 

The writing element is far more important to me, and I feel fairly confident working on that piece with him. He has is eyes set on some small Liberal Arts Colleges (Oberlin, right now), and he's aware he has to beef up the English piece if he wants to be admitted to places like that. While we don't make every choice based on college decisions down the road, strengthening this piece is essential for what he wants down the road.

 

Thanks for the links! I'll be looking through them over the next few days and seeing what might work for us. I'm glad for some feedback regarding letting this area go a bit, or at least reshaping it. The classical literature route is just not going to work for him. I appreciate the reminder.

 

Sarah

[mom4peace]

Jenny,

That sounds like an amazing course you're putting together! Thanks for the ideas. I definitely would like him to read some of those titles. Now I have more looking to do.

[Candid]

Jenny, you may also wish to look at Walden II by Skinner. It's a pro-utopian novel which is unusual for 20th century works.

[Colleen in NS]

My DS15 is exceptionally bright and exceptionally resistant to literature study. ...He really needs some more formal literature study. ...I'd like to find something that better fits his interests to make it more palatable.

 

...this child needs to be wooed a bit to get over an aversion to literary analysis. He's interested in psychology, science, math, and history.

 

...I definitely don't expect fine literary analysis from him, but I'd like a better understanding of how fiction works and some more exposure to fine literature. He struggles when reading dialect and quickly becomes lost if the English is too stilted or just from another era.

 

The writing element is far more important to me, and I feel fairly confident working on that piece with him. He has is eyes set on some small Liberal Arts Colleges (Oberlin, right now), and he's aware he has to beef up the English piece if he wants to be admitted to places like that. While we don't make every choice based on college decisions down the road, strengthening this piece is essential for what he wants down the road.

 

Just from what I edited above, I wonder if you've had a look at using The Well-Educated Mind book with him - showing him how to use the reading/analysis skills outlined in it. Also, The Well-Trained Mind book has some suggestions for lit. study skills. But what really brings it all down to earth and palatable (IMO) is this audio lecture by SWB:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/what-is-literary-analysis-mp3.html

 

She even talks in there about adjusting the depth you go to for lit. analysis - her main message in it is "preserve the love of reading." But the audio is very practical in how to teach lit. analysis to high schoolers. (it also talks about lit. for younger kids, but there is a high school section) Oh, and she talks about how to study a particular literary terms book (I can't remember the name of it) and apply it to your tailored lit. analysis course.