British Literature A

Course Description:

The British Literature course asks students to closely analyze British literature and world literature and consider how we humans define and interact with the unknown, the monstrous, and the heroic. In the epic poems The Odyssey, Beowulf, and The Inferno, in Shakespeare’s Tempest, in the satire of Swift, and in the rhetoric of World War II, students examine how the ideas of “heroic” and “monstrous” have been defined across cultures and time periods and how the treatment of the “other” can make monsters or heroes of us all.

Reading Frankenstein and works from those who experienced the imperialism of the British Empire, students explore the notion of inner monstrosity and consider how the dominant culture can be seen as monstrous in its ostensibly heroic goal of enlightening the world.

Throughout this course, students analyze a wide range of literature, both fiction and nonfiction. They build writing skills by composing analytical essays, persuasive essays, personal narratives, and research papers. In order to develop speaking and listening skills, students participate in discussions and give speeches. Overall, students gain an understanding of the way British and world literature represent the array of voices that contribute to our global identity.

Course Details:

Course Title (District): British Literature A
Course Title (NCES SCED) : British Literature
Course Provider : Ann Arbor Public Schools
Content Provided By : Apex Learning Inc.
Online Instructor Provided By : Ann Arbor Public Schools
Standards Addressed : Common Core State Standards, National Collegiate Athletic Association
Alignment Document : https://www.dropbox.com/sh/klh22tquqp5b8b1/BqtHgyDv4h
Academic Terms : Accelerated, Semester, Trimester
NCES SCED Code :
Subject Area : English Language and Literature
Course Identifier : British Literature
Course Level : High School (Secondary)
Available Credit : 0.5
Sequence : 1 of 2

How To Enroll:

Enrollment Website : http://a2virtual.org
Email : [email protected]
Phone : 1-734-997-1208

Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.

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Additional Course Information:

Additional Cost: $0.0

Additional Cost Description: None

At the conclusion of this course students will be able to:

• Explore the historical context of early Greek tragedy.

• Identify the importance of key Greek writers in the development of early Greek tragedy.

• Identify structural elements of early Greek tragedy, such as dithyramb and chorus.

• Distinguish between different forms of irony and recognize how knowledge of myths can affect a play's irony.

• Identify the elements of Freytag's plot model.

• Recognize the influence of Greek literature on Western literature and theater.

• Write plot summaries of literature.

• Identify and define the elements of Aristotle's theory of tragedy, including hamartia and anagnorisis.

• Explore the historical and cultural context of Anglo-Saxon poetry.

• Identify the characteristics of epic poetry.

• Recognize the relationship between epics and the societies from which they originate. • Apply knowledge of themes to identify the central purpose of a work of literature.

• Analyze a universal theme in Beowulf.

• Explore the cultural and historical influences on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.

• Analyze the tone used in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

• Identify specific rhetorical techniques in “The Wife of Bath's” prologue and tale.

• Discuss the rhetorical advantages, from Chaucer's point of view, of the frame narrative.

• Write a character analysis.

• Explore the literary and historical context of Shakespearean drama.

• Identify and analyze Shakespeare's influences and contributions.

• Identify internal and external conflicts in a work of Shakespeare.

• Write a reflective essay that ties personal experiences to ideas from a work of literature.

• Understand the cultural, historical, and literary context of John Donne's and Jonathan Swift's works.

• Identify the stylistic and thematic qualities of Metaphysical, Cavalier, and Neoclassical literature.

•Define and identify the characteristics of Metaphysical poetry.

• Analyze three poems by John Donne.

• Define satire and distinguish between Juvenalian satire and Horatian satire.

• Explore the history, characteristics, and purposes of the satiric genre, and Swift's place in the genre. • Explore the literary, cultural, and historical context of Romanticism.

• Differentiate between the early and late Romantic writers

. • Identify themes and techniques that characterize Romantic poetry.

• Recognize Jean-Jacques Rousseau's contributions to the Romantic movement.

• Write a brief literary analysis of a Romantic poem.

• Recognize Romantic themes in excerpts from a work of Romantic literature.

• Identify the characteristics of Modernism and the movements that contributed to its success.

• Identify the major contributions and contributors to the Modernist, Symbolist, and Imagist movements.

• Identify the innovations and upheavals that shaped modern writers and readers

. • Analyze a work of Modernist short fiction by drawing on an understanding of plot, character, setting, point of view, and theme.

• Analyze how Marx, Freud, and Darwin laid much of the groundwork for Modernist literature.

• Compare and contrast aspects of works from two different eras or genres.

• Recognize themes common to colonial and postcolonial literature in sample works.

• Analyze the ways that culture is transmitted through literature.

• Identify some of the ways political ideas can be communicated in works of fiction.

• Analyze how notable writers in English have used fiction to advance political ideas.

• Analyze the main points in Achebe's "An Image of Africa: Conrad's Heart of Darkness."

• Analyze how narration affects authenticity in literature that depicts a culture.

• Analyze the historical, literary, and cultural context of Nigerian literature.

• Identify the effects of the British colonization of Nigeria in a work of literature.

• Recognize the influence of African storytelling traditions, and European languages and literary traditions, in African and postcolonial literature.

• Identify common themes in postcolonial African literature.

• Recognize the importance of setting and culture in the interpretation of Things Fall Apart.

• Differentiate between beliefs, perspective, and assumptions on the part of an author.

• Infer from a work of literature the author's beliefs, perspective, and assumptions.

• Write a persuasive essay.

• Differentiate between credible and noncredible sources based on date, URL domain, author/publisher authority, and other criteria.

• Identify effective ways of narrowing down a body of research to the most relevant information and organizing it for later use.

• Identify the essential parts of an essay, including the introductory paragraph, thesis statement, body, topic sentences, and concluding paragraph, and recognize effective examples of each.

• Create an outline for a research paper with a thesis statement, topic sentences, and supporting research.

• Explain why sources should be carefully documented in a research paper.

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The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. Fully Met
Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. Fully Met

Review Conducted By: Apex Learning Inc.
Date of Review: 08/15/2014

British Literature A

UNIT 1: MONSTERS AND HEROES

Lesson 1: The Monstrous Cyclops

Lesson 2: A Hero's Story

Lesson 3: The Dimensions of the Monster

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: Monsters and Heroes



UNIT 2: SINS AND CRIMES



Lesson 1: Chaucer

Lesson 2: Dante's Inferno, Part I

Lesson 3: Dante's Inferno, Part II

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: Sins and Crimes


UNIT 3: THE TEMPEST

Lesson 1: Historical Context

Lesson 2: Language as Power

Lesson 3: Interpretations of The Tempest

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: The Tempest


UNIT 4: SWIFT AND DEFOE


Lesson 1: Swift and Satire


Lesson 2: Robinson Crusoe, Part I

Lesson 3: Robinson Crusoe, Part II

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: Swift and Defoe

UNIT 5: SEMESTER WRAP-UP

Lesson 1: Wrap Up


British Literature B



UNIT 6: FRANKENSTEIN



Lesson 1: Creating a Monster

Lesson 2: Conflicting Sides

Lesson 3: Monstrous Risks

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: Frankenstein


UNIT 7: WORLD WAR II

Lesson 1: Winston Churchill

Lesson 2: Joseph Stalin

Lesson 3: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: World War II

UNIT 8: THE COLONIZERS AND THE COLONIZED


Lesson 1: Reflections on Imperialism

Lesson 2: Surprising Perspectives

Lesson 3: Gender Imperialism

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: The Colonizers and the Colonized

UNIT 9: THE MODERN AND THE MEDIA

Lesson 1: The Evolution of British Drama

Lesson 2: Media Perspectives

Lesson 3: Procedural and Informational Texts

Lesson 4: Wrap-Up: The Modern and the Media



UNIT 10: SEMESTER WRAP-UP

Lesson 1: Semester Wrap-Up

Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends Random Draw Date Enrollment Drop Date Course Starts Course Ends # of Seats Course Fee Potential Additional Costs
Semester 08/08/2023 09/08/2023 09/08/2023 08/28/2023 01/18/2024 33 $350 $0
Semester 11/01/2023 02/02/2024 02/02/2024 01/22/2024 06/12/2024 33 $350 $0
Drop Policy Completion Policy Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends
Students that do not earn a grade of at least 60% in the course by the end date of the course are not considered course completions. Semester 08/08/2023 09/08/2023
Students that do not earn a grade of at least 60% in the course by the end date of the course are not considered course completions. Semester 11/01/2023 02/02/2024
Students submit assignments and receive asynchronous feedback via a secure message center and online discussion boards. A2 Virtual+ online teachers respond to student questions within one school day, and grade and return student homework with meaningful formative feedback within three school days. A2 Virtual+ online teachers and guidance staff continually monitor student progress and reach out to students and local mentors if students appear to be struggling or off pace.
School Year Enrollment Count Pass Count Completion Rate Notes
22-23 15 13 86.67%
21-22 16 16 100.0%
19-20 11 11 100.0%
18-19 8 8 100.0%
17-18 1 1 100.0%
16-17 11 8 72.73%