British Literature: Course Description

1 Credit Hour
Instructor: Sonya Ball
B.A., Clemson UniversitySecondary Education, English
M.Ed., Clemson UniversityReading
National Board Certification
Course Description: This college-prep course is designed to be a two-semester chronological study of
British literature with an emphasis in literary analysis. Students will demonstrate mastery in critical
English Language Arts skills: reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening.
The class will meet twice weekly for instruction and discussion. Students will be expected to daily
complete reading and writing assignments at home. Students will have the option to complete
additional work independently to receive honors credit.
Tentative Course Overview:

Works to Be Studied:
Portions of The King James Bible
Romeo and Juliet
Frankenstein
Student Choice: Pride and Prejudice or 1984 or Dracula
Wuthering Heights
Lord of the Flies

Poets: John Donne, Ben Johnson, Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, Daniel Defoe, Alexander Pope,
William Blake, George Byron, Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Alfred, Lord
Tennyson, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Rudyard Kipling, Wilifred Owen,
William Butler Yeats

Students will conduct original research and compose an MLA-formatted research paper during
second semester.

Writing Instruction:
Students will primarily engage in literary analysis through writing. Students will also receive instruction
and practice in expository, argumentative, and narrative writing and will engage in research culminating
in a properly-formatted MLA paper.

Class Expectations:

Complete daily reading and writing assignments as instructed.

Attend class regularly.
Be prepared for class and able to actively contribute to class discussions of the assigned reading.
Work through various stages of the writing process in class and at home. Work with both
parents and the instructor to edit and revise work.

Grade Calculation:

Major Assignments: 30%

Daily Assignments: 60%
Quick Checks: 10%

Honors Requirements:
Students wishing to obtain an honors credit for British Literature will complete one additional novel
study during first semester and additional research requirements during second semester. This
coursework will be assigned by the instructor and will include presentations of the work to peers.
Grading Scale:
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
D
60-69
F
Below 60