Now get ready to learn, Baby…

Welcome to Canyon Crest Academy, and welcome to my class.  These next four years should be filled with wonderful experiences for you. I hope you are able to get the most out of your high school career, and I hope it all starts with my class.  The following is a rundown of all the great things you can expect to learn this year.

NOVELS: (in no particular order)

            Lord of the Flies, by William Golding…we will analyze characterization, imagery, symbolism and discuss themes of human nature, the struggle for power, and leadership.

            Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck…we’ll study elements like foreshadowing and plot, while analyzing cultural forces which influence behavior and the nature of friendship and loyalty.

            Black Boy, by Richard Wright…besides a continued discussion of imagery and characterization, we will analyze the sources of prejudice and their effects on individuals.

            Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare…..through this tragic drama we will understand iambic pentameter, poetic diction, dramatic structure, and the notion of fate vs. free will.

            OTHER POSSIBLE WORKS INCLUDE:  An American Childhood, Separate Peace, Great Expectations, or A Tale of Two Cities.

ESSAYS: (and other writings)

Response to literature—the aim of this essay is to analyze a work through its literary elements (theme/character/setting/tone/imagery/symbolism/etc.) and provide adequate support.

Response to non-fiction—based on the demands of college curricula, we will learn how to read pieces of non-fiction and identify the author’s arguments, biases, and purposes in each.

28-page book--yes, you read that correctly. Using our unit on the elements of literature and what makes a great story, you will write and illustrate your own hardbound book.

TEXTBOOK:

Our textbook, The Language of Literature,  offers a terrific collection of short stories, plays, and poems by the likes of Dickinson, Longfellow, O. Henry, Capote, Whitman, Frost, Cummings, Shakespeare, Hughes, Angelou, London, Cisneros, Bradbury, King, etc.  After reading selected pieces from the text, you will increase your vocabulary, learn valuable literary concepts such as foreshadowing, conflict, suspense, and irony, and you’ll learn to write more effectively.

AND THE FUN DOESN’T STOP THERE...

Besides reading novels and writing essays and books, Mr. Black will teach you how to sing the Blues and write your own blues song!  I’ll bet you had no idea that the Blues live inside you.  Well, you’ll find out.  Also, you will perform oral presentations and skits throughout the year, while working cooperatively in literary circles to help one another get the most out of the reading.  In addition, you will create a PowerPoint portfolio that includes all of the things we learned in class, so that you may reflect on your learning at the end of this year or upon your graduation!

I’m sure looking forward to this year, and I hope you are too.  If you participate and cooperate with your classmates, you’ll get a great deal out of this class…..and you’ll probably have a great deal of fun along the way.  I know it sounds crazy, but………………………………trust me.