British Literature and even more heresy!

Long, long ago…in a private school, I was assigned an English class—mainly British Literature.  Things went fairly well.  I decided I could teach Lit. From time to time I offer Brit Lit to our local Co-op.  The class is based on British Literature by Stobaugh.  Okay, it’s loosely based on Stobaugh’s textbook.  I taught this with Kolbe Academy’s syllabus, too, when I home-schooled Lacie.  I use any resource available: modern translations, outside lesson plans, and curricula: School House, Easy Peasy, and Lard Bucket.  Yes, even more heresy!  I use any number of websites for ideas.  I lard the lessons with background and history.  How can you understand Beowulf if you aren’t familiar with Anglo-Saxon history?  No, the class isn’t going to be writing essays.  This year, the class will have short assignments for each piece of literature.  

Why?  Every class, every student is different.  This fall, the two boys are not avid readers.  They struggled when we tried to read Huckleberry Finn in the vernacular.  Do you think we’re reading  Shakespeare in its original text?  Come on!  They had four books as summer reading: Hamlet, Tale of Two Cities, Robinson Crusoe, and Pride and Prejudice, all easy to read versions.  While we will write, most assignments will be short projects: timelines, concept maps, art, etc.  We’ll read more than do any literary criticism.  Sure, we’ll pick out themes, etc.  Although after three years with the boy, most of the time I give them the themes, have them write them down, and look for examples.  We aren’t tackling AP Literature.  I’m exposing the teens to Brit Lit.  Make the class fit your kiddo instead of making the kiddo fit the class.