Honors English Literature & Composition 1 | 2023-24

Blue Tent Honors English Literature & Composition 1

Honors English Literature & Composition 1 is designed for advanced homeschoolers in the 9th grade and up who are seeking a comprehensive English class that will acquaint them with the art of examining literature analytically. This class will help students learn to read introspectively, write soundly and creatively, and practice applying nuanced grammar and punctuation.

Through analytical reading and the collaborative discussions of novels, a play, a non-fiction book, numerous short stories, and a variety of poems, students will expand and reinforce foundational literary language as they express their views and opinions in weekly informal (discussion forums) and formal (essay) writing.
Looking back to literary classics as well as forward to more contemporary imaginative fiction, students will learn to scrutinize their reading, both figuratively and literally.

Class Details

Honors English Lit & Comp 1 is a full-year class.
Tuition: $800
Instructor: Christine Proctor
Dates: August 21, 2023 to May 5, 2024
Format:
- This class can be taken synchronously or asynchronously.
  - A weekly optional mid-week "check in" will be offered on Zoom on Wednesdays from 12-1 Eastern, where students can drop in to ask questions and get assistance.
  - Topics in the optional check-ins might include current writing assignments or student and teacher-directed discussions about the class reading.
- This class is highly active. Students will be interacting with one another--and with the instructor--on the class website in weekly text-based discussion forums.
Grade level: 9th and up (14+)
- For age/grade guidelines, prerequisites, and class-fit recommendations for all classes, please see our FAQ.
Class size: 25-30
Course materials are listed HERE.

Active and Interactive

In Honors English 1, students can expect to share their opinions and essays in weekly discussion forums. They will share and compare as they read and comment on each others' writing projects and debate with one another in a friendly, encouraging environment. There is never any busywork in Blue Tent English classes. Everything assigned--from forums to annotations to essay topics--has been carefully planned with specific reading, writing, and analytical objectives in mind.

Students will work independently on grammar in short bursts of daily exercises. This practice will help refresh and reinforce fundamentals as well as introduce more advanced skills--and then help to add subtlety and refinement to their writing.
Vocabulary is not a dreary slog through prepared lists of words. Instead, students will see the immediate value in their studies as they pull unfamiliar words directly from their core reading. They will also add words to class lists as they annotate poems and passages.
Literary analysis exercises will include both independent reading and collaborative assignments. Students will share and discuss their pre-writing and essays. They'll also offer answers and opinions in response to short weekly assignments. These conversations will involve the class as well as the instructor.
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours per week on classwork.

Honing Writing

Writing in Honors English 1 is tailored for students who feel the need for more practice composing and editing paragraphs that weave in a variety of sentence structures and word choices, that utilize well-constructed topic sentences and closing sentences, and that fluidly integrate supporting quotes and commentary.

Every student will be stretched and encouraged with plenty of individual feedback to help develop their individual writing style.
Writing instruction will start with the basics and move students toward the ability to confidently compose analytical essays and a research paper.
Shorter writing assignments will help students practice constructing effective thesis statements and strong topic sentences while learning the indents, headings, and citation style of 2021 MLA 9 formatting.

Learning Lit Language

From an obvious allusion to the most difficult-to-discern irony, literary devices and strategies will become familiar tools as students and their classmates annotate and excavate their way to becoming more discerning readers and writers.

By the end of this adventurous, interactive course, Honors English 1 students will be well equipped to confidently take on future analysis and writing endeavors!