Getting Started with High School British Literature Course

In this high school British literature course, students take an in-depth look at key periods in the history of British literature from Old English and medieval through modern and postmodern. Numerous classics are studied including Beowulf, Macbeth, the King James Bible, Pilgrim’s Progress, Paradise Lost, Gulliver’s Travels, Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, The Screwtape Letters, Animal Farm, and various selections of poetry.

Course Outline for High School British Literature:

• Lesson One: The Beauty of Anglo-Saxon Poetry: A Prelude to Beowulf
• Lesson Two: Beowulf
• Lesson Three: Beowulf
• Lesson Four: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Lesson Five: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Conclusion
• Lesson Six: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Lesson Seven: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Part 1
• Lesson Eight: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Part 2
• Lesson Nine: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth Conclusion
• Lesson Ten: KJV Bible
• Lesson Eleven: Renaissance Poetry, Part 1
• Lesson Twelve: Renaissance Poetry, Part 2
• Lesson Thirteen: John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress Part 1
• Lesson Fourteen: John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2
• Lesson Fifteen: John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Part 1
• Lesson Sixteen: John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Part 2
• Lesson Seventeen: Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
• Lesson Eighteen: Seventeenth/Eighteenth Century Poetry
• Lesson Nineteen: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Part 1
• Lesson Twenty: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Part 2
• Lesson Twenty-One: Sir Walter Scott’s Waverly, Part 1
• Lesson Twenty-Two: Sir Walter Scott’s Waverly, Part 2
• Lesson Twenty-Three: English Romantic Poetry, Part 1
• Lesson Twenty-Four: English Romantic Poetry, Part 2
• Lesson Twenty-Five: Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Part 1
• Lesson Twenty-Six: Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Part 2
• Lesson Twenty-Seven: Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, Part 1
• Lesson Twenty-Eight: Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, Part 2
• Lesson Twenty-Nine: Charles Dickens’ Hard Times
• Lesson Thirty: English Victorian Poetry
• Lesson Thirty-One: George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Part 1
• Lesson Thirty-Two: George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Part 2
• Lesson Thirty-Three: C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, Part 1
• Lesson Thirty-Four: C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, Part 2
• Lesson Thirty-Five: George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
• Lesson Thirty-Six: World War I Poetry

Course Sample for High School British Literature:

High School British Literature
By Alayna Longeagne

This course on British literature will give an overview of various forms of literature, including poetry, plays, novels, epics, etc., from the earliest manuscripts to contemporary authors of the twentieth century. Inasmuch as this course will span over 1500 years of writing, it will of necessity be an overview only, rather than focusing on any one period or author in British literature.

To simplify the structure of the course, it has been divided into six units of six weeks each. Each unit will cover a unique period in British history. The selected readings have been taken from among the most influential and popular authors of their time. Additional consideration of a Christian worldview was given whenever possible, and any questionable subject matter will be omitted or mentioned prior to the reading.

It is my hope that this course will enable you to develop critical thinking and analysis in regard to your reading, while it still being a pleasure. A variety of assessments will be used in order to maximize your understanding of the subject matter. These will include vocabulary words, discussion questions, writing assignments, and journaling. Two essays of five to ten pages are to be completed at the end of the third and sixth unit. Possible essay topics to choose from will be proposed at the end of each unit.

Weekly Course Assignments

1. Read the introduction to the lesson as well as any required background information and activities.
2. Read the assigned lines or chapters listed.
3. Complete assigned vocabulary word definitions (if applicable).
4. Answer discussion questions.
5. Journal about your reading, noting favorite quotes, any additional questions you have, or further vocabulary words.

To view a full sample of this course, click here.