American Folklore: This class will be a semi-formal introduction to both folklore as a general subject and our own national treasury of folklore. Our focus will primarily be on stories, poems, and songs, but we will enjoy various aspects of our national folklife, as well. Because most students have already experienced some American folklore during the natural course of their lives, this class will go a little deeper than surface enjoyment. We will cover six regions of the country systematically after our opening study of American Indian folklore. Within each region we will focus on one or two kinds of folklore in order to better understand the nature of folklore, and we will highlight “folk music of the week” (instruments, songs, and dances).

The Benjamin Franklin Writing Method explores how a man with limited educational opportunities became one of the literary lights of the nation. In this 24-week course your student will follow in Benjamin Franklin’s footsteps by borrowing his step-by-step study method to improve his/her writing. Each lesson will offer a different selection to study. Topics studied include active reading, notetaking, narration, analysis, and writing in a variety of literary genres.