High School English Level 6 Year 1 Course

Course Description

This  honors-level course surveys British and American literature from the Elizabethan era through 1900, incorporating poetry, prose, and drama. Students engage with the evolution of the novel as a literary form alongside study of three Shakespeare plays. The curriculum integrates foundational texts from both British and American traditions to provide comprehensive understanding of literary heritage and cultural contexts. Students develop college-level writing proficiency through daily written narrations, regular analytical essays applying principles from Zinsser’s On Writing Well, and a substantial research paper (10-15 pages). This challenging honors curriculum develops the close reading and academic writing capabilities essential for advanced literary study.

Books and Resources

Mater Amabilis participates in affiliate programs with Amazon and Living Book Press.

Literature:

• The British Tradition II: Poetry & Prose from the Elizabethan to the Neoclassical Age (1485-1784 A.D.), Memoria Press [Publisher]
  • This book is continued from the Level 5 Year 2 lesson plans.
  • Optional: Teacher Guide, Student Guide – These resources provide some vocabulary help and questions you may find useful for discussions or essay prompts. In general, reading and narrating the material is sufficient.
  • The “Introductions” in the MP books may be omitted.
• The British Tradition III: Poetry from the Romantic to the Victorian Age, Memoria Press [Publisher]
  • Optional: Teacher Guide, Student Guide – These resources provide some vocabulary help and questions you may find useful for discussions or essay prompts. In general, reading and narrating the material is sufficient.
  • The “Introductions” in the MP books may be omitted.
• Poetry and Short Stories for the Logic Stage Anthology, Memoria Press [Publisher]
  • Optional: Teacher Guide, Student Guide – These resources provide some vocabulary help and questions you may find useful for discussions or essay prompts. In general, reading and narrating the material is sufficient.
• Great Myths of the World, Colum [Amaz][online version] – Note, students read from this book through the first three years of English courses.
• Readings in American Prose, selected authors selected for this Mater Amabilis course [PDF]

Modification – Students could omit the Readings in American Prose.

Novels:

• Term 1: Pride and Prejudice, Austen [Amaz][Project Gutenberg]
• Term 2: David Copperfield, Dickens [Amaz][Project Gutenberg]
• Term 3: Huckleberry Finn, Twain [Amaz][Project Gutenberg]

Modification – A family may choose to assign only one or two of the novels.

Drama:

• Term 1: Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare
• Term 2: Hamlet, Shakespeare
• Term 3: The Tempest, Shakespeare

Modification – Read only one or two of the plays. A family may choose instead to watch a live or filmed version of these plays. Recommended adaptations: Much Ado About Nothing (Branagh [Amaz] or David Tennant [IMDB]), Hamlet (Mel Gibson [Amaz] or David Tennant [Amaz]), The Tempest (Globe Theatre with Roger Allam [Globe Player]).

Composition:

• On Writing Well, Zinsser [Amaz]

Composition will also continue to include daily written narration across all readings in all subjects, plus one finished essay per term and end-of-term essay exams.

Modification – Assign shorter papers, especially the research paper in term 3.

Lesson plans

All readings are narrated, orally or in writing. For Honors credit, written narrations should be the norm.

The student should be encouraged to keep a commonplace book, in which to write down any striking or memorable passages that stand out in reading. The student should also be encouraged to commit favorite poems to memory, or at least favorite passages from longer poems. 

Note that this year studied dictation drops from the plans, though parents may continue with the same routine if desired.

Abbreviations:

• MP = Memoria Press 
• GM = Great Myths of the World

TERM 1

Week 1
Day 1: MP British Tradition II, Restoration & Neoclassical Introduction, pp. 96-97, Dryden 98-100
Day 2: Pride & Prejudice Chapters 1-3
Day 3: Much Ado About Nothing, Act I
Day 4: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 4-6
Day 5: On Writing Well, Chapters 1-2, pp. 3-12, GM “Peruvian” p. xx & Viracocha pp. 245-249

Week 2
Day 6: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Introduction, Rip van Winkle, pp. 6-21
Day 7: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 7-9
Day 8: Much Ado About Nothing, Act II
Day 9: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 10-12
Day 10: On Writing Well, Chapters 3-4, pp. 13-24, GM The Llama Herder pp. 249-252

Week 3
Day 11: MP British Tradition II, Katherine Phillips and Jonathan Swift, pp. 101-110; optional: A Modest Proposal
Day 12: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 13-15
Day 13: Much Ado About Nothing, Act III, scenes 1-3
Day 14: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 16-18
Day 15: On Writing Well, Chapters 5-6, pp. 25-37, GM “Central American and Mexican” p. xx-xxiii  & In the Beginning pp. 253-257

Week 4
Day 16: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, pp. 22-43
Day 17: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 19-21
Day 18: Much Ado About Nothing, Act III, scenes 4-5
Day 19: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 22-24
Day 20: On Writing Well, Chapter 7, pp. 38-46, GM The Twin Heroes pp. 257-266

Week 5
Day 21: MP British Tradition II, Pope and Johnson, pp. 111-116
Day 22: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 25-27
Day 23: Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV
Day 24: GM Quetzalcoatl pp. 266-268
Day 25: Look over written narrations in all subjects up to this point. Choose one, or a series of narrations of the same book or subject, to revise into an essay with particular attention to simplifying, removing clutter, and generally applying Zinsser’s principles in Part I of On Writing Well. Spend roughly an hour today choosing narrations and planning this essay of roughly 500-700 words. Due on Day 40.

Week 6
Day 26: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Longfellow, Whittier, pp. 44-51
Day 27: Pride and Prejudice makeup day, work on essay assigned on Day 25
Day 28: Much Ado About Nothing, Act V, scenes 1-2
Day 29: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 28-30
Day 30: On Writing Well, Chapters 8-9, pp. 49-67, GM Quetzalcoatl’s Enemy pp. 268-270, finish essay draft

Week 7
Day 31: MP British Tradition II, Oliver Goldsmith and Phillis Wheatley, pp. 117-122
Day 32: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 31-33
Day 33: Much Ado About Nothing, Act V, scenes 3-4
Day 34: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 34-36
Day 35: On Writing Well, Chapter 10, pp. 68-92, essay conference, revision. GM The Gods of the Azteca pp. 270-273

Week 8
Day 36: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Longfellow, Paul Revere’s Ride
Day 37: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 37-39
Day 38: Work on essay revision. Think especially about the beginning and ending.
Day 39: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 40-42
Day 40: Finish and turn in essay. GM The Azteca pp. 273-276

Week 9
Day 41: MP British Tradition III, Romantic Introduction, Thomas Gray, pp. 6-16
Day 42: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 43-45
Day 43: American Transcendentalism. Readings in American Prose, Self-Reliance,  pp. 1-8
Day 44: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 46-48
Day 45: Reading makeup day

Week 10
Day 46: Readings in American Prose, Self-Reliance, pp. 9-16
Day 47: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 49-51
Day 48: Readings in American Prose, Self-Reliance, pp. 17-23
Day 49: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 52-55
Day 50: Reading makeup day

Week 11
Day 51: MP British Tradition III, William Blake, pp. 17-19
Day 52: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 56-58
Day 53: GM “Zuni”  pp. xxiii-xxiv  & Paiyatuma and the Maidens of Corn pp. 277-284 (end of Great Myths)
Day 54: Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 59-61 (finish)
Day 55: Reading makeup day

WEEK 12: DAYS 56-60 MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose four of the questions to answer.

1. Tell everything you can about your favorite poem of this term. 
2. Tell everything you can about how Pride and Prejudice and Much Ado About Nothing compare as love stories. Make sure to tell what you learn about the nature of love from these stories. You might also consider the role of God’s love and grace: how do you see those things mirrored in both of these comic tales? 
3. Tell everything you can about Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance.” In particular, tell what ideas rang true to you, and what ideas struck you as questionable, and why.  
4. Tell everything you can about Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” with a focus on the ways that Emerson’s ideas continue to influence contemporary American culture. 
5. Tell what the myths of Central and Native American cultures reveal about those cultures. 
6. Tell everything you can about what constitutes “writing well,” according to William Zinsser.

TERM 2

Week 13
Day 61: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Poe, To Helen, The Tell-Tale Heart pp 52-57, David Copperfield Chapters 1-4
Day 62: David Copperfield, Chapters 5-8
Day 63: Hamlet, Act I, scenes 1-3
Day 64: David Copperfield, Chapters 9-12
Day 65: On Writing Well, Chapter 11, pp. 95-99, Readings in American Prose, Thoreau, Walking, pp. 24-33

Week 14
Day 66: MP British Tradition III, Burns, pp. 20-24, Readings in American Prose, Thoreau, Walking, pp. 33-39
Day 67: David Copperfield, Chapters 13-16
Day 68: Hamlet, Act I, scenes 4-5
Day 69: David Copperfield, Chapters 17-20
Day 70: On Writing Well, Chapter 12, pp. 100-115

Week 15
Day 71: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Poe, The Raven, pp. 58-61, Readings in American Prose, Thoreau, Walking pp. 39-50
Day 72: David Copperfield, Chapters 21-24
Day 73: Hamlet, Act II
Day 74: David Copperfield, Chapters 25-28
Day 75: On Writing Well, Chapter 13, pp. 116-132

Week 16
Day 76: MP British Tradition III, Burns, pp. 25-26, Readings in American Prose, Thoreau, Walking, pp. 51-55
Day 77: David Copperfield, Chapters 29-32
Day 78: Hamlet, Act III, scenes 1-2
Day 79: David Copperfield, Chapters 33-36
Day 80: On Writing Well, Chapter 14, pp. 133-147

Week 17
Day 81: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Holmes, Lowell, pp. 62-68
Day 82: David Copperfield, Chapters 37-40
Day 83: Hamlet, Act III, scenes 3-4
Day 84: David Copperfield, Chapters 41-44
Day 85: On Writing Well, Chapter 15, pp. 148-165

Week 18
Day 86: MP British Tradition III, Wordsworth, pp. 27-29
Day 87: David Copperfield, Chapters 45-48
Day 88: Hamlet, Act IV, scenes 1-4
Day 89: David Copperfield, Chapters 49-52
Day 90: On Writing Well, Chapter 16, pp. 166-178

Week 19
Day 91: Readings in American Prose, Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown, pp. 56-69
Day 92: David Copperfield, Chapters 53-56
Day 93: Hamlet, Act IV, scenes 5-7
Day 94: David Copperfield, Chapters 57-60
Day 95: On Writing Well, Chapter 17, pp. 179-193

Week 20
Day 96: MP British Tradition III, Wordsworth, pp 30-31
Day 97: David Copperfield, Chapters 61-64 (finish)
Day 98: Hamlet, Act V
Day 99: Makeup reading day
Day 100: On Writing Well, Chapter 18, pp. 194-207

Week 21
Day 101: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Dickinson, pp. 69-71
Day 102: Makeup reading day
Day 103: Readings in American Prose, Melville, Bartleby the Scrivener, pp. 70-90
Day 104: Readings in American Prose, Melville, Bartleby the Scrivener, pp. 91-104
Day 105: On Writing Well, Chapter 19, pp. 208-229

Week 22
Day 106: MP British Tradition III, Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, pp. 32-39
Day 107: Reflect on Part III of On Writing Well, and choose a genre –  interview, travel article, memoir, science writing, business writing, sports or art coverage, or humor – for a paper of approximately 1000 words, to be due on Day 115. Begin planning and sketching this piece of writing today.
Day 108: Readings in American Prose, Twain, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, pp. 105-110
Day 109: MP British Tradition III, finish Rime of the Ancient Mariner, pp. 39-48. Work on draft of genre paper.
Day 110: Work on draft of genre paper.

Week 23
Day 111: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Lanier, Riley, pp. 72-79
Day 112: Conference genre paper draft (still use Introductory Guide to High School Essay Writing rubrics, but also incorporate principles from Zinsser in evaluating this draft for revision). Work on revision.
Day 113: Readings in American Prose, Jewett, A White Heron, pp. 111-120
Day 114: Revise genre paper, make up any reading not done by this point.
Day 115: Finish and turn in genre paper.

WEEK 24: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose four of the questions to answer.

1. Tell all your thoughts about your favorite short story of the term. 
2. Tell everything you can about David Copperfield as a hero: what heroic characteristics he displays innately or develops through experience in the course of his story, and what things he does that reveal those characteristics. 
3. According to Aristotle in his Poetics, the tragic hero in a drama is “a person who must evoke pity and fear in the audience. He is considered a man of misfortune which comes to him through error of judgment.” Tell everything you can about the ways that Hamlet might fulfill Aristotle’s definition. 
4.  Tell everything you can about your favorite poem of this term. 
5. Tell everything you can about the differences you perceive between British and American literature in the 19th century. 
6. Tell everything you can about writing well in different genres: travel, interviews, memoir, sports, arts, and science writing, and humor.

TERM 3

Note that as in previous years, a written research project will begin in Week 30. At the start of this term, the student might begin to consider what topic might be of interest for this project. Ideally this research project will grow out of written narrations in some subject. The student should anticipate a paper of 10-15 pages.

Week 25
Day 121: MP British Tradition III, Byron, p. 49
Day 122: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 1-3
Day 123: The Tempest, Act I
Day 124: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 4-6
Day 125: On Writing Well, Chapter 20, pp. 233-242

Week 26
Day 126: MP Poetry and Short Stories, O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi, pp. 80-84
Day 127: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 7-9
Day 128: The Tempest, Act II
Day 129: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 10-12
Day 130: On Writing Well, Chapter 21, pp. 243-254

Week 27
Day 131: MP British Tradition III, Shelley, pp. 50-51; Optional: Poetry for All podcast on Ozymandias
Day 132: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 13-15
Day 133: The Tempest, Act III
Day 134: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 16-18
Day 135: On Writing Well, Chapter 22, pp. 255-264

Week 28
Day 136: MP Poetry and Short Stories, O. Henry, The Random of Red Chief, pp. 85-92
Day 137: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 19-21
Day 138: The Tempest, Act IV
Day 139: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 22-24
Day 140: On Writing Well, Chapter 23, pp. 265-285

Week 29
Day 141: MP British Tradition III, Keats, pp. 52-55
Day 142: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 25-27
Day 143: The Tempest, Act V
Day 144: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 28-30
Day 145: On Writing Well, Chapter 24, pp. 286-294

Week 30
Day 146: Walt Whitman, “I Hear America Singing,” “O Captain! My Captain!”
Day 147: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 31-33
Day 148: Begin planning written research project. Revisit the Introductory Guide to High School Essay Writing if necessary.
Day 149: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 34-36
Day 150: Work on research paper

Week 31
Day 151: MP British Tradition III, Victorian Era Introduction, St. John Henry Newman, pp. 58-61
Day 152: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 37-39
Day 153: Work on research paper
Day 154: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 40-43 (finish)
Day 155: Work on research paper

Week 32
Day 156: Paul Laurence Dunbar, “We Wear the Mask,” “Ships That Pass in the Night”; Optional: Poetry for All podcast episode 39 on “We Wear the Mask”
Day 157: MP British Tradition III, Elizabeth Barret Browning, p. 62
Day 158: Work on research paper
Day 159: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Thayer, Hovey, Lowell, pp. 93-100
Day 160: Work on research paper

Week 33
Day 161: MP British Tradition III, Tennyson, pp. 63-65
Day 162: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Frost, Sandburg, pp. 101-106
Day 163: Draft research paper
Day 164: MP British Tradition III, Tennyson, pp. 66-67
Day 165: Draft research paper

Week 34
Day 166: MP Poetry and Short Stories, Meigs, pp. 107-108, Claude McKay, “The Recollection of Claude McKay” (Benedict XVI Institute) and “Saint Meinrad”
Day 167: MP British Tradition III, Arnold, pp. 72-75
Day 168: Draft research paper
Day 169: MP British Tradition III, Rossetti and Hopkins, pp. 76-77, Optional: Poetry for All podcast on “God’s Grandeur”
Day 170: Draft research paper

Week 35
Day 171: MP British Tradition III, Thompson, p. 83, Masefield, 92-93
Day 172: Revise research paper
Day 173: Conference and revise research paper
Day 174: Revise research paper
Day 175: Finish and turn in research paper

WEEK 36: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose four of the questions to answer.

1. Tell everything you can about Huck as a heroic figure in Huckleberry Finn. Tell what heroic qualities he innately possesses, and what qualities he develops through experience in the course of the novel, and what he does to reveal those qualities through word and action. 
2. Tell everything you can to compare Huck, as a hero or protagonist, with David Copperfield. 
3.  Tell everything you can about Prospero and how he changes through the action of The Tempest. 
4. Tell everything you can comparing Huck with Prospero.  
5. Tell everything you can about your favorite poem of this term. 
6. Tell everything you have learned about writing well.