{"id":6061,"date":"2025-06-15T00:23:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T04:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/?page_id=6061"},"modified":"2025-10-10T14:58:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T18:58:38","slug":"high-school-english-level-6-year-2-course","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/high-school-level-5-6\/high-school-english\/high-school-english-level-6-year-2-course\/","title":{"rendered":"High School English Level 6 Year 2 Course"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990;\">High School English: Modern English Literature (Honors)<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Recommended for Level 6 Year 2, but appropriate for any student.<\/p>\n<p>The Mater Amabilis English courses are very challenging. If they are done as written (or nearly so), Honors credit may be awarded. Within the Books and Resources, notes have been made of adaptations for students who would prefer a less challenging course.<\/p>\n<p>All previous versions of lesson plans can be found on the <a href=\"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/archived-lesson-plans\/\">Archived Lesson Plans<\/a> page.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\"> \n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">Course Description<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This honors-level course develops literary criticism and analytical skills through study of poetry, drama, and modern novels. Students engage with works by Cather, Fitzgerald, and Sayers alongside three Shakespeare plays, exploring universal themes of redemption, grace, and human nature through close textual analysis. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and interpretive skills essential for college-level literary study. Students practice advanced composition techniques through formal academic essays, detailed poetry analysis papers, and a substantial culminating research project. Students maintain a commonplace book for reflection and personal literary canon development, plus memorization of selected passages to deepen a personal relationship with the texts. This challenging curriculum builds the analytical reading, critical interpretation, and academic writing capabilities essential for university-level humanities coursework.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">Books and Resources<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h6>Mater Amabilis participates in affiliate programs with Amazon and Living Book Press.<\/h6>\n<p><strong>Literary Genre Study:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Structure, Sound, and Sense<\/i><i>,\u00a0<\/i>Perrine &#8211; Use any edition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note: It\u2019s worth searching for inexpensive early editions with Perrine as sole author. Any edition you can find will work. The lesson plans avoid page numbers, as they will be inconsistent between editions. These general plans should allow you to use whatever edition you can find at a reasonable price.<\/p>\n<p>Modification &#8211; Schedule fewer of the poems, short stories, and plays.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Novels and Modern Drama (ad lib \/ free reading):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Term 1:\u00a0<em>My Antonia<\/em>, Cather [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4n8cch8\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<li>Term 2:\u00a0<em>The Great Gatsby,\u00a0<\/em>Fitzgerald [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3HFaMu9\">Amaz<\/a>]; <em>Gaudy Night<\/em>, Sayers [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3FPZuCO\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<li>Term 3:\u00a0<em>Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/em>, Hurston [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/44fkxI6\">Amaz<\/a>]; <em>A Raisin in the Sun<\/em>, Hansberry [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3HFuN3K\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note: Parents may wish to pre-read\u00a0<em>Their Eyes Were Watching God.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Modification &#8211; Choose only two or three of the novels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Drama:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Term 1:\u00a0<i>The Winter\u2019s Tale,\u00a0<\/i>Shakespeare<\/li>\n<li>Term 2:\u00a0<i>King Lear<\/i><i>,\u00a0<\/i>Shakespeare<\/li>\n<li>Term 3:\u00a0<i>A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/i><i>,\u00a0<\/i>Shakespeare<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Modification &#8211; Read only one or two of the plays. A family may also choose instead to watch a live or filmed version of these plays. Please note: productions of <em>King Lear<\/em>\u00a0should be previewed and will probably not be appropriate for younger siblings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Composition:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Office of Assertion: An Art of Rhetoric for the Academic Essay<\/i><i>,\u00a0<\/i>Crider (Term 1 only) [<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3TqoinU\">Amaz<\/a>]<\/li>\n<li>Additional writing practice &#8211; You may choose to assign six extra short essays (300-500 words) or pieces of creative writing per term. These essays may touch on readings in English or any other subject, including current events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>High Honors option: a year-long <a href=\"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/high-school-level-5-6\/high-school-english\/high-school-english-senior-thesis-lesson-plans\/\">Senior Thesis<\/a> on a topic of the student\u2019s choice, researched, written, and (optionally) delivered as a presentation at the end of the year. This project could replace the normal scheduled research paper in Term 3, if desired, and that time could be dedicated to the Senior Thesis instead.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners\" style=\"background-color: #f8f6f0\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"color: #c4a990\">Lesson plans<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>All readings are narrated, orally or in writing. For Honors credit, written narrations should be the norm.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Abbreviations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS = <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Structure, Sound, and Sense <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(aka <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perrine\u2019s Literature<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) &#8211; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chapters of SSS are narrated, but students are asked to respond to study questions following a story, poem, or dramatic piece, to be invited to closer reading and meditation on the work.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA = <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Office of Assertion<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>TERM 1<\/p>\n<p>Week 1<br \/>\nDay 1: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 1, Escape and Interpretation<\/span><br \/>\nDay 2: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 1, Short story, study questions &#8211; Remember: Chapters of SSS are narrated, but students are asked to respond to study questions following a story, poem, or dramatic piece, to be invited to closer reading and meditation on the work.<\/span><br \/>\nDay 3: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale, Act I<\/span><br \/>\nDay 4: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 1, Short story, study questions (choose a different story)<\/span><br \/>\nDay 5: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 1, Introduction, pp. 1-14. Also, choose one poem to read from the \u201cPoems for Further Reading\u201d section in SSS<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 2<br \/>\nDay 6: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 2, Plot<\/span><br \/>\nDay 7: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 2, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 8: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale, Act II<\/span><br \/>\nDay 9: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 2, short story, study questions (choose a different story)<\/span><br \/>\nDay 10: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 2, Invention, pp. 15-30, Poem for Further Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 3<br \/>\nDay 11: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 3, Character<\/span><br \/>\nDay 12: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 3, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 13: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale, Act III<\/span><br \/>\nDay 14: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 3, short story, study questions (choose a different story)<\/span><br \/>\nDay 15: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 2, Invention, pp. 31-42, Poem for Further Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 4<br \/>\nDay 16: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 4, Theme<\/span><br \/>\nDay 17: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 4, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 18: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale, Act IV<\/span><br \/>\nDay 19: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 4, short story, study questions (choose a different story)<\/span><br \/>\nDay 20: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 3, Organization, pp. 43-58. Poem for Further Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 5<br \/>\nDay 21: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 5, Point of View<\/span><br \/>\nDay 22: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 5, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 23: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale, Act V<\/span><br \/>\nDay 24: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Fiction 5, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 25: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 3, Organization, pp. 59-72. Poem for Further Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 6<br \/>\nDay 26: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 6, Symbol and Irony<\/span><br \/>\nDay 27: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 6, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 28: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">reading makeup day<\/span><br \/>\nDay 29: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 6, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 30: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 4, Style, pp. 73-85<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 7<br \/>\nDay 31: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 7, Emotion and Humor<\/span><br \/>\nDay 32: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 7, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 33: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Begin planning an academic essay which will argue for the action of redemptive grace in the plays of William Shakespeare. The ideal form for this essay would be to choose three plays,\u00a0 including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">but also any two others read over the last few years, and to devote each section to asserting the ways that redemptive grace reveals itself in the action of the play under discussion. For each play, the paper should answer the questions: Who is in need of redemption, and how is this need signaled? What has to happen in order for that character or characters to obtain redemption and restoration? What is the outcome\/how is it understood that the character or characters has\/have experienced the action of grace in their lives? This should not be a researched paper, only a close reading of the three chosen plays with this theme in mind. Think 10-12 pages. This essay will be due on Day 55. <\/span><br \/>\nDay 34: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 7, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 35: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 4, Style, pp. 86-106. Poem for Further Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 8<br \/>\nDay 36: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 8, Fantasy<\/span><br \/>\nDay 37: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 8, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 38: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on the essay assigned in Week 7. <\/span><br \/>\nDay 39: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 8, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 40: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 5, Re-Vision, pp. 107-118. Poem for Further Reading. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 9<br \/>\nDay 41: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 9, The Scale of Value<\/span><br \/>\nDay 42: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 9, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 43: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on Shakespeare essay<\/span><br \/>\nDay 44: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 9, short story, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 45: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OA 6, Conclusion, pp. 119-124, Student Paper pp. 125-136. Poem for Further Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 10<br \/>\nDay 46: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS choose a story not chosen in previous chapters, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 47: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS choose a story for \u201cfurther reading,\u201d study questions <\/span><br \/>\nDay 48: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on Shakespeare paper.<\/span><br \/>\nDay 49: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS choose a story for \u201cfurther reading,\u201d study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 50: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on Shakespeare paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 11<br \/>\nDay 51: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS: choose a story for \u201cfurther reading,\u201d study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 52: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on Shakespeare paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 53: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shakespeare paper: Revision conference<\/span><br \/>\nDay 54: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Revise Shakespeare paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 55: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finish and turn in Shakespeare paper. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>WEEK 12: DAYS 56-60 MAKEUP\/EXAM WEEK<\/p>\n<p>Examination questions for exam week<br \/>\nTo be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.<br \/>\nThe student will choose four of the questions to answer.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about your favorite short story of the term, focusing especially on elements like plot, character, theme, symbolism, and other literary terms which we might use to expand our thinking about a piece of short fiction.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about the action of grace in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell how <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Winter\u2019s Tale <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">might have ended if it were a tragedy instead of a comedy, and how this would change your understanding of the characters, the action, and the universe in which the play takes place.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Antonia.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about your favorite poem of the term.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about what constitutes good academic writing. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>TERM 2<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Note that this term includes two shorter\/faster novels, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gaudy Night. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The student should plan to finish <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gatsby <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">by Week 18 at the latest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also note that the Shakespeare play for this term is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is one of the greatest of Shakespeare\u2019s tragedies, not least for its portrayal of the potential for human evil in a fallen universe. Be aware that there are scenes of cruelty in this play, including the deliberate blinding of a character. There are excellent filmed productions, including the Paul Scofield version, but a family will want to exercise caution in viewing a filmed version. <\/span><b>This is NOT a play for younger children to watch<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, in any version, and depending on your older teen\u2019s level of sensitivity, you may wish to skip a filmed version altogether. Still, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lear <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is an important play for the maturing young Catholic to come to grips with, and has much to say for any person\u2019s moral formation. Human beings have within us the capacity for terrible cruelty to each other, as well as the capacity to receive grace and healing; the play holds up that mirror for us all. It might be useful to discuss how this capacity plays out on our current cultural landscape, both in person and online, in the form of \u201ccancellation culture,\u201d for example. It is also useful to be alert, even in the horribly bleak and despairing world of the play, for the action of grace, the presence of hope.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 13<br \/>\nDay 61: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 1, What Is Poetry<\/span><br \/>\nDay 62: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 1, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 63: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act I, scenes 1-3<\/span><br \/>\nDay 64: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 1, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 65: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 1, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Optional resource &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/closereads.substack.com\/p\/the-great-gatsby-chapters-1-3\">Close Reads Podcast The Great Gatsby: Chapters 1-3 (June 9, 2025)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Week 14<br \/>\nDay 66: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 2, Reading the Poem<\/span><br \/>\nDay 67: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 2, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 68: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act I, scenes 4-5<\/span><br \/>\nDay 69: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 2, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 70: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 2, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 15<\/p>\n<p>Day 71: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 3, Denotation and Connotation<\/span><br \/>\nDay 72: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 3, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 73: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act II, scenes 1-2<\/span><br \/>\nDay 74: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 3, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 75: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 3, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Optional resource: <a href=\"https:\/\/closereads.substack.com\/p\/the-great-gatsby-chapter-4-6\">Close Reads Podcast The Great Gatsby: Chapters 4-6 (June 16, 2025)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Week 16<br \/>\nDay 76: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 4, Imagery<\/span><br \/>\nDay 77: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 4, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 78: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act II, scenes 3-4<\/span><br \/>\nDay 79: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 4, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 80: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 4, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 17<br \/>\nDay 81: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 5, Figurative Language 1<\/span><br \/>\nDay 82: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 5: read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 83: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act III, scenes 1-4<\/span><br \/>\nDay 84: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 5, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 85: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 5, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 18<br \/>\nDay 86: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 6, Figurative Language 2<\/span><br \/>\nDay 87: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 6, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 88: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act III, scenes 5-7<\/span><br \/>\nDay 89: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 6, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 90: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 6, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Optional resources<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/closereads.substack.com\/p\/the-great-gatsby-the-final-chapters\">Close Reads Podcast The Great Gatsby: The Final Chapters (June 25, 2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/closereads.substack.com\/p\/the-great-gatsby-q-and-a-episode\">Close Reads Podcast The Great Gatsby: Q&amp;A Episode (July 2, 2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Week 19<br \/>\nDay 91: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 7, Figurative Language 3<\/span><br \/>\nDay 92: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 7, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 93: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act IV, scenes 1-4<\/span><br \/>\nDay 94: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 7, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 95: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 7, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gaudy Night<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 20<br \/>\nDay 96: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 8, Allusion<\/span><br \/>\nDay 97: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 8, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 98: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act IV, scenes 5-7<\/span><br \/>\nDay 99: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 8, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 100: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 8, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gaudy Night<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 21<br \/>\nDay 101: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 9, Meaning and Idea<\/span><br \/>\nDay 102: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 9, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 103: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear, Act V<\/span><br \/>\nDay 104: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 9, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 105: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 9, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gaudy Night<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 22<br \/>\nDay 106: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 10, Tone<\/span><br \/>\nDay 107: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 10, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 108: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">reading makeup day<\/span><br \/>\nDay 109: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS 10, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 110: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Choose one poem from SSS Poetry 1-10, and draft an essay doing a reading of that poem in terms of its use of poetic language. Draw on literary terms from the first ten chapters, choosing three that apply to the selected poem. This essay, which should be roughly 5-7 pages in its final form, should consider the ways that attention to the poem\u2019s language expands its capacity to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">mean. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What I mean is that given words and phrases can resonate with additional meanings (our personal or cultural associations with those words and phrases, for example), so that we begin to see glimpses of something larger and more universal than whatever the immediate literal, surface meaning of the poem is. This essay should enact a reading of the poem that moves from that most literal, surface meaning to those larger possibilities. Due on Day 115. Draw on what you learned about academic writing in Term 1 for the style, tone, and shape of this paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gaudy Night<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 23<br \/>\nDay 111: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on poetry paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 112: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on poetry paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 113: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Revision conference<\/span><br \/>\nDay 114: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Revise poetry paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 115: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finish and turn in poetry paper<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gaudy Night<\/span><\/p>\n<p>WEEK 24: MAKEUP\/EXAM WEEK<\/p>\n<p>Examination questions for exam week<br \/>\nTo be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.<br \/>\nThe student will choose four of the questions to answer.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about the human capacity for evil in the world of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">King Lear. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell whether the play seems to you to indicate that people are horrible, period, and the world is irredeemably fallen, bleak, and cruel, or whether you discerned the presence of grace and hope in the action of the play. Note that you aren\u2019t commenting on whether the world IS irredeemably fallen, bleak, and cruel: only the world of the play itself, as Shakespeare presents it. Assume that anybody reading your answer KNOWS what the Catechism says and that the Church\u2019s view is the true one. Simply focus on the world Shakespeare has created out of words, and tell what you can about how that world seems to work.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about what a poem is.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about the use of figurative language in poems.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about what contributes to the tone of a poem.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Great Gatsby, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">though you might particularly recall Aristotle\u2019s definition of the tragic hero and consider whether, and if so, how, Gatsby fits this definition. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about <i>Gaudy Night.<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>TERM 3<\/p>\n<p>Week 25<br \/>\nDay 121: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 11, Musical Devices<\/span><br \/>\nDay 122: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 11, read all poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 123: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, Act I<\/span><br \/>\nDay 124: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 11, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 125: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 11, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God (Note: Parents may want to pre-read this novel.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 26<br \/>\nDay 126: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 12, Rhythm and Meter<\/span><br \/>\nDay 127: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 12: choose several poems to read ALOUD, listening for stressed syllables<\/span><br \/>\nDay 128: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, Act II<\/span><br \/>\nDay 129: SSS <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do Exercise 1 between the Chapter and the poems<\/span><br \/>\nDay 130: SSS <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exercise 2 in the same set. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 27<br \/>\nDay 131: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 12, review the basics of scansion in this chapter<\/span><br \/>\nDay 132: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 12, choose one poem to copy out, marking stressed and unstressed syllables as indicated in the discussion of scansion. <\/span><br \/>\nDay 133: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, Act III<\/span><br \/>\nDay 134: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 12,\u00a0 choose another poem to copy out and mark with scansion marks. <\/span><br \/>\nDay 135: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 12, choose another poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 28<br \/>\nDay 136: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 13, Sound and Meaning<\/span><br \/>\nDay 137: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 13, read all poems, including several aloud<\/span><br \/>\nDay 138: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, Act IV<\/span><br \/>\nDay 139: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 13, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 140: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 13, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 29<br \/>\nDay 141: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 14, Pattern<\/span><br \/>\nDay 142: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 14, read all poems, including several aloud<\/span><br \/>\nDay 143: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, Act V<\/span><br \/>\nDay 144: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 14, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 145: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 14, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 30<br \/>\nDay 146: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 15, Bad Poetry and Good (strong opinions alert!)<\/span><br \/>\nDay 147:\u00a0 <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 15, read all poems, including some aloud. Choose a research topic for paper due Week 35. Revisit the MLA Research Paper Writing Guide (or the Chicago Style one), if necessary.<\/span><br \/>\nDay 148: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama 1, The Nature of Drama, choose one dramatic selection to read, answer questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 149: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 15, choose one poem, study questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 150: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Begin research process for final research paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 31<br \/>\nDay 151: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 16, Good Poetry and Great<\/span><br \/>\nDay 152: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 16, read all poems, including at least one aloud, research process for paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 153: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama 2, Realistic and Non-Realistic Drama, read one selection, questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 154: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poetry 16, choose one poem, questions<\/span><br \/>\nDay 155: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama 3: Tragedy and Comedy<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Raisin in the Sun<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 32<br \/>\nDay 156: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poems for Further Reading, choose one, questions, work on research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 157: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama: choose any dramatic selection not previously read to read at your own pace<\/span><br \/>\nDay 158: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poems for Further Reading: choose one, questions, work on research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 159: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama: continue reading your chosen drama<\/span><br \/>\nDay 160: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on research paper<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Raisin in the Sun<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 33<br \/>\nDay 161: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poems for Further Reading, choose one, questions, research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 162: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama, continue reading<\/span><br \/>\nDay 163: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poems for Further Reading, choose one, questions, research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 164: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama, continue reading<\/span><br \/>\nDay 165: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Work on research paper<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Raisin in the Sun<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 34<br \/>\nDay 166: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Poems for Further Reading, choose one, questions, research paper. <\/span><br \/>\nDay 167: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama, continue reading<\/span><br \/>\nDay 168: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Draft research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 169: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SSS Drama, continue reading (finish)<\/span><br \/>\nDay 170: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Draft research paper<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Raisin in the Sun<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Week 35<br \/>\nDay 171: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Draft research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 172: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Draft research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 173: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Revision conference<\/span><br \/>\nDay 174: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Revise research paper<\/span><br \/>\nDay 175: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finish and turn in research paper<\/span><\/p>\n<p>ad lib: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Raisin in the Sun<\/span><\/p>\n<p>WEEK 36: MAKEUP\/EXAM WEEK<\/p>\n<p>Examination questions for exam week<br \/>\nTo be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.<br \/>\nThe student will choose four of the questions to answer.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about your reading of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Raisin in the Sun, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">especially in terms of what you believe the characters have learned in the course of the novel or play, and in terms of what you believe it has to say about intrinsic human dignity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. You might compare and contrast it with other Shakespearean comedies you have read over the last four years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Explain how to scan a poem to determine its meter.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about discerning the objective artistic quality of a poem: its goodness as a poem, as apart from the question of whether it \u201cspeaks to you\u201d on an emotional level.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell everything you can about the art of drama.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell what for you is the greatest work of literature you have encountered in your high-school career, and why you would assign it the honor of being not just good or enjoyable, but \u201cgreat.\u201d <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2025 Mater Amabilis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High School English: Modern English Literature (Honors) Recommended for Level 6 Year 2, but appropriate for any student. The Mater Amabilis English courses are very challenging. If they are done as written (or nearly so), Honors credit may be awarded. Within the Books and Resources, notes have been made of adaptations for students who would &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/high-school-level-5-6\/high-school-english\/high-school-english-level-6-year-2-course\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about  High School English Level 6 Year 2 Course<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":6213,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-6061","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6061"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6366,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6061\/revisions\/6366"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/materamabilis.org\/ma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}