Excellence in Literature: English I - V

The curriculum systematically builds cultural knowledge through chronological study of literature periods and extensive research into historical contexts. Students explore background resources covering history, art, and music of each era.

Students are directed to explore context resources including history, art, and music relating to the historical era of each literary work, with American, British, and World Literature following chronological frameworks

The curriculum uses highly complex, challenging canonical literature appropriate for advanced high school students. Works include classics like Paradise Lost, Beowulf, and Dante's Inferno.

Selected works include challenging classics like Moby Dick, Paradise Lost, Canterbury Tales, and Dante's Divine Comedy that are described as 'certainly very challenging'

The curriculum provides structured writing instruction through detailed format explanations, student samples, and MLA conventions. Multiple writing types are practiced including literary analysis essays and approach papers.

Includes seven pages on 'How to Write an Essay,' detailed explanations in the Formats and Models section with excellent student work samples, and teaches MLA formatting conventions

The curriculum centers entirely on reading complete classic works like Jane Eyre, Moby Dick, and Pride and Prejudice. Students engage with whole books in their entirety rather than excerpts.

Each module guides students through study of specific complete literary works like Around the World in Eighty Days, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Great Gatsby, and other full classics

The curriculum is designed for independent study with minimal direct instruction, relying instead on student self-direction and research. Teacher involvement is limited to writing evaluation.

Described as 'truly designed for independent study' with the only oversight being writing evaluation using provided rubric forms

The curriculum provides evaluation rubrics and recommends additional resources for teachers unfamiliar with literary analysis, but offers limited comprehensive teacher training materials.

Provides Evaluation Rubric forms for writing assessment and recommends Teaching the Classics for teachers lacking literary analysis experience

The curriculum includes revision and rewriting processes but lacks systematic retrieval practice or spaced review of content and skills.

Students revise and rewrite essays during the fourth week of each module, but no mention of systematic review or retrieval practice activities

The curriculum expects students to independently look up unfamiliar vocabulary words and includes a glossary of literary terms. However, it lacks systematic vocabulary instruction.

Students are expected to look up vocabulary words with which they are unfamiliar, and each book includes a glossary defining literary terms used in the course

Not applicable for this high school curriculum designed for grades 8-12. Students are expected to already have developed reading skills.

The curriculum is designed for grades 8-12 and assumes students already possess well-developed reading abilities