11-12th, may be taken as a 10th grader if the student has good language arts skills. Purpose:
Reading-and-writing-intensive course designed to expand the topics covered by the high school English curriculum and offer an alternative credit to English IV. May also be assigned in half-credit increments.
Issues to address throughout the course:
Novel/story/play-and-film pairings (units 1-8)
Movies: sinful or not? (“Christian” movies)
book-to-script conversions
television and novel
stage-to-screen conversions
adaptations
reasons why changes are made
benefits and drawbacks of films
benefits and drawbacks of books
What makes a novel or film "classic" or "literature"?
how major motion pictures are made
Depicting sin in a Christian manner
Processing secular themes; special vs. general revelation.
Films and novels addressed:
Social Criticism:
The Importance of Being Earnest
Pygmalion/My Fair Lady
Pride and Prejudice/Persuasion
Black Beauty
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Lorax
Jane Eyre
Adventure
Sherlock Holmes- Hound of the Baskervilles
Holes
Swiss Family Robinson
Adolescent Literature:
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
I am the Cheese
Charlotte's Web
Fables:
Cinderella/Pocahontas/Grimm's Fairy tales,
-could also use modern versions movies: Ever After (set in medieval times), Cinderella Story(set in modern times), Enchanted
-there is some fun children's lit with new twists: Snow White in New York, The Real Story of the Big Bad Wolf -we talked about comparing the originals to the Disney version
-lots of Robin Hood movies out--may be an option for the boys, more of a legend than a fable/fairy tale, but has a rich history in lit.
Beauty and the Beast
Mulan
The Jungle Book
Other:
Janette Oke for comparison element- good lit?
some very popular movies are based on books that are not necessarily critically acclaimed or good literature:
Nicholas Sparks, Also, Janette Oke ... What makes a book "good"? Is a book good because it is Christian, even though it isn't good literature? Is there anything wrong with reading/watching for pleasure if escaping reality may create unrealistic expectations for your own life (here in the real world)? Whatever is good, whatever is pure, ... think on these things.
Similarly, the discussion of whether Christian films are "good" just because they are Christian. Is subtlety always paramount for a Christian film? What about return on investment? Which film gained more for the kingdom of God--Fireproof or The Blind Side?
Hollywood’s visual culture and music as media and literature (unit 5)
Celebrities and visual culture
The responsibility of influence
Societal sins reflected in and created by celebrities
Making a screenplay and filming it
MEDIA LITERACY
....To be further developed once Film and Novel course is complete. May be half or whole credit.
Content Outline
Target grade level:
11-12th, may be taken as a 10th grader if the student has good language arts skills.
Purpose:
Reading-and-writing-intensive course designed to expand the topics covered by the high school English curriculum and offer an alternative credit to English IV.
May also be assigned in half-credit increments.
Issues to address throughout the course:
Films and novels addressed:
Social Criticism:
Adventure
Adolescent Literature:
Fables:
- Cinderella/Pocahontas/Grimm's Fairy tales,
-could also use modern versions movies: Ever After (set in medieval times), Cinderella Story(set in modern times), Enchanted-there is some fun children's lit with new twists: Snow White in New York, The Real Story of the Big Bad Wolf
-we talked about comparing the originals to the Disney version
-lots of Robin Hood movies out--may be an option for the boys, more of a legend than a fable/fairy tale, but has a rich history in lit.
Other:
- some very popular movies are based on books that are not necessarily critically acclaimed or good literature:
Nicholas Sparks, Also, Janette Oke ... What makes a book "good"? Is a book good because it is Christian, eventhough it isn't good literature? Is there anything wrong with reading/watching for pleasure if escaping reality may create unrealistic
expectations for your own life (here in the real world)? Whatever is good, whatever is pure, ... think on these things.
Similarly, the discussion of whether Christian films are "good" just because they are Christian. Is subtlety always paramount for a Christian film? What about return on investment? Which film gained more for the kingdom of God--Fireproof or The Blind Side?
MEDIA LITERACY
....To be further developed once Film and Novel course is complete. May be half or whole credit.
Unit 9-- more lit? Other topics? Rearranging units is definitely possible.