World Literature
There are two major writing assignments in the Gold Book: World Literature that will be submitted for assessment throughout the year.
- The Epic Adventure: This writing assignment is the culmination of the Epic Poetry Unit, where students have studied six epic poems. Your students will then have the opportunity to create their own epic adventure. They will be led through the steps that are taken to creating an Epic Adventure.
- Cry, the Beloved Country Book Report: a 500 word book report on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country.
American Literature
There are three major writing assignments in the Gold Book: American Literature that will be submitted for assessment throughout the year.
- Expository Essay: Students will choose an essay topic based on the short stories they have read and write a five paragraph essay that uses literary criticism. 500 – 600 words.
- Descriptive Essay: Students will write a five paragraph, descriptive essay one of the poems they’ve read. They will read and analyze the poem and come up with a topic (an object, an impression, an idea, or a person that has to do with the poem).
- Narrative Essay: The narrative essay is a story told from the writer’s own experience. It can be factual or fictional and is told in a connected sequence of events.
British Literature
There are five major writing assignments in the Gold Book: British Literature that will be submitted for assessment throughout the year.
- Compare and Contrast: A four paragraph essay that compares and contrasts the film version and the book version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
- Research Essay: A 500 word essay on a specific given topic.
- Poetry Analysis: Your student’s interpretation of Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach.”
- Book Review: A 700 – 1,000 book review on Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities.
- Book Review: A 700 – 1,000 book review on George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Literary Criticism
In order to assist your student, we recommend that the following essays be submitted for assessment throughout the year after completing the indicated lessons:
- Lesson Two – the basic five-paragraph essay on student’s chosen topic. Skills learned here are the foundation for the other writing assignments.
- Lesson Six – the five-paragraph essay based on chosen short story. This assessment is intended to correct any major essay writing mistakes. Students will continue to build on what they have learned.
- Lesson 16 – the five-page essay based on Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein should pull together all that the students have learned thus far.
Students may choose one of the other two five-page essays for assessment:
- Lesson 23 – The Trial Franz Kafka
- Lesson 28 – Macbeth William Shakespeare
