Suitable for: Years 8-9 | Duration: 2 hours a week for 9-10 weeks; 18-20 hours total
Prerequisites: Poetry for Beginners OR Literary Techniques (one-day crash course)
Additional Material Fee: $40 (two texts)
About:
Ah, the 20th century. Your grandparents helped shape it, your parents have lived through it, and you’ve learnt about some of its major historical events. But did you know that literature from the 20th century explores issues and ideas very similar to today’s? In this course students will study and analyse prose fiction from the 20th century, including works by George Orwell, Franz Kafka, and James Joyce. Students learn how to analyse and interpret texts based on context, and how to write essay and creative responses to the material studied. At the end of the course, students gain a thorough understanding of 20th century prose fiction and how the literary ideas have carried on into the 21st century.
Student Writing Outcomes:
- Opinion pieces about the texts studied;
- One short story (creative writing); and
- Analytical paragraphs or essays about the texts.
Student Learning Objectives:
- Reviewing and consolidating an extensive list of techniques for analysing prose fiction;
- Understanding the mindset and values of people from the wider 20th century;
- Having the tools to analyse and write about prose fiction in opinion pieces and essays;
- Considering the intersection between literature and politics;
- Analysing the literary uses of allegory and anthropomorphism; and
- Evaluating the relevance of 20th century fiction today.
