My high school literature class for our weekly homeschool co-op follows the time period we are studying in George Grant’s Gileskirk Humanities curriculum. Here’s our reading list for this year’s Modernity class:
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)
The Antiquary by Sir Walter Scott (1816)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1860-61 serial, 1862 book)
Selections from The Portable Romantic Poets (late 18th to early 19th century)
Greenmantle by John Buchan (1916)
“May Day” by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1920)
“Winter Dreams” by Fitzgerald (1922)
“The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” by Fitzgerald (1922)
The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald (1925)
“Big Two-Hearted River” by Ernest Hemingway (1925)
The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway (1954)
“Spotted Horses” by William Faulkner (1931)
“Barn Burning” by Faulkner (1939)
“The Old People” by Faulkner (1940)
Nobel Prize speech by Faulkner (1950)
“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty (1941)
Selections from The Eye of the Story by Welty (1978)
One Writer’s Beginnings by Welty (1984)
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor (1953)
“Everything that Rises Must Converge” by O’Connor (1961)
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
Normally we’d proceed in chronological order, but this year we’re starting with the last book on the list—To Kill a Mockingbird—because 2010 is the 50th anniversary of the novel’s publication AND Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout Finch in the movie version, will be in town for a public screening of the movie on Sept. 16. Having my students see the movie before reading the book would have been a worse offense than violating chronology. 😉
I prefer to teach primarily by class discussion rather than by lecture, but at the beginning of the year, some students are reluctant to speak up. To encourage everyone to participate on the first day of class, I gave this assignment:
Think about the books you have most enjoyed reading and why. Choose one book to tell us about during class discussion. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a book that was assigned for school reading (although it can be), and you don’t have to prepare a book report. Just be ready to tell us why you liked that book. (No spoilers, please!)
There’s no “one right answer” to such a question, so even the most reluctant students should feel safe to speak up. I’m looking forward to hearing from them!
Hello, I am a homeschool mom of 5, my oldest just beginning highschool. I stumbled across your blog while searching for info on George Grant’s King’s Meadow High School Curriculum. I am so interested in this curriculum for my family, but can’t seem to find enough information (even from the King’s Meadow website) about the details. If you could find time to answer a few questions or direct me to a forum, I sure would appreciate the help! My main questions are:
1. Is the textbook(s) included or do I purchase that separately?
2. Most everyone does this curriculum in groups. I live in a small town and belong to a group and have lots of hs friends, but no one that’s interested in this kind of commitment. Can it be done with just one student?
3. Am I correct in believing that this is also a comprehensive literature course along with the history? Is the reading list (for example, the one you listed on your blog for your own children) included, or did you compile that yourself?
Thanks so much,
Tara Stringer
Tara, no books are included–just the CDs or DVDs. I believe the reading lists have been significantly expanded for the newer editions to give families a broader range of choices.
My family does participate in a co-op, but you could certainly do this with just one student. I’d recommend watching/listening with your student and then discussing together.
It is not a comprehensive literature course, though it does include suggested literature books as well as history books. Some of the years have more literature resources than others. I fleshed out the Gileskirk/King’s Meadow list with suggestions from Veritas Press’s Omnibus curriculum, as well as some personal favorites.
There’s a Yahoo group moderated by Lynne Spear, who edits the curriculum. It’s a great place to ask questions. Other folks who use the curriculum will chime in with what has worked for them, and Lynne answers lots of the factual questions. George even chimes in himself now and then. Go to Yahoo Groups and search for KingsMeadowFamilies. (You don’t have to already own the curriculum to join.)
Hope this helps! I highly recommend this curriculum.