ED Honors English 4A

This senior-year honors English course invites students to delve into British literature, from ancient texts such as the epic of Beowulf through contemporary works. Students will engage in a variety of rigorous lessons with a focus on academic inquiry, literary analysis, and inferential evaluation. While critically reading fiction, poetry, drama, and expository nonfiction, honors students will master comprehension, use evidence to conduct in-depth literary analysis, examine and critique how authors develop ideas in a variety of genres, and synthesize ideas across multiple texts. In addition to activities offered to students in core courses, honors students are given additional opportunities to create and participate in project-based learning activities, including creating a time travel brochure and an original interpretation of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet. Honors students will read a range of classic texts, including Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell, and William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet. In addition to full length works, students will read a variety of excerpts, including readings from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, as well as a variety of short fiction, speeches, and poetry.