Minnesota English/Language Arts IV A/B (Apex)

Minnesota English/Language Arts IV is a two-semester course aligned to the 2020 Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts (ELA). This course asks students to closely analyze literature from the British Isles and beyond and consider how humans define and interact with the unknown, the monstrous, and the heroic. In the epic poems The Odyssey, Beowulf, and The Inferno, in Shakespeare’s Tempest, in the satire of Swift, and in the rhetoric of World War II, students examine how the ideas of “heroic” and “monstrous” have been defined across cultures and time periods and how the treatment of the “other” can make monsters or heroes of us all. Reading Frankenstein and works from those who experienced the imperialism of the British Empire, students explore the notion of inner monstrosity and consider how the dominant culture can be seen as monstrous in its seemingly heroic goal of enlightening the world. Throughout this course, students analyze a wide range of literature, both fiction and nonfiction. They build writing skills by composing analytical essays, persuasive essays, personal narratives, and research papers. To develop speaking and listening skills, students participate in discussions and prepare speeches. Overall, students gain an understanding of the way world literature represents the array of voices that contribute to our global identity.

There are no required materials for this course.

This course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.