WORLD LITERATURE
WRITING SECTION OPTIONAL
Most of the ideas we hold dear – the glory and frailty of human nature, the beauty of self-sacrifice, the hope of heaven – come to us as gifts from the past. As we read the great epics of the ancient and medieval worlds – among them The Book of Job, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, Beowulf, and The Divine Comedy – we’ll witness the birth of these concepts first hand, and see our own natures mirrored in the plights of heroes. More recent works by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and C.S. Lewis will remind us of the enduring relevance of the wisdom of the ages. In the end, we’ll know ourselves as creatures of our ancient history in ways we never imagined. Join us for a literary world tour – one that begins and ends at home.
CenterForLit instructors use the Socratic method to conduct online discussions of classic books. This method involves asking questions that force them to think carefully about their reading, and then to think carefully about their thinking. Using the author's theme as the goal of the discussion, instructors encourage students to understand his message by discussing the structural and stylistic components that make up his story. Next, students are drawn by further questioning to critically examine their own assumptions about the author's theme. As a result, students gain a deeper understanding of the book, and also of themselves as readers and thinkers.
A sample discussion from the CenterForLit Online Academy.
Course Details:
Instructors: Adam and Missy Andrews
Schedule: Monthly 2-hour Socratic discussions with optional bi-weekly writing classes (see full schedule and titles below). Monthly discussions are held at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (8:00 AM Pacific) on Tuesdays.
Live webinars: Online meeting software (included in tuition) provides screen sharing and live audio with chat. Students raise hands to participate aloud, chat with instructors, and see instructors via live video.
Conversation boards: Each month, students make regular contributions to a chat-style conversation about the last book discussed. Posts are monitored by course instructors.
Recordings: High quality audio recordings of each class (with discussion notes in PDF format) allow students to participate at their own pace if desired. Students receive an email invitation to join the student database, where they have access to recordings and notes from each discussion.
Grades and Credits (optional): Writing students receive regular report cards and earn one High School credit in composition. Upon request, discussion students receive regular report cards based on their participation in the conversation board and earn one High School credit in English.
Tuition: $475 annually for the discussion-only class; an additional $300 for the optional writing section.
Optional Writing Section:
Availability: Open to students enrolled in the discussion course.
Instructor: Adam Andrews
Schedule: Pre-recorded 45-minute lessons are uploaded to the student database bi-weekly on Tuesdays at Noon Pacific time. Each lesson is accompanied by a formal written assignment, which is due the following Tuesday. Assignments are graded and returned to the student in time for the next class.
Assignments: 13 bi-weekly assignments proceed step-by-step through every aspect of writing from literature (thesis statement formation, source development, outlining, mechanics and style) and result in three full-length literary analysis essays. Students submit assignments via the student database and receive line-by-line comments and grades on each draft.
Recordings: Writing lessons are pre-recorded to allow for asynchronous participation; however, assignment due dates are not flexible.
Grading: Assignments are evaluated against a five-fold rubric that pinpoints areas for improvement (see sample rubric below). Periodic report cards summarize progress, and combine grades from the writing and discussion portions of the class.
Teacher access: Instructor and tutors are always available via email to answer specific questions. Emails are generally returned within 24 hours.
Discussion Schedule:
All discussion classes meet one Tuesday per month at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific).
*CenterForLit only requires that students come to class having read (or listened to) an unabridged edition of the assigned title. Obtaining the exact ISBN listed is not mandatory.
Writing Class Schedule:
The optional writing class is available to students enrolled in the Socratic discussion course. Class dates indicate when pre-recorded lessons are uploaded to the database, and when assignments are distributed.
Upon enrollment, you will download a registration packet with complete instructions
for joining each online discussion and participating in the conversation board.
If you would like more information, you can email Principal Megan Andrews at m.andrews@centerforlit.com
Tuition, Discounts, and Enrollment:
Tuition is $475 annually for the discussion-only class, with an additional $300 for the optional writing section.
Early Bird Registration: Students enrolling before June 1, 2024 receive a 10% discount on all tuition fees for every course.
Pelican Society Discount: Pelican Society members receive 10% off all tuition fees for every course in addition to all other applicable discounts. Enrollment must originate inside the Pelican Society. Log in now or click here to join!
Sibling Discount: If you are enrolling more than one student from the same family, our system will automatically apply a sibling discount in addition to any other discounts or coupons. Simply make sure all registrations appear in the same shopping cart. You’ll receive a discount on each registration based on how many students are enrolling. Please note that our sibling discount structure amounts to a 100% tuition waiver for student number four!
World Literature 2024-2025
Please consider purchasing your books for this course through one of our affiliate programs. CenterForLit earns a small profit from qualifying purchases. We appreciate your support! (See our official disclosure statement.)
We appreciate the responsibility involved in choosing curriculum materials for your students, and we ask you to make this decision carefully. If your plans change and your student must withdraw from a class, CenterForLit can transfer your registration to a different class or to a future term; however, THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATIONS.