Rhetoric Literature Modules
These a la carte classes are offered throughout the year. Ranging from 2 week to 12 weeks in length, our mod courses allow you to customize your school year to fit your schedule and interests. Literature students complete their work before class, then meet once per week in our live online classrooms at the scheduled times to discuss their work.
These modules are based on the award-winning Tapestry of Grace homeschool curriculum, but you do not need to own or be studying Tapestry of Grace at home to join one of our mods. We have scheduled these mod courses to coincide with our year-long classes to insure that, as long as we have a full-year class in session, all registered mod students have a class to join. If interest in a module is high enough to host a separate class, we'll open a second section. Some light reading (provided by your teacher) might be required beforehand to provide you with background information.
These modules are based on the award-winning Tapestry of Grace homeschool curriculum, but you do not need to own or be studying Tapestry of Grace at home to join one of our mods. We have scheduled these mod courses to coincide with our year-long classes to insure that, as long as we have a full-year class in session, all registered mod students have a class to join. If interest in a module is high enough to host a separate class, we'll open a second section. Some light reading (provided by your teacher) might be required beforehand to provide you with background information.
2020-2021 School Year (Spring Semester)
The Ancients
|
The Bible as Literature: Psalms, Proverbs & the Prophets
Students read selections from Psalms, Proverbs, Kings, Chronicles, and the Prophets and explore the historical context of these writings, biblical parallelism, lyric poetry, lament, and nature psalms, all while appreciating the literary beauty of God's Word and how an understanding of its literary devices enhances our understanding of its meaning.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
4 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$80 Total |
Wednesdays |
Jan 27-Feb 17, 2021 |
12-1:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
The Aeneid, by Virgil
Students read Virgil's Aeneid and explore concepts such as the characterization, character foils, cultural setting, enameled imagery, omniscient point of view, basic elements of narration, and comic and epic heroes. We evaluate the Greek worldview and its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
4 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$80 Total |
Wednesdays |
Apr 7-28, 2021 |
12-1:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
Medieval to Modern
|
John Milton's Paradise Lost
Students will read Milton’s Paradise Lost and explore concepts such as temporal, cultural and physical setting; plot devices, pattern plot, a character’s experiment in living; imagery; the genre of an epic poem; and various aspects of artistry—observing how Milton uses all of these to convey his themes. Students will also examine Milton’s worldview and evaluate its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
5 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$100 Total |
Wednesdays |
Feb 3-Mar 3, 2021 |
1:30-3 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
The Nineteenth Century
|
Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
Students will read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and explore concepts such as setting, direct and indirect characterization, various aspects of texture including style and limited omniscient point of view; tragic, comic, and tragicomic heroes; symbolic characters, character foils plot, progression plot, pattern plot artistic elements, and the genres of psychological realism and the philosophical novel. Students will also examine Naturalism and its corollary philosophies of Utilitarianism, Nihilism, and Existentialism, along with Dostoevsky’s worldview, evaluating their similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
6 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$120 Total |
Tuesdays |
Mar 16-Apr 27, 2021 (No class Mar 30) |
1:30-3 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
The Twentieth Century
|
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
Students will read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and explore concepts such as the genre of science fiction, dystopia, philosophical novel, and texture. Students will also examine Bradbury’s worldview, evaluating the similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
2 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$40 Total |
Thursdays |
Feb 18-25, 2021 |
1:30-3 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
J.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
Students will read J.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and explore concepts such as the four basic elements of narration, fairy tales, fantasy, and tragicomic plot. Students will also examine Tolkien’s worldview, evaluating the similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
3 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$60 Total |
Thursdays |
Apr 8-22, 2021 |
1:30-3 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
2021-2022 School Year
The Ancients
|
Ancient Egyptian Literature
New to online education? We are offering this mod free to give you the opportunity to try it out! Students read various ancient Egyptian poems and explore concepts such as artistry, content and form, topic and theme, frameworks, and plot devices. They also delve into a biblical understanding of mythology and the Egyptian gods. Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
2 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
Free |
Tuesdays |
Sep 7-14, 2021 |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
The Iliad, by Homer
Students read selections Homer's Iliad and explore concepts such as the physical, temporal, and cultural setting; texture and style; character foils; tragic heroes; and epics. We evaluate the Greek worldview and compare it with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
4 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$80 Total |
Tuesdays |
Oct 26-Nov 16, 2021 |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
The Odyssey, by Homer
Students read Homer's Odyssey and explore concepts such as the physical, temporal, and cultural setting; texture and style; imagery; diction; and character foils. We evaluate the Greek worldview and its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
6 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$120 Total |
Tuesdays |
Nov 30-Jan 18, 2022 (No class Dec 21 & Dec 28) |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
The Bible as Literature: Psalms, Proverbs & the Prophets
Students read selections from Psalms, Proverbs, Kings, Chronicles, and the Prophets and explore the historical context of these writings, biblical parallelism, lyric poetry, lament, and nature psalms, all while appreciating the literary beauty of God's Word and how an understanding of its literary devices enhances our understanding of its meaning.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
4 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$80 Total |
Tuesdays |
Jan 25-Feb 15, 2022 |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
The Aeneid, by Virgil
Students read Virgil's Aeneid and explore concepts such as the characterization, character foils, cultural setting, enameled imagery, omniscient point of view, basic elements of narration, and comic and epic heroes. We evaluate the Greek worldview and its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
4 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$80 Total |
Tuesdays |
Mar 29-Apr 26, 2022 (no class Apr 12) |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
Medieval to Modern
|
Dante's The Divine Comedy
Students will read Dante’s The Divine Comedy and explore concepts such as temporal, cultural and physical setting; tragic, comic and tragicomic heroes; symbolism, symbolic characters, a character’s experiment in living; pattern plot; texture; imagery; artistry; and the various genres that apply to this work—observing how Dante uses all of these to convey his themes. Students will also examine the medieval worldview and evaluate its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
3 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$60 Total |
Wednesdays |
Nov 3-17, 2021 |
9-10:30 AM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
A Sampling of William Shakespeare
Students will get an overview of the subgenres of poetry and then learn the history and characteristics of sonnets, reading a sampling of sonnets by various authors, analyzing one by William Shakespeare. They will then read two of his plays, Much Ado About Nothing and King Lear. Students will explore concepts such as character foils, character function, comic heroes, progression plot, comic plot, suspense, symmetry, dialogue, habitual character behaviors, literary touchstone, comic mode, and the genres of comedy and tragedy—observing how Shakespeare uses all of these to convey his themes. Students will also examine the Renaissance worldview including Humanism and Scholasticism, evaluating its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
3 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$60 Total |
Wednesdays |
Dec 1-15, 2021 |
9-10:30 AM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
John Milton's Paradise Lost
Students will read Milton’s Paradise Lost and explore concepts such as temporal, cultural and physical setting; plot devices, pattern plot, a character’s experiment in living; imagery; the genre of an epic poem; and various aspects of artistry—observing how Milton uses all of these to convey his themes. Students will also examine Milton’s worldview and evaluate its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
5 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$100 Total |
Wednesdays |
Feb 2-Mar 2, 2022 |
9-10:30 AM ET |
90 Minutes |
The Nineteenth Century
|
English Romantic Poets
Students will read a selection of poetry by the English Romantic poets Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats and explore concepts such as rhyme, meter, diction, poetic structure, setting, symbol, simile, metaphor, archetype, Byronic hero, artistic elements, and the genres of narrative poem, ballad, ode, and closet drama—observing how the poets use all of these to convey their themes.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
4 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$80 Total |
Tuesdays |
Sep 28-Oct 19, 2021 |
12:30-2 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
Victor Hugo's Les Misérables
Students will read Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables and explore concepts such as direct and indirect characterization, the genres of the novel and social novel, pattern plot, the plot devices of irony, poetic justice, suspense, and foreshadowing; settings, style, omniscient point of view, figures of speech, character types, and various artistic elements—observing how Hugo uses all of these to convey his themes. Students will also examine the shift from Neoclassicism to Romanticism and Hugo’s worldview, evaluating its similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
5 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$100 Total |
Tuesdays |
Nov 9-Dec 14, 2021 (No class Nov 23) |
12:30-2 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
Students will read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and explore concepts such as setting, direct and indirect characterization, various aspects of texture including style and limited omniscient point of view; tragic, comic, and tragicomic heroes; symbolic characters, character foils plot, progression plot, pattern plot artistic elements, and the genres of psychological realism and the philosophical novel. Students will also examine Naturalism and its corollary philosophies of Utilitarianism, Nihilism, and Existentialism, along with Dostoevsky’s worldview, evaluating their similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
6 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$120 Total |
Tuesdays |
Mar 15-Apr 26, 2022 (No class Apr 12) |
12:30-2 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
The Twentieth Century
|
George Orwell's Animal Farm
Students will read George Orwell's Animal Farm and discuss it as a satire on Stalinist totalitarianism. In analyzing, students will explore concepts such as the form and content of allegories and symbolic characters. Students will also examine Orwell’s worldview, evaluating their similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
2 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$40 Total |
Wednesdays |
Oct 20-27, 2021 |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
Students will read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and explore concepts such as the genre of science fiction, dystopia, philosophical novel, and texture. Students will also examine Bradbury’s worldview, evaluating the similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
2 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$40 Total |
Wednesdays |
Feb 16-23, 2022 |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
|
J.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
Students will read J.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and explore concepts such as the four basic elements of narration, fairy tales, fantasy, and tragicomic plot. Students will also examine Tolkien’s worldview, evaluating the similarities and differences with a Biblical worldview.
Age: Minimum age 14. Recommended for 9th graders - 12th graders. Required Resources:
|
3 Weeks |
Level: Rhetoric |
Class size: 5-10 |
$60 Total |
Wednesdays |
Mar 30-Apr 20, 2022 (no class Apr 13) |
11 AM-12:30 PM ET |
90 Minutes |
