Syllabus
British Literature A
Course Overview
British literature is the study of the language and written works associated with the United
Kingdom and surrounding areas, including England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It
follows the development of the English language throughout history. The sequence of the
lessons in this course corresponds to the sequence of the major historical movements of Great
Britain. The course will take you from literature developed in the Anglo-Saxon period around
449 CE through the written works of English poet, John Milton, drafted in the 1600s.
Course Goals
By the end of this course, you will be able to do the following:
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Outline key periods of influence on the English language.
Compose, edit, and revise real-world documents.
Describe the characteristics of epic and Old English poetry.
List, identify, and distinguish between the eight parts of speech.
Summarize the history of the medieval period and its influence on ballads.
State and identify the characteristics of medieval romances.
Interpret the basic elements of plays and theatrical performances.
Review the writing process and list the important elements of an essay or composition.
Identify key historic events that contributed to the Renaissance in Britain.
Write a Petrarchan sonnet.
Explain the rise of theater during the Renaissance.
Analyze Act I through Act V of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Describe techniques used by metaphysical poets of the Jacobean and Carolinian Periods.
Identify the characteristics of early Neoclassicism.
General Skills
To participate in this course, you should be able to do the following:
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Complete basic operations with word processing software, such as Microsoft Word or
Google Docs.
Perform online research using various search engines and library databases.
Some course readings may require a visit to the school library or public library.
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For a complete list of general skills that are required for participation in online courses, refer to
the Prerequisites section of the Plato Student Orientation document, found at the beginning of
this course.
Credit Value
British Literature A is a 0.5-credit course.
Course Materials
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Notebook
Computer with Internet connection and speakers or headphones
Microsoft Word or equivalent
Course Pacing Guide
This course description and pacing guide is intended to help you keep on schedule with your
work. Note that your course instructor may modify the schedule to meet the specific needs of
your class.
Day
Activity/Objective
1 day:
1
Syllabus and Plato Student Orientation
Review the Plato Student Orientation and Course Syllabus at the
beginning of this course.
4 days:
2–5
History of the English Language
 Identify the three stages of the English language.
 Identify and outline key periods of influence on the English
language such as that of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians,
Danes, and Norman French.
 Summarize the history and characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon
period.
 Explain the significance of Bede and An Ecclesiastical History of
the English People.
 Analyze excerpts from Bede’s An Ecclesiastical History of the
English People.
 Explain how “The Story of Caedmon” is an example of an early
miracle play.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
2
Type
Course
Orientation
Lesson
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
4 days:
6–9
Writing—Real-World Documents
 Complete a job application.
 Compose a résumé.
 Compose a cover letter.
 Apply essential interview tips.
 Compose a thank you letter.
 Organize an outline of a personal essay.
 Compose, edit, and revise a personal essay.
Lesson
5 days:
10–14
Beowulf
 Describe the characteristics of epic poetry.
 Describe the characteristics of Old English poetry.
 Paraphrase the plot elements of Beowulf.
 Identify epic and Old English characteristics within Beowulf.
 Identify the influence of the Anglo-Saxon Period on Beowulf.
 Define and identify the characteristics of an epic hero.
 Distinguish between the characters and tribes in Beowulf.
Lesson
5 days:
15–19
Language—Basic Elements of Sentences
 List and define the eight parts of speech.
 Define subjects and predicates.
 Distinguish between sentences and phrases.
 Distinguish between transitive and intransitive sentences.
 Identify the parts of sentences, including subjects, predicates,
direct objects, indirect objects, prepositional phrases, predicate
nominatives, and predicate adjectives.
 Explain normal and inverted sentence order.
 Diagram sentences.
Lesson
4 days:
20–23
Medieval Period and Ballads
 Identify key events in the medieval period.
 Summarize the history of the medieval period.
 Arrange events from the medieval period chronologically.
 Explain the influence of the medieval period on the development
of ballads.
 Recall the history of ballads.
 List and identify the characteristics of ballads within specific
reading selections.
 Substitute words in Old and Middle English with Modern English
terms.
 Identify characteristics specific to ballads in selected texts.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
3
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
4 days:
24–27
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
 Describe the history of feudalism and hierarchy.
 State and identify the characteristics of medieval romances.
 Distinguish between medieval romances and epic poems.
 Paraphrase the legend of King Arthur.
 Relate the legend of King Arthur to the story of Sir Gawain.
 Identify the use of alliteration, bob and wheel, and symbolism
in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
 Identify the main characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
5 days:
28–32
Language—Writing Grammatically Correct Sentences
 Summarize the basic rules of capitalization.
 Punctuate sentences correctly using commas, semicolons,
hyphens, dashes, ellipses, quotation marks, and apostrophes.
 Use coordinating conjunctions to combine sentences.
 Correct common errors in writing, including run-on sentences,
sentence fragments, comma splices, nonparallel structure, and
errors in agreement.
 Explain rules of agreement between subjects and verbs and
pronouns and antecedents.
 Revise and correct poorly written sentences.
Lesson
5 days:
33–37
Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales
 Explain how Thomas à Becket influenced pilgrimages to
Canterbury.
 Summarize the life and times of Geoffrey Chaucer.
 Apply the differences in didactic and non-didactic to The
Canterbury Tales.
 Summarize the “General Prologue.”
 List the characteristics of an exemplum.
 Identify symbolism in the “General Prologue” and in The
Canterbury Tales.
 Recognize the use of triple negatives.
 Break down the plots and moral teachings of “The Pardoner’s
Tale” and “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.”
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
4
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
4 days:
38–41
The Development of Theater
 Describe and distinguish between tropes, mystery plays, morality
plays, and interludes.
 Recognize the memento mori theme in Everyman.
 Paraphrase the plot elements in Everyman.
 Define and recognize the characteristics of a naive allegory.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
1 day:
42
Midterm
4 days:
43–46
Writing—Analytical Essays
 List the elements of a typical five-paragraph essay.
 Define the term analysis as it relates to literature.
 Review the writing process.
 Discuss elements of a strong introduction and conclusion.
 Use transitional words to improve the tone and flow of writing.
 Plan and organize an analytical essay.
 Compose an analytical essay.
 Describe the traits of a properly sourced composition.
Lesson
5 days:
47–51
Introduction to the English Renaissance
 Define the term renaissance.
 Identify key historic events that contributed to the Renaissance in
Britain.
 Identify classical influences on British literature during the
Renaissance.
 Explain the worldview of the Elizabethans.
 Summarize the life of Christopher Marlowe.
 Describe the protagonist in The Tragical History of Doctor
Faustus.
 Summarize the basic plot of The Tragical History of Doctor
Faustus.
 Identify the main themes, motifs, and symbols in The Tragical
History of Doctor Faustus.
 Compare The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus to Everyman.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
Assessment
5
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
4 days:
52–55
Sonnets
 Recount the history of sonnets.
 Compare and contrast the structures of the Petrarchan and
Shakespearean sonnets.
 Recognize and create parallelism and its effects in poetry.
 Explain the use of figurative language and imagery in selected
sonnets.
 Identify alliteration and assonance and their effects in sonnets.
 Write a Petrarchan sonnet.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
5 days:
56–60
Language—Writing Varied Sentences
Lesson
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Identify the four sentence types by purpose: declarative,
imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory.
Distinguish between and compose sentences by verb type:
transitive, intransitive, and linking verb sentences.
Distinguish between phrases, clauses, and sentences.
Distinguish between sentence structures: simple, compound, and
complex.
Punctuate complex sentences correctly using commas,
semicolons, conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs.
Revise paragraphs by using a variety of sentence types and
structures.
4 days:
61–64
Hamlet, Act I
 Relate the history of the Globe Theater to Shakespeare and the
rise of theater during the Renaissance.
 Summarize Shakespeare’s career as a dramatist.
 Explain the importance of Queen Elizabeth’s patronage of the
arts.
 Compare and contrast comedies and tragedies.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
5 days:
65–69
Hamlet, Acts II and III
 Summarize Act I of Hamlet.
 Infer settings from dialogue.
 Analyze characterization and motivation in Hamlet.
 Apply knowledge of internal conflict to characters in Hamlet.
 Paraphrase and organize the plot elements in Hamlet.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
6
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
5 days:
70–74
Hamlet, Acts IV and V
 Summarize Acts II and III of Hamlet.
 Identify key plot points in Acts IV and V of Hamlet.
 Create a plot diagram for Hamlet.
 Identify external conflict in Hamlet.
 Analyze character development in Hamlet.
 Define the term “tragic flaw.”
 Explain how Hamlet is a tragic hero.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
4 days:
75–78
The Metaphysicals
 Summarize the history of the Jacobean and Carolinian Periods.
 Define and identify conceits, scientific imagery, dramatic
monologues, common language, cacophonous language,
paradoxes, puns, verbal wit, and hyperboles within the context of
Metaphysical poetry.
 Evaluate the similarities and differences in the poetry of John
Donne, Andrew Marvell, and George Herbert.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
5 days:
79–83
The Roots of Neoclassicism
 Identify the characteristics of early Neoclassicism.
 Compare and contrast the traits of Neoclassical poems and
Metaphysical poems.
 Define and identify the use of balance, meter, rhythm, rhyme,
consistency, and symmetry within early Neoclassical writing.
 Recognize the use of literary devices in Ben Jonson’s poetry.
 Compare and contrast Jonson’s Neoclassical style with that of
the Metaphysical John Donne.
 Define and identify allegory in The Pilgrim’s Progress.
 Analyze Neoclassical works by Ben Jonson and John Bunyan.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
5 days:
84–88
John Milton
 Summarize the history of Oliver Cromwell and the Restoration.
 Recount the life of John Milton.
 Identify rhyming couplets in “On Shakespeare.”
 Analyze the similarities and differences in “L’Allegro” and “Il
Penseroso.”
 Define and identify the use of blank verse, enjambment, complex
syntax, and elevated style in Paradise Lost.
 Define new vocabulary terms.
Lesson
1 day:
89
Semester Review
7
Day
1 day:
90
Activity/Objective
Final Exam
Type
Assessment
8