The Stuyvesant High School Online Course Guide

Overview

Classical literature consists of the writings of Ancient Greece and Rome, a period of history in western culture referred to as antiquity. Such writings include myths of all kids, epic poems, fables, tragic and comic dramas, philosophical dialogues and more. The goals for this term include: identifying common themes and archetypes among stories; inferring cultural characteristics from the literature; understanding some basic tenets of Ancient Greek and Roman thought and philosophy; establishing a glossary of terms pertinent to mythology; recognizing common behavioral and psychological traits; developing the tools to read and appreciate extended narrative poetry; interpreting symbolism; sharpening writing skills.

Books - texts may include:

• The Odyssey, Homer
• The Oedipus Cycle, Sophocles
• Ten Plays, Euripides
• Four Plays, Aristophanes
• The Oresteia, Aeschylus
• Selected Dialogues, Plato
• Poetics, Aristotle
• The Aeneid, Virgil
• Classical Mythology, Morford & Lenardon
• Mythology, Edith Hamilton
• Pygmalian, George Bernard Shaw

Assignments:

Writing assignments are both critical and creative. Students should expect at least five major projects ranging from literary essays to creative writing to group presentations. The assignments are intended to develop a connection between the literary works and the students, and to help students become more effective and engaging writers.

Format:

The class is largely discussion-based. Students enrolling in the course should expect to complete a reading assignment each evening and to participate in class discussion on a daily basis.