7th and 8th grade.
Course Description:
In his lecture notes concerning his most profound work, "Huckleberry Finn," Mark Twain notes that "a sound heart is a surer guide than an ill-trained conscience." One of the most beloved American novels written, this story of a young Odyssean wanderer discovers friendship and loyalty through the the runaway slave, Jim, and discovers a profound lesson in trusting in the worth of a another human being over and against the societal prejudice of the time. Though the work can often be taught as a study on American racism, this course will mostly focus on themes of friendship, loyalty, and the value of the human heart. Students at this age enjoy the masterful plot of this story and will be thoroughly challenged through it's reading and lectures. Vocabulary and grammar will be reading based and the paper written will cover a particular theme of the work. The first three lectures will cover the work and the final three lectures will concern the writing.

Orally transmitted myths were intimately involved in the advent of Greek drama. Since then myths have played a constant part in the dramatic art of Western Civilization. This course examines what myth is and how it has been used in different times and places throughout history to create a common culture in the West.