
A NOVEL APPROACH: THE ART OF ARGUMENT
Students will learn the art of argument by discussing books. We will read and discuss
important books throughout history, focusing on ideas they bring to our culture
today. Basic logic and faulty thinking will be touched on, but the emphasis will be on
arguing a viewpoint based on the evidence found in the reading material.
We will cover vocabulary, spelling, and reading comprehension while promoting active
reading and how to use the text as supporting evidence in an argument. One goal of
this class is to be well versed in a wide array of authors.
Literature studies will provide the stimulus for critical thinking, argumentation, as well as
analysis of methods of writing. We will focus on the six traits of exceptional writing
(Ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, mechanics) as we read and
analyze the texts.
All language arts skills will be challenged and refined through classroom discussions.
Required: There will be three 5-page papers due each semester.
We will focus on the following novels, poems, & short stories: *covered by materials fee
Julius Caesar by Shakespeare
Selected readings of the KJV of the Bible
“The Bet” by Anton Chekov
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
MLK’s “I Have a Dream”
Passing by Nella Larsen
Selected poems by Langston Hues
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Grades: 11-12
Day: Tuesday
Time: 12:30-2:00
Teacher: Mrs. Kathy Abelanet
Tuition: $19.50/week for 32 weeks and a one-time $100 material fee.