Short Story Series: O. Henry

Lara Hincapie

7-17 years old

1 lessons

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$10

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If your child has taken classes with us before, use the Canvas email they log in with. Each student must have a unique email (the parent email may be reused, but not shared between students).

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Description
Syllabus

THIS IS A SELF-PACED COURSE

Class starts every Tuesday, starting at the beginning of the semester. You have until the final due date at the end of the semester to complete all work for the course. This means you have the entire semester to complete the course on YOUR schedule!

There is no teacher support for this course. All work is to be completed independently.

This class is part of the Short Story Literature Series.

Other classes in this series include:
Flannery O’Connor
Jack London
Shirley Jackson
Edgar Allan Poe
Sandra Cisneros
Richard Connell
Frank R. Stockton

CLASS DESCRIPTION

What is the difference between a short story and a novel (other than the length)? How can the shorter form help a writer focus closely on plot and action? How can a writer make their readers care about the characters they have created without the extra room of a longer novel?

In this course, we will read a widely celebrated short story from famous American writer, O. Henry, and we will make comparisons to other works in his career to find common themes in his work. Students will learn how the short story form has shaped the history of modern literature, and we will look at examples of short stories that have enabled the writer to comment on their own culture and on the events of the world around them.

This course will focus heavily on reading, and will provide full copies of stories we will cover for students to read on their own.

CLASS FORMAT

No live classes–view lessons on YOUR schedule. In general, expect 1.5-2.5 hours to work through the lesson plan each week, and an additional 2-5 hours working on assignments (it really depends what assignment your child chooses to do and how they manage their time). For classes with two levels, the material is the same for both- the depth of the assignments differs. Younger students should usually be placed in Level 1. Older students, or younger students who want more of a challenge, should be placed in Level 2. Each lesson consists of a fully narrated PowerPoint presentation with images and videos to enhance the topics. Students will have access to our learning management system, Canvas, for viewing their lesson, printing worksheets, taking quizzes, viewing/submitting assignments, and viewing grades.

Part 1:

The first part of the class will focus on biographical information on the writer’s life and career, and will discuss why this person has remained such a significant voice in American Literature.

Part 2:

The second part of the class will look closely at the writer’s most famous short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” and will discuss why this story has had such a lasting impact on American culture.

Although this course will only require reading of the one short story, students are encouraged to continue reading other works of this famous writer on their own time, and links will be provided to find free downloadable e-books available in the public domain.