High School Literature: Classics and Film Adaptations 3 (Live-Spring

NOTE: High School Literature: Classics and Film Adaptations 1 or 2 are NOT prerequisites for this class. They simply cover different texts.

The literary “canon” is a subject of much debate — and it should be. What we decide to elevate to “must-read” status in order to be considered “educated” tells us a lot about the values we place on our society as well as which perspectives we privilege.

Join us in this class that takes canonical works and places them alongside contemporary film versions to open up conversations about the messages they send and their staying power in our pop culture.

Read Three Classic Works

In this class, we’re going to read three classic canonical works of literature — A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Odyssey by Homer, and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. We will also view their contemporary film adaptations — The Muppet Christmas Carol, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and The Lion King.

We’ll focus on a different literary device as we write a paper for each set of texts.

Dig Deep and Gain Analysis Skills

During class discussion, we will not only examine the stories told in these works but also talk about how the idea of the canon has been disrupted and challenged in recent years.

In this way, students will both get familiarity with canonical works while questioning the assumptions used to create a canon in the first place. In addition, they’ll learn key literary analysis skills that will be translatable to a wide range of reading situations as well as learning to “read” film as literary text.

Class Details

Age Range: 14-18

Class Size: 3-10 Learners

Schedule:

Class is weekly from January 22-April 28 with a spring break break from March 11-17. There is no meeting on Thursday, March 14. There are 13 total live meetings.

We’ll meet via Zoom for a live discussion session each Thursday at 2-2:45pm Eastern/1-1:45pm Central/12-12:45pm Mountain/11-11:45am Pacific

If a learner cannot attend a session due to illness or a schedule conflict, they will still have access to all class materials and can check in with the instructor with any questions.

Supplies

To participate successfully in class, learners will need the following:

Copies of the following books:
The Odyssey by Homer
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

(Note: There are many, many editions of these books. Any reputable publisher's version is fine.)

Access to the following movies:
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000, streaming on Prime Video)
Muppets Christmas Carol (1992, streaming on Disney+)
The Lion King (animated, 1994) (streaming on Disney+)

(Note: You don't need access to the films for the entire duration of class, so you can rent or borrow them from the library for the times we need them.)

Microphone and camera for in-class participation
PDF Reader
Zoom (free account)
Learners will submit work through Google Drive (a Google (Gmail) account can be acquired for free)

Select a pricing plan and sign up

$435

Market Rate +25%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$385

Market Rate +10%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$350

Market Rate Pricing

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. Pay what works for your family.

$280

Market Rate -20%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. Pay what works for your family.

$175

Market Rate -50%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. Pay what works for your family.

Meet Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason

Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason is the founder of Dayla Learning. She has a PhD in rhetoric and composition, a passion for helping students find their writing voice, and two homeschooling children of her own.

Michelle has taught in a wide variety of settings including six years as a full-time college professor. She has been teaching virtual and in-person homeschool writing and humanities classes for more than five years.

Michelle believes in meeting students where they are and — as any of her previous students will tell you — believes deeply that there is no such thing as a bad rough draft!

Is this the right fit for your learner?

This is an advanced high school class. Learners will do best if they have the following skills:

Can write about 1500 words (6 pages) on a single topic confidently
Can integrate direct quotes and paraphrases smoothly into writing
Can locate and evaluate sources for credibility and relevance
Confidently reads texts at or above ~1100L on the Lexile rating

This class is a good fit for high schoolers who are confident in constructing essays over multiple drafts and have a solid writing process.

Finding the Right Challenge

Writers who have not had much experience writing academic essays would likely benefit from a High School Writing class before taking this one.

Skills Gained

We will practice in-depth research and critical thinking skills as well as constructing a range of written and multimodal projects.

Students will gain the following skills:

Analyzing pieces of canonical literature for meaning, theme, motif, symbolism, and other literary devices
Drawing comparisons across media, time periods, and perspectives
Crafting projects (written and multimodal) in response to readings
Discussing topics respectfully and meaningfully with peers

Content Note

Hamlet contains references to suicide and murder with several deaths within the play. It lives up to its categorization as a Shakespearean tragedy.

The Odyssey contains slavery, murder, kidnapping, and war.

References to religious mythology (Christian and Greek) will be treated in their historical context and through a secular lens.

Select a pricing plan and sign up

$435

Market Rate +25%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$385

Market Rate +10%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$350

Market Rate Pricing

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. Pay what works for your family.

$280

Market Rate -20%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. Pay what works for your family.

$175

Market Rate -50%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. Pay what works for your family.