Poetry & Short Stories: American Literature, Student Guide, Grade 8

Memoria Press' Poetry & Short Stories American Literature Student Guide is designed to be used alongside the Poetry & Short Stories American Literature Text which conveniently contains all the selections for this curriculum.

Assignments are grouped and sequenced by classical trivium stages as students work to discover the differences between the particulars of a work and the "Central One Idea" that concerns the abstract central proposition at the heart of the story.

The pre-grammar section features questions to get students thinking about the plot, subject, or main idea and as well as about previous knowledge or experiences related to the selection. The grammar stage section spends time examining the essential facts, elements, and features of the story or poem. Comprehension questions and a focus on new literary and rhetorical terms are included. In the Logic/Dialectic stage students identify what they think of the main big idea of the work is as they reason with the facts, elements, and features of the work. In the Rhetoric/Expression stage, students express their ideas about the work, and they briefly summarize the plot and express the "Central One Idea" in a complete sentence. An essay prompt is provided as well.

At the back of the book there's room for students to write in their essays; students are given the option to choose the prompt listed after the story or poem, use the "central one idea" as the thesis, an open prompt where students can analyze an aspect of importance to them, and finally a (blank) teacher essay prompt to be created and assigned by the teacher. This is followed by a number of blank lined pages on which students can write. 229 pages, softcover. Non-reproducible, consumable workbook.

Grades 3-12.