Literary Analaysis Through YA: Diverse American Voices

 REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR TEENS!

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WHAT

Build your literary analysis skills through texts that were written with teenagers as the intended audience, and will therefore be more likely to amuse, delight, surprise, horrify, and demand the turning of its pages.

You will come away with a solid understanding of point of view, tense, figurative language, poetic elements, story structure, character arcs, evidence-based claims, and, above all, the relationship between form and function in literature. The YA (young adult) texts will be intentionally diverse, not only cultural/ racial/ economic/ gender/ religious diversity within the works themselves but also works written in a diverse array of forms, including poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, graphic novel, and short fiction.

WHY

By learning to analyze and discuss deeply using texts that are written to be readable to you, you will be ready to engage intelligently with any text that comes your way in the future. Our discussions will deepen your understanding of the texts, your peers, and the wider world.

HOW 

Expect to read about a book a month, and complete written assignments in class and outside of class. This is an arts-integrated course, so your writing will include creative pieces as well as reflections and a capstone analytic essay, scaffolded with teacher feedback on multiple drafts.

POSSIBLE WORKS

Final books TBA but possibilities are Piecing Me Together, The Poet X, The 57 Bus, American Born Chinese, Monster, Everything, Everything, and Man Made Monsters. All books will be available from local libraries.

WHEN

Friday afternoons, 1:30 - 3PM

from September 6th, 2024 to May 23, 2025

( Classes will not meet on September 20, 
November 29, December 27, January 3, March 28, and April 4.)

COST

The course fee is $275/per semester or $500/full school year  

LOCATION

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is houses away from Silver Spring Intermediate Park and just blocks away from the Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed goat pen, duck pen, and apiary.  This class will meet both inside and outside depending on the weather and students' preferences. 

ABOUT EMILY

CLICK HERE to learn more about Emily Ellerbe.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED!

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Space is limited.