American Christian Literature Lightning Literature

Description

Covering literature by American Christian authors that is a mixture of literature on specifically Christian ideas and literature on more general themes. Literature selections include: Poetry from Anne Bradstreet ("To my Dear and Loving Husband," "Another," "As weary pilgrim, now at rest," "By night when others soundly slept," and "Upon the Burning of Our House"), Can You Drink the Cup - nonfiction (Henri Nouwen), "Another Message in a Bottle" - nonfiction (Walker Percy), A Circle of Quiet (Madeleine L-Engle), Wendell Berry - poetry ("Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front," "The Way of Pain," "A Meeting," "We Who Prayed and Wept," "In the Motel Parking Lot," "Thinking of Doctor Williams," "Enemies," and "Come Forth"), Godric - novel (Frederick Buechner), "The Artificial Nigger" - short story (Flannery O'Connor), and No Graven Image (Elisabeth Elliot).

Lessons cover skills for college-level writing, giving poetry a close reading, writing a basic essay, reading to respond, and writing a literary essay as well as tools for approaching college-level thinking from a biblical perspective including a Christian approach to the tension between art and message, a biblical response to sin in literature, analyzing the worldview in literature, and finding a basis for identifying and evaluating ideas. For example, "Another Message in the Bottle" by Walker Percy is used to teach reading to respond and "The Artificial Nigger" by Flannery OConnor is used to teach analyzing the worldview in literature (from the publisher's info).

The Student Guide includes information about the authors, comprehension questions, writing exercises, discussion questions and project suggestions, reading lists appropriate to the period or subject, semester and full-year schedules, and a bibliography. The Teacher's Guide is needed if you want the answers to the comprehension questions. It also provides a teaching schedule, teaching and grading aids, and a copy of the writing exercises and discussion questions for the teacher's convenience. The Course Package includes the Student Book, the Teacher Book, and any necessary literature selections not included in the text of the Student Book.

This book is especially useful for upper level students, students interested in cultural issues, and those studying modern history. Greatly enhanced by parent-student discussion (due to some challenging subject matter), this course is more difficult than most of the Lightning Literature courses (except the Shakespeare and the British Medieval courses).


Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.