With these funds I will immerse a group of 8th graders in the culture of the era we are reading about. The overarching theme of this years 8th Grade Pre-AP English Literature and Language course is: A Literary Study of Heroes and Heroism. In our first unit, we studied the modern heroes of popular dystopian novels such as Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. In our next unit, we'll look at classical heroes from epics such as Beowulf and The Odyssey. Additionally, we'll look at romantic heroes such as King Arthur and the Noble Knights of the Round Table and anaylze how these ideas of courtly love and chivalry influenced our modern ideas of love, romance, and heroism.

As a child, I was enthralled by the stories of honorable, chivalrous knights like Sir Gawain and other Knights of the Round Table. I was disheartened to learn that only a handful of my students had ever even heard of King Arthur! In order to get the students fully invested in the world of chivalry and honor, I want to take them to the Texas Renaissance Festival. The money raised will pay for tickets, transportation, and food to this event.

Back Up Plan