In this class we use the idea of "world-building" as a way of understanding how to approach works from different time periods and perspectives. In the first semester students read works of science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and survival fiction, and practice focusing on details that tell us about the nature of the fictional world. In the second semester, students apply the same skills to reading Great Expectations and Macbeth. Writing assignments focus on identifying ideas that the student finds important and supporting them with textual evidence, building and supporting strong thesis statements.
