Eldorado High – Great Books I/II

Apr 2026 · 2nd Semester

Great Books I is an elective course in which the student examines a variety of literature and texts considered to be relevant within the history of human thought. The student studies and considers a broad spectrum of themes and perspectives across a variety of traditional texts while making connections between themselves, his/her peers, and society. Although there may be a wide variety of supplemental and anticipatory activities, Great Books I combine Great Books materials and the Shared Inquiry™ method. The Great Books curriculum develops thinking and language together through interactive learning; develops oral language and literacy through appropriately challenging learning; draws on literature from many genres, time periods, and cultures; emphasizes writing as  an essential way to develop, clarify, and communicate ideas in persuasive, expository, literary, and expressive discourse; provides for literacy in all forms of media, embeds skills instruction in meaningful learning; teaches the strategies necessary for acquiring  academic knowledge and attaining independence in learning; builds on the language, experiences, strategies, and interests that the student brings to school; and develops each student’s distinctive writing or speaking voice.\ \ Course Description: Great Books II is an elective course in which the student builds on literary analysis and discussion skills from Great Books I in order to examine a wider variety of literature and relevant texts. The student is expected to develop skills for an increasing leadership role during discussion and text selection as well as to begin to examine sustained themes across increasingly more complicated texts. The student is also encouraged to expand the definition of relevant texts across cultures and non-traditional formats. The student studies and considers a broad spectrum of themes and perspectives across a variety of texts while making connections between themselves, his/her peers, and society. Although there may be a wide variety of supplemental and anticipatory activities, Great Books combines Great Books materials and the Shared Inquiry™ method. The Great Books curriculum develops thinking and language together through interactive learning; develops oral language and literacy through appropriately challenging learning; draws on literature from many genres, time periods, and cultures; emphasizes writing as an essential way to develop, clarify, and communicate ideas in persuasive, expository, literary, and expressive discourse; provides for literacy in all forms of media, embeds skills instruction in meaningful learning; teaches the strategies necessary for acquiring academic knowledge and attaining independence in learning; builds on the la