A Glimpse Into our High School English Classes

We are blessed with such talented teachers at Trinity Prep.  We regularly share photos on social media and our website of the wonderful activities our teachers create to enrich our students' learning.

 But not all activities make for a "Kodak moment" photo, nor does a photo always fully showcase the excellence of our teachers. Sometimes, a hundred words are worth more than one picture.

 Below is a recent assignment by one of our High School English teachers, Mrs. Gonzalez, for her 12th grade Senior English students.  It is a fine example of our commitment to develop critical thinkers.  Our goal at Trinity Prep is to train our students to think critically, so they may sort through the voluminous information that surrounds them in this digital age, and find Truth so they may live lives of Virtue.  One of the ways students develop that ability to analyze is via literary analysis.  In this assignment, our seniors are identifying themes in World Literature they have read this year, and assessing what these works contribute to our discussion of the human condition.  A rich and deep topic for academic and spiritual growth!


In-Class Essay/Midterm
Spring 2019

ESSAY PREPARATION – in class Tuesday

Read the essay prompt, below, for your in-class essay.
Partner with 2-3 other students to discuss different approaches to the prompt.   
Collaborate to create an essay outline.  You will be able to bring this outline with you for the in-class essay.
Present your group’s collaborative outline to the other groups.  Copy your outline for your at-home prep.

MID-TERM ESSAY – in class Thursday

Directions: Respond to the prompt below in a thoughtful and well-organized essay. Include textual evidence to support your ideas.

Essay Prompt:  Discuss the human condition as presented by two of the works we have studied this semester (The Good Earth, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, “The Grand Inquisitor”)* and one other work we have studied this year (choose from Utopia, Lord of the Flies, Plato’s Republic, The Merchant of Venice, All Quiet on the Western Front).

*If you prefer, you may address all three of this semester’s readings, as listed above, and let last semester rest.

A few helpful notes:
To answer this prompt successfully, you should consider the themes of each of the works listed above since those big ideas will lead you to the author’s understanding of the human condition. Some of those themes may be (as I listed them in your assignment post): freedom (including the lack or excess of); power (including abuses of); the will to survive; free will (and the problem of evil that attends it); cruelty; forgiveness; justice; hope. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, so other, well-supported theme ideas are welcome.

As you identify themes, compare/contrast how the same themes are expressed in the different works of literature you want to address in your essay. This will help you to develop an effective thesis statement. If you cannot make any connections, then you might need to reconsider your choices. The best essays will contain a common thread of analysis (expressed in the Thesis) that ties everything together neatly.

Here are some related questions to get you thinking (your essay does not need to address all of these):
What do the authors (and/or characters) consider to be the state of the human being? What does he want or need? What is necessary for him to be happy, content, successful? Is his condition ultimately a tragic or a hopeful one? Does the author “buy into” the ideas that his characters and their situations suggest, OR is he a critical observer, presenting one truth/reality but actually supporting something else?


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