Ukraine 8th Grade World Literature Curriculum

This curriculum outlines the expected learning outcomes for 8th-grade students in World Literature. It encompasses a broad range of literary works, spanning various cultures, time periods, and genres. The curriculum aims to develop students' critical thinking skills, understanding of literary devices, and appreciation for diverse literary traditions. The total allocated time for this course is 70 hours, with 56 hours dedicated to textual analysis.

1. Introduction (2 hours)

This introductory section provides an overview of literature and culture. Students will learn about different types of literature, including epic poetry, lyrics, and drama, and their characteristic features. The concept of the literary process will be introduced, along with major literary periods, schools, and trends, and their development across different countries.

2. Sacred Books of Humanity (7 hours)

This section explores the cultural significance of various sacred books, including the Vedas, the Bible, and the Quran. Students will examine these texts as foundations of world religions, ethical ideas, and the art of different nations. Key ideas, images, and moral and philosophical content will be analyzed.

3. Classical Antiquity (11 hours)

This section delves into the world of classical antiquity, covering its chronological framework, main periods, and genres. Students will explore the concept of man and the world in ancient literature, focusing on the idea of harmony between body and spirit, love of life, and the discovery of the world. The curriculum includes the study of ancient Greek mythology, Homer's Iliad, ancient Greek lyrics (including works by Tirtheus and Sappho), and ancient Greek theater. Ancient Roman literature is also covered, with a focus on Virgil's Aeneid, Horace's Ad Melpomenen, and Ovid's Tristia.

4. Middle Ages (8 hours)

This section explores the Middle Ages, its influence on European and Central Asian literature, and the impact of religion and philosophy on the culture of the time. Students will study Chinese lyrics of the Tang Dynasty (including works by Li Bai and Du Fu), Persian-Tajik lyrics (including Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat), and medieval European literature, such as The Song of Roland and Dante's sonnet My Lady.

5. Renaissance (12 hours)

This section examines the Renaissance period in Europe, focusing on humanism, the cult of antiquity, and the characteristic features of Renaissance culture and literature. Students will study sonnets by Petrarch and Shakespeare, Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, and Cervantes' Don Quixote.

6. Baroque and Classicism (8 hours)

This section covers the Baroque period and the Classicism movement in European literature and art. Students will analyze Baroque lyrics (including works by Luis de Góngora and John Donne) and Moliere's play The Bourgeois Gentleman.

7. Literature of the 20th-21st Centuries: Looking for Myself and High Flight (6 hours)

This section explores 20th and 21st-century literature, focusing on the theme of self-discovery. The curriculum includes Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince and offers a selection of modern works, such as Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Barbara Kosmowska's Buba, Buba: Off-Season, and Marina Aromshtam's When the Angels Rest.