09 HUM: Great Books I

Teacher: Kris Yee

Office Location: Room 110, North Campus
Class Meeting Info: MWF 8:15am-9:30am, Wise Academic Center
MWF 9:35am-10:50am, Wise Academic Center
MWF 2:20pm-3:35pm, Wise Academic Center

CLASS INFORMATION
Course Description

We imitate those who perform the exercises of military practice, for

they acquire skill in gymnastics and in dancing, and then in battle
reap the reward of their training. We must needs believe that the
greatest of all battles lies before us, in preparation for which we must
do and suffer all things to gain power. Consequently we must be
conversant with poets, with historians, with orators, indeed with all
men who may further our soul's salvation.
— St. Basil the
Great

In the Meno, the young interlocutor begins by saying, “I wonder, Socrates,

whether virtue can be
taught.” This question, just as many other questions put forward in the
Platonic dialogues,
remains unanswered by the end of the text, and the question continues to
resonate in teachers’
lounges and education conferences to this day. How does one prepare a
student for a life of
virtue, wisdom, and joy? Certainly, there is no amount of lecture or
standardized testing that can
teach someone to be virtuous.

Instead, we turn to the suggestion of St. Basil and seek dialectical

conversation with the great
poets, historians, orators, novelists, philosophers, and theologians of our
civilization. In doing so,
we acquire the power of the written and spoken word through reading,
discussion, and writing.
Moreover, we practice virtue as we humbly and courageously participate in
discussion with one another—learning to be who we are, say what we think,
and love each other well in a world that
often encourages us to hide ourselves and our opinions lest we be judged
and hated by those with
whom we disagree. Through all of this, we train our hearts and minds to
recognize and love that
which is Good, True, and Beautiful.
Course Objectives

Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will be able to:

 Develop ideas and organization through a prewriting process.
 Compose an effective, argumentative thesis statement.
 Write an introduction that attracts the reader’s attention and
communicates the main point and direction of the essay.
 Write the body of a paper using examples, quotations, details and
other specifics sufficient to support a thesis
 Conclude an essay meaningfully.
 Evaluate when an essay lacks a clear thesis, sufficient support, or
mechanical correctness, and be able to correct these deficiencies.
 Consistently apply the conventions of written English.
 Assess texts and utilize appropriate methods of quoting and
paraphrasing them to support an argument.
 Evaluate peer writing for effective use of rhetorical and
argumentative strategies as applied through different types of essays.
 Read, understand, and meaningfully discuss foundational texts of the
Greek and Judeo-Christian worlds. This will include Epic Poetry,
Spiritual Writings, Mythology, History, Greek Tragedies, Scripture,
Socratic Dialogues, and Philosophical Treatises.

Required Texts

 Homer, The Iliad

 Homer, The Odyssey
 Aeschylus & Sophocles, The Greek Plays
 Herodotus, On the War for Greek Freedom
 Thucydides, On Justice, Power, and Human Nature
 Plato, The Complete Works
  Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
 Aristotle, Physics
 Bible (NRSV)

Required Materials

 Notebook
 Writing Implement
 Word processing program (the school has laptops you can check out
for writing CQs if you don’t have a computer at home)
 CLASS REQUIREMENTS & GRADE
SCALE
Participation: 20%

Classes will be conducted in a dialectical model, which means that you

should come prepared to engage in meaningful discussion about the text
assigned. Class participation is not just encouraged or appreciated, it is
essential to the learning experience and is expected of everyone who
chooses to take on the challenge of this class. The quality of your class
participation has a direct impact on every other student in the class and as
such, is a significant portion of your grade in this class. Participation points
will be awarded daily and will be calculated based on:
 your preparedness,
o Did you read the assigned text? Do you have your book and your
notes with you?
 your respect for yourself and your peers,
o Did you arrive to class on time? Are you wearing your uniform
properly? Did you get up and leave class without permission?
Are you listening to your peers or talking over them?
 and the general quality of your discussion participation.
o Did you follow the four rules listed below?

To guide your participation, please keep these four rules in mind:

 Be who you are. — Bring yourself honestly to discussion. Don’t play-

act as the sort of student that you think will impress me or your peers.
 Say what you think. — Ask your real questions. Kindle your real
curiosity. Share your real opinions. Again, don’t say what you think I
want to hear or what you think will ingratiate you to your peers. Say
what you think.
 Talk about the same thing. — The text we’re discussing serves as a
common access point for the whole group and keeps us unified in our
pursuit of truth. This means, first of all, that if you haven’t completed
the reading, you should not participate in discussion. Rather, let me
know when class begins that you haven’t finished and go work on your
reading in the library. Moreover, don’t make references to books,
movies, TV shows, etc. that everyone in the room hasn’t interacted
with, as that disrupts the unity of discussion.
 Love one another. — In discussion, we will often disagree with one
another’s ideas. This is normal and acceptable. What is not acceptable
is doing so in a way that belittles or dehumanizes your fellow
 discussants. Remember that people are always more important than
ideas and that our discussions should always be characterized by love.

Short Writings: 20%

The Short Writings section is composed of two assignment types: Closing

Questions and In-Class Essays.

Both Closing Questions and In-Class Essays are an opportunity for you to
reflect on your readings or our discussions and hone your writing and
analytic skills throughout the year.

I will ask you at least one closing question per class discussion from which
you will choose one to answer when it comes time for the next CQ. Each
closing question should be 300-500 words long and formatted according to
the MLA handbook, including a Works Cited page.

I will pre-assign a topic for each In-Class Essay to give you an opportunity
to collect notes and quotations ahead of time. Once in class, you will receive
prompts that relate to the pre-assigned topic, from which you will choose
one to answer in essay format during class time.

Term Paper Stages: 5%

You will turn in your paper in several stages, the first of which is your
thesis, then an outline of your argument and textual support for each point.
Your first and any subsequent drafts will be as perfect a paper as you can
write. All preliminary stages will be graded within the above 5% of your
total grade.

Final Paper: 20%

Great Books I requires one major essay per semester. Essays will be
argumentative in nature (establishing a clear thesis and writing a defense)
and founded in one or two of the primary texts from GB I. Essays will be
turned in at least twice so as to learn from the mistakes of the first draft
and perfect the work. I expect you to revise at least once after the first
draft, but we will insist on further revisions until the paper is excellent.

Students will submit potential thesis ideas for approval before starting their
essay. I can provide you assistance with forming a thesis and writing the
essay by appointment, before or after the class session, and during office
hours.

Your paper this semester needs to be 1250-1750 words, in standard MLA

format. The paper is to be argumentative in nature, establishing a thesis
and defending that thesis with textual evidence. You will choose one or two
of the texts we’re reading this semester. No outside research is required.
You may also use biblical support for your thesis, if it is relevant to your
argument (for instance: Biblical support will be necessary for a thesis such
as “Sir Gawain follows a chivalric code that is deeply Christian.” It is not as
immediately relevant for a thesis such as “Gilgamesh is a bad king.” That
would also be a bad thesis.)

A good thesis is specific and narrow in scope and sets out an

accomplishable task with which you can demonstrate your success by the
end of the paper. The thesis, “Aragorn is the greatest king in English
literature” would be impossible to defend in the number of words you’ve
been given, and a dumb thing to try. The thesis, “Samwise’s faithfulness to
Frodo is essential to the success of the destruction of The Ring, making him
as significant a hero in The Lord of the Rings as Frodo himself” can be
argued for within the single text and the length of the paper assigned to
you, making it a good thesis. It is also easy to argue against, making for an
interesting paper that demands good work.

Good proofreading is essential to a successful paper. Once you’ve got the

paper written, read it and reread it again, checking for errors or sentences
that could be improved. This will save us both a lot of headache and make
for a much more enjoyable read for me, and therefore a better grade for
you. I say it again: proofread and correct your paper before you hand it in.

Because you are turning this paper in several times, I expect the final draft
to be a truly excellent piece of writing. At that point, typos and simple
grammatical errors will be unacceptable. There should be no technical
barriers to my enjoying the strength of your argument and the eloquence of
your writing. This is accomplishable only if you work hard on the outline
and initial drafts so that your paper can be adequately corrected and
improved.

Oral Examination: 20%

At the end of each semester, you will schedule an oral examination with me
during finals week. This is not as scary as it sounds. It is simply a chance for
you to express and defend the ideas that have caught hold of your mind and
imagination this semester. If you’ve done the work and thought about it, it
will be fun.

Recitation 5%

You will each give a memorized recitation twice a semester not only to
improve your public speaking skills and academic confidence, but also
because the sound of literature has a music and a meaning all its own.
Committing these passages to memory allows us to more thoroughly enjoy
them, and to discover meanings otherwise hidden. I will assign the passage
at the beginning of the semester, and we will read it together at the
beginning of each class period.

Pre-Class Notes (PCNs): 10%

Preparing for a discussion means not only having read a book, but having
read it well enough to remember where things happen, the overall structure
of the book, and the point of the book. To engage with the ideas of a book,
you must be readily familiar with it. One of the most important ways to
practice and gain this ease with books is to reflect and write about the book.

On the due date of each new reading, I will check your notebook, in which
you must answer the following questions:

 Summary (3-5 sentences): What is the book about as a whole?

 Structure (2-3 bullet points): What are some of the most important
arguments (nonfiction) or scenes (fiction) in the book?
 Quotations (2-3): What are your favorite quotations from the book?
o Write/Record two to three.
 Themes (1-2): What are the major themes of the book?
o Track one or two major themes/arguments, citing the page
number where you underlined or made a note in your book.
You are also free to add any additional notes (or doodles!) that will aid you
in discussion. Keep your notes in your commonplace notebook. You will be
graded on completion—i.e., demonstration of your familiarity with the text.
Your written responses must be legible. Illegible pre-class notes may
receive a 0.

Category of Assignment Percentage of

Grade

Participation 20%

Short Writings 20%

Final Paper 20%

Oral Exam 20%

Pre-Class Notes 10%

Term Paper Stages 5%

Recitation 5%

Grading Scale: A=100–90; B=89–80; C=79–70; D=69–60; F=59–0

CLASS POLICIES & EXPECTATIONS

Attendance

Students missing more than 10% of the class will be given a failing grade.
Any absence must be requested ahead of time by the student, with the
confirmation of a parent, coach, or school administrator. Due to the
importance of class participation, at the professor’s discretion, a student’s
grade may be reduced for excessive absences in this class.

Homework

Resubmissions

Becoming a stronger writer means rewriting. You may resubmit any of your
written assignments for reconsideration of your grade until the Friday
before Finals Week. All resubmissions must have the graded original
attached or they will not be graded. Resubmissions should directly address
comments made in graded original. If argumentative or stylistic comments
are not addressed, and only formatting or punctuation errors are changed,
expect a lower grade than the original. We want you to improve your
formatting and punctuation, but changing these and ignoring more
substantial comments will not help you develop as a writer. In the past,
students who have taken resubmissions seriously and done the work of
honing argument and style have shown considerable improvement in their
writing, academic confidence, and grades. This is an excellent opportunity
for you and we encourage you to resubmit!

Essay Formatting

Every writing assignment must include a works cited page. This includes
CQs and the term paper. I know this will seem tedious, and you may even
think it’s pointless. But it’s not. It’s a matter of personal integrity and
intellectual honesty (to that end, this section and the following section come
courtesy of Mr. Dalbey). To write well means you must always, always,
always acknowledge the source of your information, ideas, and arguments.
It also requires learning the proper etiquette for acknowledging your
sources. In your Great Books course this year, we will use the MLA format
for every single writing assignment.

The primary resource for MLA information will be the Purdue Online
Writing Lab (www.PurdueOWL.com) and The Saint Constantine School MLA
handout. You should reference PurdueOWL and the handout any time you
have a question about how to format your works cited page or in-text
citations. If you find the website or the information confusing, please feel
free to talk with me about it.

Paper Submissions

Every essay of multiple pages must be neatly stapled together before

submission. I will not accept loose, folded, crinkled, wet, torn, chewed,
taped, or sloppily stapled papers. It is your responsibility to find a stapler
and then to staple the upper left-hand corner of your essay before bringing
it to my desk. Depending on how bad the physical state of your essay is, I
reserve the right to require you to print it again and submit it later. Note:
this could put you in danger of a late-grade penalty.
The physical appearance of your essays is representative of your hard work,
not the bottom of your backpack, locker, your parents’ car, or your pet’s
food bowl. Each essay should look clean and professional, like something I
would want to read!

Late Reading Policy:

Reading your assigned text, and reading it well, is essential to success in

this class. Reading MUST be completed in its entirety before the first day of
the class in which it is assigned, unless otherwise noted. In the event of an
emergency, a reading extension may be requested at least 24 hours in
advance of the class in question. All students will be granted one extension
per semester with no questions asked. Every extension after that will be up
to my discretion.

Late Assignment Policy:

Students should plan to submit all homework on the scheduled due date. If
this is not done, the student has 3 class periods (including the original due
date) during which they can submit the assignment.

Each class period after the original due date that the student does not
submit the assignment will incur a loss of 10% of the original possible score.
For example, if an assignment is due on a Monday and the student turns it
in at the beginning of class on Wednesday, they would receive a 90 instead
of a 100, or an 83 instead of a 93, etc.

If, after 3 class periods, the assignment has not been submitted, the
assignment will receive a 0,
and there will be no further option to submit that assignment. Blackbaud
will send out a daily report to parents and students of assignments that
have received a "0" or and "M" (missing). There will only be one alert sent
per assignment, not multiple alerts if the student is several days late on the
assignment.

Blackbaud Communication

I may communicate class information to you via Blackbaud. You are

responsible for checking your messages. If you need to contact me through
Blackbaud, please feel free to do so. If you have a question about an
assignment, do not ask it via Blackbaud the night before said assignment is
due. If you have a general question about class, be sure to check your
syllabus for the information before messaging me. Compose your message
as follows: begin with a formal greeting, include a properly spelled,
properly punctuated paragraph that states your request, and end with a
signature. You can expect a response from me within 24 hours of you
sending a message (or from Monday morning, if you send a message over
the weekend).

Grade Dispute

Students wishing to dispute a grade must produce all work returned to

them from the class that is
under dispute. It is the student’s responsibility to retain all graded work.

Academic Accommodations

Students in need of learning accommodations should inform the professor

immediately and he
will formulate a plan specific to each situation.

Academic Dishonesty

If you cheat in any way, you will fail the assignment, and I will notify your
parents. If you cheat more than once, you will fail the class. Come to me for
help if you fall behind, cheating is always obvious and bums me out. Also, if
you get kicked out of this class, your parents will be very sad. So don’t do it.
 ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
FALL 2024

Date Class Day Homework Due

Monday, August 19 The Iliad

Wednesday, August The Iliad

21

Friday, August 23 The Iliad

Monday, August 26 The Iliad

Wednesday, August Upper School Retreat –

28 No Class

Friday, August 30 Upper School Retreat –

No Class

Monday, September Labor Day No School

2

Wednesday, The Iliad

September 4

Friday, September 6 Early Dismissal/In-Class In-Class Essay Notes

Essay 1

Monday, September The Iliad

9

Wednesday, The Iliad

September 11

Friday, September The Iliad

13

Monday, September The Odyssey Odyssey Notes

16

Wednesday, The Odyssey

September 18
 Friday, September Good Day Conference –
20 No Class

Monday, September The Odyssey

23

Wednesday, The Odyssey

September 25

Friday, September Thesis Workshop Thesis Idea

27

Monday, September The Odyssey

30

Date Class Day Homework Due

Wednesday, October The Odyssey

2

Friday, October 4 Early Dismissal/The CQ 1

Odyssey

Monday, October 7 Job Job Notes

Wednesday, October Job

9

Friday, October 11 Job Outline

Monday, October 14 Agamemnon Agamemnon Notes

Wednesday, October Agamemnon

16

Friday, October 18 Agamemnon CQ 2

Monday, October 21 Libation Bearers Libation Bearers Notes

Wednesday, October Libation Bearers

23

Friday, October 25 Field Day/ Libation

Bearers

Monday, October 28 Fall Break No School

Wednesday, October Eumenides Eumenides Notes
30

Friday, November 1 Early Dismissal/ CQ 3

Eumenides

Monday, November 4 Oedipus Rex Oedipus Rex Notes

Wednesday, Oedipus Rex

November 6

Friday, November 8 Oedipus Rex

Monday, November Oedipus at Colonus Oedipus at Colonus Notes

11

Wednesday, Oedipus at Colonus

November 13

Friday, November 15 In-Class Essay 2 In-Class Essay Notes

Monday, November Antigone Antigone Notes

18

Wednesday, Antigone
November 20

Date Class Day Homework Due

Friday, November 22 Antigone 1st Draft

Monday, November Thanksgiving Break! No School

25

Wednesday, Thanksgiving Break! No School

November 27

Friday, November 29 Thanksgiving Break! No School

Monday, December 2 Genesis Genesis Notes

Wednesday, Genesis
December 4

Friday, December 6 Early

Dismissal/Genesis
Monday, December 9 Review

Wednesday, Finals Final Draft/Recitation

December 11

Friday, December 13 Finals Final Draft/Recitation

 SPRING 2025

Date Class Day Homework Due

Wednesday, January Exodus Exodus Notes

22

Friday, January 24 Exodus

Monday, January 27 Exodus

Wednesday, January Exodus

29

Friday, January 31 US Retreat – No

Class

Monday, February 3 Herodotus Herodotus Notes

Wednesday, February Herodotus

5

Friday, February 7 Early Dismissal/In- In-Class Essay Notes

Class Essay 3

Monday, February 10 Thucydides Thucydides Notes

Wednesday, February Thucydides

12

Friday, February 14 Thucydides Thesis Statement

Monday, February 17 Gospel of Mark Mark Notes

Wednesday, February Gospel of Mark

19

Friday, February 21 Gospel of Mark CQ 4

Monday, February 24 Jonah Jonah Notes

Wednesday, February Jonah

26

Friday, February 28 Presocratics

(Handout)
 Monday, March 3 Meno Meno Notes

Wednesday, March 5 Meno CQ 5

Friday, March 7 Spring Field

Day/Early Dismissal –
No Class

Date Class Day Homework Due

Monday, March 10 Spring Break! No School

Wednesday, March Spring Break! No School

12

Friday, March 14 Spring Break! No School

Monday, March 17 Republic Republic Notes

Wednesday, March Republic

19

Friday, March 21 Republic Outline

Monday, March 24 Republic

Wednesday, March Republic

26

Friday, March 28 Republic CQ 6

Monday, March 31 Republic

Wednesday, April 2 Republic

Friday, April 4 Early

Dismissal/Republic

Monday, April 7 Nicomachean Ethics Nicomachean Ethics Notes

Wednesday, April 9 Nicomachean Ethics

Friday, April 11 Nicomachean Ethics 1st Draft

Monday, April 14 Nicomachean Ethics

Wednesday, April 16 Nicomachean Ethics

 Friday, April 18 Good Friday No School

Monday, April 21 Bright Monday No School

Wednesday, April 23 Nicomachean Ethics

Friday, April 25 Nicomachean Ethics Physics Notes

Monday, April 28 Physics

Date Class Day Homework Due

Wednesday, April 30 Physics

Friday, May 2 Early Dismissal/In- In-Class Essay Notes

Class Essay 4

Monday, May 5 Gospel of John John Notes

Wednesday, May 7 Gospel of John

Friday, May 9 Gospel of John

Monday, May 12 Finals Week Final Draft/Recitation

Wednesday, May 14 Finals Week Final Draft/Recitation