Book excerpt: Introduction to Literature (English 1) is a one year, college-preparatory literature and composition course for classroom, co-op, or homeschool use. It is the first volume of the Excellence in Literature curriculum, and is suitable for grades 8 and up.Students study and write about the books listed below. A four-week lesson plan guides the study of each classic, with background information and writing assignments. Instructions and a student-written model for each type of paper assigned, and instructions and a rubric for evaluation are included. Short Stories by Welty, O. Henry, and others, Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur¿s Court by Mark Twain, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Gulliver¿s Travels by Jonathan Swift.There are nine four-week modules within the school year, ensuring that the student will have plenty of time for completion of the complete, unabridged text. The curriculum website provides supporting resources, including brief author biographies, art, music, and related poetry. An optional Honors track adds additional reading and writing, including a research paper and an optional CLEP exam.