ENGL 1001W is a four credit University of Minnesota literature course. Students will conduct intensive, close and analytical reading of literature. Through reading, class work and discussions, students will gain a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives, literary theory, forms, and genres.  Students will read and discuss words, images, and ideas that are much different than those normally encountered in high school literature. Ideas, perspectives, and experiences will be presented that will reshape students’ thinking, expand their horizons and encourage them to question predominate thought.  Expect to encounter things that may enlighten or offend you.  Students will discover ideas through the guidance of the instructor, other students, and themselves. This is a discussion-centered course mandating that students have a high level of personal investment. The objectives are for students to gain an awareness of themselves, other cultures and other individuals; to gain an ability to think critically and to express ideas orally and in writing; to gain aesthetic sensitivity; to acquire or further develop their intellectual curiosity, and be challenged by the remarkable range of knowledge available through literature. The knowledge gained in this course will be applied toward the production of an extensive portfolio that examines new ideas and demonstrates acquired skills.

Students are dually enrolled at the University of Minnesota and AFSA High School. Students will register online, receive a university I.D. and visit the university on a required field day. Students earn a semester grade at the U of M and at their high school. The U of M grade is recorded on their permanent U of M transcript. Students must complete the entire course to earn credit.