Who Should Apply: Rising 9th - 12th grade students who love to read. Students who want to understand how cartography and storyworlds impact classic children's literature and who want to develop skills in creating their own storyworlds. 

Understanding how effective storyworlds are the basis for creating good literature opens the door to a deeper love of and appreciation for the world of the imagination. This course also prepares students to raise up future generations in what is good and true as they apply this understanding to the narrative themes within the assigned readings.

Class Description:

This six-week course explores the use of settings, maps, and storyworld creation in Classic Children’s Fantasy and Adventure Literature. The first four weeks will entail reading the four books of The Wingfeather Saga series. During the fifth week we will read the two supplementary Wingfeather Saga resource books, The Ranger’s Guide to Glipwood Forrest and Pembrick's Creaturepedia. During the final week, the students will be provided with other literary examples of cartography and storyworld creation in classic children's literature as further guides to help them complete their course projects. Throughout each week, recorded videos will be dispersed that provide brief introductions to the course and/or book chapters. Live zoom lectures will take place at the end of weeks one through five after the conclusion of each week’s reading. We will work through discussion questions during live lectures to assist in thinking through the plot, some big themes, and how the storyworld is used in creating the narrative. 

The goal for this course is threefold: for students to develop a love for classic children’s literature by gaining a deeper understanding of and an appreciation for the themes portrayed in the works discussed (including the themes of human need for moral growth and redemption, and man’s desire to understand his purpose), to learn how good storyworld creation is essential to producing effective literature, and to develop their own storyworld creating skills.

Students will be assessed through class participation and an end-of-course storyworld project. An 'A' grade will be awarded for thoughtful completion of reading and assignments, participation in live lecture discussion, and completion of the final project. We will use Zoom for our live lectures and Canvas as our course platform where students can find posted announcements, videos, and class resources for each week.

Course Materials:

Primary texts:

• The Wingfeather Saga
• A Ranger’s Guide to Glipwood Forest
• Pembrick’s Creaturepedia

There will be supplementary texts used throughout the course (excerpts provided by instructor). Students are encouraged to get full copies of the supplemental texts if they are interested in reading more of these great classic stories in full on their own after the course is completed. 

Students should also have access to drawing materials (paper or a blank journal and pencils/pens) for any hand-drawn components they want to include in their final project.

Live Lecture:

There is a live class lecture component (under 1 hour). Classes are held at the end of the week for the first five weeks of the course. These classes are live and will only be recorded if there are students given prior approval to be absent from the live class.

Workload Expectations and Assignments:

This is a summer intensive so the students will need to stay on top of work and reading for each week. However, as a main focus of the class is delving into good literature (both reading and discussing), the workload assigned will allow the students to take their time to enjoy and engage with the materials.

Each week will include the reading of assigned texts and posts, watching assignment videos, and class attendance and participation.

The course will conclude with a short story project where students will create a storyworld and the brief narrative beginnings for their own story idea. This assignment will be due near the end of the sixth and final week. The students will be introduced to the project in week one and can begin working on it as early as they would like.

Course announcements, videos, and class resources will be posted to the course website. Each week’s readings/assignments should be completed before our end-of-week Zoom meetings. Students are in charge of pacing and managing their schedule throughout the week. The Zoom meetings will consist of both lecture material and student participation in discussion. (Watching the class lectures as recordings will only be allowed if arranged with the instructor in advance and only in extenuating circumstances). 

For the end of course project, students will:

• Design an original fictional map
• Create companion guidebook elements (entries, legends, notes)
• Write the opening of an original narrative set in their world (minimum of opening paragraph)

(Final Portfolio: Map + Guidebook + Narrative Beginning) 

Class Fees: $200

This course can be counted as a ½ credit English class.

How to Register: 

To register, submit payment via the AP Homeschoolers website store. There is no application for this course. I'll contact all registered participants via email at least one week before the course begins. 

Tech Needs: 

Internet access
Zoom
Canvas
Microsoft Word or Google Docs
Scanner or camera to upload images of created maps, etc. 

Class Dates: 

The course will be 6 weeks (May 31, 2026 - July 11, 2026).

Instructor Qualifications:

I am a 2026 Grove City College graduate, having completed a minor in Classical Christian Education and earned a BA in History. I was homeschooled from preschool through high school and earned my diploma through PA Homeschoolers. I took numerous AP classes with Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online while in high school. Additionally, I served as a TA for a PA Homeschoolers AP U.S. Government course during my senior year in high school. During the fall 2024 semester, I shadowed and taught in a fourth-grade classroom in a Classical Christian school. This was a great opportunity to work in a classroom, teaching occasional lessons, administering tests, and grading assignments. This is my first time teaching for PA Homeschoolers, and I am very excited to be a part of this program. I have a passion for teaching the next generation and helping students develop an understanding of and a love for the truth through the study of history and literature.