What's Included
The course package includes the following materials:
- American Literature: Classics Coursebook Second Edition
- Great American Short Stories edited by Paul Negri
- The Oxford Book of American Short Stories edited by Joyce Carol Oates
- Passing by Nella Larsen
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Additional Materials Needed
The following books are recommended to help you complete this course:
Course Overview
Course Length: Full Year
Suggested Grade Level(s): 11 12
View samples of our high school curriculum here.
In this course students explore the thoughts and feelings of those who have lived on this land that we now call the United States. Through fiction essays and poetry students will experience the events that shaped the past and influence the present. In the process they will gain a fuller understanding of the unique heritage and vision of the American people.
Each literary work is a window into the real-life issues experienced in the past and today. Active reading and critical evaluation is emphasized. Students refine composition and presentation skills by writing essays (expository interpretive and comparative) interviews short stories and speeches.
Content warning: The books in this course are classics in the canon of American literature. The books may contain strong language violence and other mature topics. You are encouraged to read these books in advance so you are prepared to support your student. While most high school students are able to process this material successfully if you feel your student may be more sensitive or find the material too intense you are encouraged to have them skip problematic passages or provide alternate readings and assignments.
