what is american literature course

by Dr. Bill Robel DVM 3 min read

Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.

Full Answer

What do you learn in American literature?

The Goals & Objectives of American Literature Studied in High School

  1. Reading Skills. Improving student reading skills is a crucial part of high school literature courses. ...
  2. Writing Skills. Understanding the writing process is another goal of high school American literature. ...
  3. Critical Thinking. ...
  4. Literary Movements. ...
  5. Historical Connections. ...
  6. American Identity. ...

Is American literature a hard class?

I’ve been trying to take every CLEP I can and that includes the American Lit one. However, I keep hearing that it’s too difficult and people fail most of the time.

How to study American literature?

  • Choose the time periods in U.S. ...
  • Decide how many works your student can reasonably handle in a school year.
  • Pick the titles you want them to read for sure- based on what you want to discuss with your teen or what resonates most with your study of history
  • Add in titles that would be bonuses to the year if you had time for them

More items...

How did American literature begin?

American author Susan Sontag ... have cemented her status as a pioneer of Russian queer literature. Her entire biography is emblematic of the triumphs and tragedies of Russia’s “Silver Age” poetry. Married young to Sergey Efron, an army cadet ...

What is the study of American literature?

American literature is the product of a diversity of peoples, regions, philosophies, and ways of life. Beyond the intrinsic pleasure and usefulness of knowing more about the history of this literature, a focus in American literature or American studies can benefit undergraduates in several ways.

What is American literature class in high school?

Through American Literature, students explore the thoughts and feelings of the men and women who helped create and define the unique heritage and culture of the American people. Active reading and critical evaluation is emphasized.

What does American literature include?

The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also includes literature of other traditions produced in the United States and in other immigrant languages. Furthermore, a rich tradition of oral storytelling exists amongst Native American tribes.

Is American literature for 11th grade?

Familiarity with the classics of U.S. literature helps students maintain fluency and their reading level, and encourages independent reading. Certain titles appear frequently on high-school reading lists for 10th grade (or 11th) American literature study.

Is American literature easier than English?

Differences in language are evident when reading novels by English writers and American writers. British writers tend to use classical British English; their vocabulary is richer. On the contrary, the language of an American writer is simultaneously simpler and more accessible.

What grade is American literature?

American Literature (English 3) is a one year, college-preparatory literature and composition course, and is the third volume of the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12.

Why should one study American literature?

American literature is very important for the education of people as it reveals the culture and history of the United States. Moreover, American literature studying in other countries gives foreigners the opportunity to get to know American culture, history, and great works of the great authors better.

Is American literature English literature?

Literary works written and published in Great Britain and British colonies are referred by the term English literature while American literature refers to literary works written and published in America. English literature is written in British English while American literature is written in American English.

What are the 5 major themes of American literature?

major themes in american literatureMajor Themes in American Literature.The American Dream.loss of innocence/coming of age.alienation and isolation.

What books do you read in an American literature class?

Top Novels for American Literature ClassesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Amazon.com. ... The Scarlet Letter. Amazon.com. ... To Kill a Mockingbird. Amazon.com. ... The Red Badge of Courage. Amazon.com. ... The Great Gatsby. Amazon.com. ... The Grapes of Wrath. Amazon.com. ... The Call of the Wild. Amazon.com. ... Invisible Man: A Novel. Amazon.com.More items...•

What is taught in 11th grade English?

Our 11th grade language arts curriculum focuses on fine-tuning reading comprehension, analysis and evaluation, oral language, and writing skills based on works of American literature. Students explore fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama by authors like Amy Tan, Emily Dickinson, Dave Eggers, Frederick Douglass, F.

What is 11th grade literature?

Literature study in the 11th grade focuses on significant works of American literature - traditional, contemporary, and multicultural. An important part of the core is the. historical survey of American literature.

Unit 1: Beginnings

This introductory unit moves rapidly through 400 years of early American literature.

Unit 2: Romanticism

The second unit will focus mainly on Transcendentalism and Dark Romanticism, though we will spend some time with Whitman & Dickinson as well. We will begin by exploring several essays of the Transcendentalist movement and consider how this philosophy might still be working in our own time.

Unit 3: Realism and Naturalism

This unit will address the related periods of Realism and Naturalism, with three weeks dedicated to reading and writing about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Unit 4: Modernism

This unit is divided into three major sections: Modern Poetry, The Great Gatsby, and The Harlem Renaissance. As with the previous units, we will begin by discussing the historical and cultural context that resulted in the shift to new literary styles and techniques.

What happens when a reader opens an author's book?

Instead, much more than that happens. The author’s words are released and brought into an encounter with the reader.

What is a one year study guide?

One-year study guide collection will provide your student with a college-prep level American Literature high school course. It can also be adapted to honors level using the easy-to-follow suggestions in the “how to use this curriculum” introductory material.

Is comprehension the first level of a reader's grasp of a book?

But there is a lot more to reading than comprehension. In fact, comprehension is only the FIRST level of a reader’s grasp of a book. $34.99 – Add to Cart.

Who wrote the book A Raisin in the Sun?

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (viewed through a lens of American Transcendentalism) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

Class Description

This is a HASS–CI class. Like other communications-intensive classes in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it allows students to produce 20 pages (5000 words) of polished writing with careful attention to revision.

Grading

This course consists of both an oral component, which accounts for 25% of the grade, and a written component, which counts for 75%.

Important Things to Know

Each student will be allowed 1 excused absence; an excused absence means that you have an urgent reason to miss class and have contacted me in advance. For any additional or unexcused absence your attendance grade will be reduced by one third of a grade.

Shakespeare's Life and Work

Learn how to read William Shakespeare's plays through his biography, Elizabethan and Jacobean history, and modern performance.

ChinaX Book Club: Five Authors, Five Books, Five Views of China

An exploration of the dynamics of contemporary China using the tools of close reading, discussion, and analysis.

Deeper Than Edutainment:Taking Books and Their Film Adaptations Seriously

Discover exciting ways to make use of film adaptations of novels by exploring and embracing what happens when a story “crosses”...

image