what works should be included in a high school american literature course

In this course, students read and analyze works of American literature from Colonial to contemporary times, including poetry, short stories, novels, drama, and nonfiction. The literary works provide opportunities for critical writing, creative projects, and online discussions. Students develop vocabulary skills and refresh their knowledge of grammar, usage, and mechanics in preparation for standardized tests.

Full Answer

What are the best American literature study guides for high school students?

American Literature High School titles covered by these study guides include: A Separate Peace by John Knowles. View an excerpt from A Separate Peace Study Guide at this link. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith; The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (NOTE: There is no answer key for this guide. The questions are of a …

What are the components of the American Literature course?

Jun 11, 2017 · Each year’s ELA is a huge credit. Each ELA credit includes: Literature. Writing. Vocabulary. Grammar. Public Speaking. As you can see, Literature is only one component of the English/Language Arts credit. However, we often base each year’s writing, vocabulary and grammar on the Literature being studied that year.

What are the objectives of high school literature courses?

Vocabulary will include literary terminology as well as general terminology important for high school students to learn. Grammar instruction will be given through various writing assignments. Writing assignments will include Responses to Literature journal entries, a Reflective Essay, a Poetry Explication Essay, a Rhetorical Analysis, a Persuasive Research paper, and a final …

What do you learn in a literary course?

Components: There are two main components to the American Literature course – a Text Book (the meat and potatoes of the course) and a Student Notebook. What each component means: The Student Notebook is where your High Schooler …

What do you learn in high school American literature?

This course emphasizes skills and strategies for independent reading of, analyzing, and writing about works of American literature, with a focus on how that literature reflects social, political, and moral issues in the United States.

What does American literature include?

American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and its preceding colonies (for specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States).

What does a literature class consist of?

An introduction to reading and analyzing these primary genres of literature: fiction, poetry, and drama. The course may also include creative nonfiction. Students will respond critically to readings of different historical and cultural contexts through class discussion and written evidence-based literary arguments.

Is American literature a hard class?

The course is designed for mature readers and writers of high school age and ability. The themes of the course are difficult, and sometimes the reading material is dark.

What are two common themes in American literature?

A theme is considered to be the main idea of the work, or a meaning behind the story. Within this period of American literature, three themes continued to emerge: the concept of true beauty, protection of nature, and perception versus reality.Jan 31, 2019

What are the 5 major periods of American literature?

American literature is often divided into five major periods:The Colonial and Early National period (17th century to 1830)The Romantic period (1830 to 1870)Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910)The Modernist period (1910 to 1945)The Contemporary period (1945 to present)

What are the 3 types of literature?

At the most basic level, there are essentially three main genres for literature - poetry, prose and drama - and each can be broken down even further, resulting in dozens of subgenres for each.Feb 28, 2018

What can a literature major do?

What Do Literature Major Graduates Do? Literature majors can pursue a variety of careers upon graduation. With strong reading, writing, and communication skills, they can work in many different fields, including journalism, marketing, and public relations.

What do literature classes do?

In literature class, by contrast, students do the reading at home and come to class to discuss it. The teacher does give presentations, the length and substance of which will vary. Class discussion may focus closely on certain passages or relate different passages to each other and to the whole.Aug 12, 2013

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.May 1, 2019

What do you do in an American literature class?

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.

What is the difference between world and American 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.Sep 16, 2014

7Sisters email subscribers receive periodic practical encouragement, special offers and NO SPAM EVER

Click the image above to periodically receive real homeschool value in your inbox.

Vicki Tillman

Blogger, curriculum developer at 7SistersHomeschool.com, counselor, life and career coach, SYMBIS guide, speaker, prayer person. 20+year veteran homeschool mom.

What is Native American literature?

Native American literature is rooted in oral tradition and stories were passed down . Myths discussed beliefs about the origin and nature of the physical world, social order, appropriate behavior, human nature, as well as good and evil. Oral literature was often characterized by repetition and ritual.

What is vocabulary in high school?

Vocabulary will include literary terminology as well as general terminology important for high school students to learn. Grammar instruction will be given through various writing assignments. Writing assignments will include Responses to Literature journal entries, a Reflective Essay, a Poetry Explication Essay, a Rhetorical Analysis, ...

What is Puritan literature?

Reading. Puritan literature was usually written in a very plain style. It was characterized by clear expression – short words, direct statements.

How long should an introduction be?

The event, any main characters, and the setting will all be “introduced” within your introduction. Introductions do not need to be longer than one paragraph. Give the purpose of your paper, but don’t give too much detail in the introduction. The details should be saved for the body of the paper.

What is the theme of the American Dream?

One common theme is the American Dream. This can be defined as: America is a land of opportunity. You can make a name for yourself no matter who you are or where you come from. Hard work is all you need. Many times authors use this theme to show that this dream is really something that cannot be obtained.

What are the archetypes of oral literature?

Oral literature was often characterized by repetition and ritual. Archetypes were common in these stories as good vs. evil was represented often with characters like a mother goddess, an old man, a trickster, water, fire, celestial elements, etc.

How to describe a character?

The most obvious way of describing a character is through physical description . This can include height, weight, skin/eye/hair color, etc. This can also include how the character walks or stands. In a play, this can include notes given for the actors to include in their performance as they move around the stage.

American Literature Reading List

The bulk of the work Elijah did for this course was reading. He loves to read, and I wanted to take advantage of that (and keep it simple!) by keeping reading as the main component of the course.

Additional American Literature Course Requirements

The Journal I decided not to require too much beyond the reading for this course. I can’t stand busy work, so I did not want to give daily assignments that would likely be meaningless to him and likely never graded by me. Instead, I gave him a list of journal prompts and asked him to use his journal to respond to his reading twice each week.

What is the goal of American literature classes in high school?

Another goal of American literature classes in high school is strengthening critical thinking abilities, which the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga describes as allowing students to reflect and make connections through their reading and writing. This can include analyzing, evaluating and interpreting works of literature ...

What are the goals and objectives of American literature?

American literature classes in high school cover the philosophies, authors and major works that create the nation's unique culture. In these courses, students accomplish broad, long-term goals, as well as the short-term objectives of learning course content.

Why do we need to immerse students in fiction?

According to the Darien Public Schools website, immersing students in a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts enables them to communicate more effectively and lets them build on existing learning from past classes. American literature classes accomplish this by combining classic fictional texts with related nonfiction texts.

What are the four literary movements?

These might include the literature of Colonial times, the Civil War, Transcendentalism, the 1920s, the Great Depression and the 1950s and 1960s.

What are the instructional goals of a class?

Instructional goals include development of reading, writing and critical thinking skills. Class objectives include learning about different periods and movements, relating history to literature and understanding how literacy created the United States' national identity.

What is the final objective of a class?

A final objective is understanding how the United States' collective body of work has created a unique national identity. A teacher might begin the class by brainstorming aspects of America's identity on the board, then revisiting the list throughout the year. For example, students might examine the idea of individualism through the American colonials' push to become an independent country, the division in perspective during the Civil War and the relationship between the individual and societal institutions as seen through the works of Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

What is literature course?

The course guides students in the close reading and critical analysis of classic works of literature , and helps them appreciate the texts and the contexts in which the works were written. Literary selections range from classic works such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to contemporary pieces by authors such as Maya Angelou.

What do students learn in journalism?

Students examine the development of journalism, from print to the multimedia environment, while learning how to publish an online newspaper in addition to producing the school’s hard copy yearbook. Students write newspaper-style articles and opinion pieces, and examine careers in multimedia communication. They also consider the historical effects of “yellow” journalism, freedom of the press, and journalism’s contributions to today’s world, with an emphasis on the mutual influence of media and policy. Students learn the basics of design, layout, photo journalism, print/press preparation, etc. Students are responsible to complete photo shoots at WAVA events, design yearbook pages, work with team members and other duties in the creation of the yearbook.

What do you learn in finance?

In this introductory finance course, students learn basic principles of economics and best practices for managing their own finances. Students learn core skills in creating budgets, developing long-term financial plans to meet their goals, and making responsible choices about income and expenses. They gain a deeper understanding of capitalism and other systems so they can better understand their role in the economy of society. Students are inspired by experiences of finance professionals and stories of everyday people and the choices they make to manage their money.

What grade do you have to be to take a world language course at Monroe?

Note: WAVA HS World Language courses are highly academic electives. Monroe WAVA HS students must be in at least the 10th grade to enroll in a World Language. Though World Language credit is not a graduation requirement, most four-year Universities will require a minimum of two years of the same World Language for admission. WAVA HS World Languages count as Elective credit

What is creative writing?

Creative Writing focuses on the four-step Process Writing model and the reading of professional writings to motivate students to create original essays, poems and short stories. The writing assignments include narration, definition, process analysis, cause and effect and comparison/contrast. Students learn self-editing skills by following the instructor’s detailed suggestions for the revision and refinement of their work.

What are the topics of geometry?

They also develop a sophisticated understanding of mathematical structure, method, and applications of Euclidean plane and solid geometry. Students use visualizations, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems. Topics of study include points, lines, and angles; triangles; right triangles; quadrilateral s and other polygons; circles; coordinate geometry; three-dimensional solids; geometric constructions; symmetry; the use of transformations; and non-Euclidean geometries. Students work on additional challenging assignments, assessments, and research projects.