American Literature: Course Description

1 Credit Hour
Instructor: Sonya Ball
B.A., Clemson UniversitySecondary Education, English
M.Ed., Clemson UniversityReading
National Board Certification
Course Description: This college-prep course is designed to be a two-semester chronological study of
American literature with an emphasis in literary analysis. Students will demonstrate mastery in critical
English Language Arts skills: reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening.
The class will meet twice weekly for instruction and discussion. Students will be expected to daily
complete reading and writing assignments at home. Students will have the option to complete
additional work independently to receive honors credit.
Tentative Course Overview:
Students will read and complete analytical assignments for each of the following major works:

Romeo and Juliet (included although not American as part of a TEAM study)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Great Gatsby
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Emily Dickinson and Kate Chopin: The Role of Women in the 19th Century
American Short Stories: The Necklace, The Monkeys Paw, The Rocking-Horse Winner (although
British, included for thematic purposes)
Various Works of Edgar Allan Poe
American Poetry: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, James
Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston, Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, E. E. Cummings, William
Carlos Williams, T. S. Eliot, Gwendolyn Brooks

Writing Instruction:
Students will primarily engage in literary analysis through writing. Students will also receive instruction
and practice in expository, argumentative, and narrative writing and will engage in research.
Class Expectations:

Complete daily reading and writing assignments as instructed.

Attend class regularly.
Be prepared for class and able to actively contribute to class discussions of the assigned reading.
Work through various stages of the writing process in class and at home. Work with both
parents and the instructor to edit and revise work.

Grade Calculation:

Daily Assignments: 60%

Major Assignments: 30%
Quick Checks: 10%

Honors Requirements:
Students wishing to obtain an honors credit for American Literature will complete one additional novel
study per semester (including an additional writing assignment for each novel) and will present this work
to peers. This coursework will be assigned by the instructor.
Grading Scale:
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
D
60-69
F
Below 60