Course Overview
American culture has undergone countless social transformations in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Today, new social transformations are underway. In this course, students will study how American literature reflects and contributes to social transformations. Presenting a diverse set of voices, the course centers on the intersection of literature, history, and current events.
Students read a selection of fiction, poetry, and essays that explore important topics in American culture: the efforts for liberation that African Americans have engaged in during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the motives that have brought immigrants to the United States, and the environmental struggles that have created tensions between various segments of society. Students examine themes such as xenophobia, bias, and the legacy of the past through the lens of different settings and perspectives.
Suggested prerequisites: Composition or The Hero’s Journey
Course Length: One semester
Suggested Grade Level(s): 11, 12
View samples of our high school curriculum here.
Additional Materials Required
The following books will be necessary to complete this American Literature course:
- Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
- Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
- Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli
- Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred Land in the American West by Lauren Redniss
The following materials are optional but recommended:
- American Literature: Social Transformation Teacher Edition
- Oak Meadow Blank Journal
Product Details
- Publisher: Oak Meadow, Inc.
- Publication date: January 2023
- Pages: 96
- Binding: Spiral bound
- Product dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Weight: 0.75 lbs
