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In this 16-week self-paced (asynchronous) class, students will do the first half of American Literature and Composition where we will analyze novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, and write short stories, poetry, and essays on related topics. If students are taking the class for an academic grade, they should plan on spending several hours a week on the class for the lessons, homework, projects, and reading. 

This class can be used as a core English/Literature/Language Arts/ELA course for 10th or 11th grade (US standards). For non US-students, this should be the equivalent of high school/secondary school year 10, 11, or 12. 

Students will read a novel, a novel in verse, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction as we work through various themes and topics throughout the semester. Grammar, vocabulary, and writing will be a part of each unit and students will learn and reinforce MLA format for their essays.  

There are NO live meetings for this course. Multiple posts will be made to the classroom each week which will include: video lessons on the text and language arts/grammar lessons, discussion on the reading prompts which can be video or written responded to, homework post which will include the reading and worksheet/writing/creative project assignment, and question/answer posts regarding language arts, vocabulary, and grammar. 

Unit 1 - Short Stories - 4 weeks
Students will read various short stories from American authors. Students will learn about different elements of narrative writing including characterization, setting, plot order (foreshadowing, flashbacks, linear, etc.), plot structure, narrator, and point of view.  Students will study short excerpts from various short stories in connection to the different elements of narrative writing. Final project for the unit will be to write their own short story. 

Unit 2 - Novel Unit - 4 weeks
Students will read either THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd or THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman. Students will discuss the chosen text while doing lessons on theme, figurative language, symbolism, genres, analyzing quotes and characters, comparing the book to the film, and MLA format for essays. Final project for this unit will be to write a five paragraph essay. 
  
Unit 3 - Poetry - 4 weeks
Students will read THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo (a novel-in-verse) as well as other poems by American poets. Students will learn about the use of figurative language, compare and contrast poems, rhythm, symbolism, types of poems, subtext, rhyme scheme, and difference between the poet and the narrator of the poem. Students will analyze a song for poetry technique and write their own poem for the final project. 

Unit 4 - Nonfiction - 4 weeks
Students will read INTO THE WILD by Jon Krakauer. Students will learn about the basics of journalism, the allure and danger of wilderness, what is a biography and biographer, partiality vs. impartiality, piecing together a nonfiction narrative based off of interviews and evidence found, watch the film adaptation of the book or analyze another film where the wilderness is important to the theme. Students will write an MLA five paragraph essay from a prompt from any of the units for the final project.