In this first-semester American literature course, students explore the themes of technology, language, illusion, and independence. Students read culturally diverse selections within such differing genres as the essay, short story, novel, historical writings, and poetry. Through multimedia presentations, selections provide vocabulary enrichment, textual insights, and audio readings of excerpts to enhance the learning experience. Students will develop critical thinking and writing skills by taking quizzes, completing creative projects, and sharing their thoughts in newsgroups, or one-on-one with the teacher or other students.

Students completing this course will explore American literature through an integrated language arts curriculum with reading, writing, listening, seeing, and speaking components; investigate and respond to some of the major themes in American literature and see how they encompass and are influenced by diverse historical, cultural, geographic, gendered, and class perspectives; and learn to see writing as a form of thinking, self-expression, and communication, thus letting purpose guide their organizational and rhetorical strategies.