American Literature B
Syllabus
American Literature B Course Overview American literature is the study of written works and masterpieces written in the United States. This course emphasizes themes found throughout US history, from the American Indians who lived on the land before it was colonized, all the way to the present day. The literature often speaks to important events happening at the time and gives insight into the mindset of the authors of these works. American literature allows you to connect with the nation’s past through human experiences and helps you understand the political, economic, and religious forces that influenced authors and readers.
Course Goals By the end of this course, you will be able to do the following:
Describe various aspects of modern American writers. Discuss techniques used in persuasive writings. Analyze aspects of poetry such as poetic imagism, dictation, alliteration, and assonance. Explain the importance of The Harlem Renaissance. Define postmodernism. Describe the rise of postmodernism in literature. Explain the emergence of the contemporary period and its elements. Define the concept of genre and its importance to literature.
General Skills To participate in this course, you should be able to do the following:
Complete basic operations with word processing software, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Perform online research using various search engines and library databases. Some course readings may require a visit to the school library or public library.
For a complete list of general skills that are required for participation in online courses, refer to the Prerequisites section of the Plato Student Orientation document, found at the beginning of this course.
1 © 2013 EDMENTUM, INC.
Credit Value American Literature B is a 0.5-credit course.
Course Materials
Notebook Computer with Internet connection and speakers or headphones Microsoft Word or equivalent
Course Pacing Guide This course description and pacing guide is intended to help you keep on schedule with your work. Note that your course instructor may modify the schedule to meet the specific needs of your class. Day 1 day: 1 3 days: 2-4
3 days: 5-7
3 days: 8-10
2 days: 11-12
Activity/Objective Syllabus and Plato Student Orientation Review the Plato Student Orientation and Course Syllabus at the beginning of this course.
Type Course Orientation
The Modern American Writer Explain the emergence of the modernist period and its literature. Identify and analyze parallelism in a literary text. Apply new vocabulary and vocabulary strategies related to modernism. Write a professional résumé.
Lesson
Elements of Persuasion Identify, explain, and apply rhetorical devices used for persuasion. Analyze the effectiveness of persuasive characteristics in various texts. Apply new vocabulary related to persuasion.
Lesson
Early Modernism: Form and Irony Identify and analyze sonnets and ballads. Analyze irony in a literary text. Develop a claim based on research for a persuasive essay.
Lesson
Early Modernism: Rhyme Differentiate among different rhyme schemes. Analyze the effects of rhyme schemes in poetry. Apply knowledge of word parts to understand word roots. Develop a counterargument for a persuasive essay.
Lesson
2
Day 2 days: 13-14
2 days: 15-16
2 days: 17-18
4 days: 19-22
2 days: 23-24
3 days: 25-27
2 days: 28-29
2 days: 30-31
Activity/Objective
Type
Elements of Poetic Imagism Explain the elements of imagist poetry. Analyze meaning by evaluating diction. Apply new vocabulary related to imagism.
Lesson
Themes of Poetic Imagism Analyze the effects of alliteration, assonance, and consonance in a literary text. Compare and contrast approaches to similar ideas or themes in two or more texts from the same period. Apply knowledge of word parts for creating descriptions.
Lesson
Disillusionment in the 20th Century Distinguish between dynamic and static characters. Analyze how dynamic and static characters affect the plot of a literary text. Apply knowledge of roots and affixes. Apply new vocabulary related to static and dynamic characters.
Lesson
Persuasive Essay Select a topic and create an outline for a persuasive essay. Use rhetorical techniques in a persuasive essay. Execute the writing process for a persuasive essay.
Lab
Elements of Modernism Identify and analyze archetypes in a literary text. Analyze the use of sound devices in prose. Apply knowledge of affixes.
Lesson
Development of Mood and a Single Effect Analyze the development of mood in a literary text. Analyze how authors create a single effect in a literary text.
Lesson
American Drama Identify and analyze elements and conventions of drama. Identify and analyze characteristics of parody. Analyze the use of understatement in a literary text. Apply knowledge of words with Greek and Latin origins.
Lesson
The Harlem Renaissance: Jazz Poetry Explain the emergence of the Harlem Renaissance period and its literature. Compare and contrast the representation of a subject or scene in two different artistic media.
Lesson
3
Day 3 days: 32-34
2 days: 35-36
Activity/Objective The Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Explain how language can be used as a tool for control and freedom. Describe how context and language structures convey an author's intent and viewpoint. Analyze the historical and cultural significance of literature in the modernist period. Apply knowledge of roots and affixes. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of modernism.
Lesson
The Rise of Postmodernism
Lesson
2 days: 37-38
1 day:
Type
Explain the emergence of the postmodern period and its literature. Evaluate the political, ethical, and social influences of the historical period that shape a literary text. Analyze the elements of science fiction in a literary text. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of postmodernism.
Organizing Literature Analyze the effects of main ideas and organizational patterns in a literary text. Analyze the use of analogies in a literary text. Determine purpose and audience for a presentation. Midterm
Lesson
Assessment
39 3 days: 40-42
4 days: 43-46
The Crucible, Act One Identify and explain the elements of literary criticism. Identify and analyze propaganda in a literary text. Identify and analyze the parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism. Apply new vocabulary related to McCarthyism.
Lab
The Crucible, Act Two Explain and apply the Aristotelian theory of literary criticism. Differentiate between internal and external character development. Identify and analyze the parallels between The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials. Apply new vocabulary related to character development.
Lab
4
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
4 days:
The Crucible, Acts Three and Four Make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama. Identify and analyze the parallels between The Crucible, the Salem witch trials, and McCarthyism. Compare and evaluate adaptations and interpretations of a script. Apply new vocabulary related to the structuralist theory.
Lab
47-50
3 days: 51-53
The Civil Rights Movement and American Literature
2 days: 54-55
4 days: 56-59
Presentation
3 days: 60-62
2 days: 63-64
Differentiate between an author's implicit and stated opinions about an issue based on evidence in the text. Analyze how authors are influenced by one another's ideas in various texts. Apply new vocabulary. Incorporate useful visual aids into a presentation.
Meaning in Motifs Identify and analyze motifs in a literary text. Relate literary works to their historical, biographical, or contemporary context. Apply new vocabulary and vocabulary strategies. Demonstrate critical listening skills and strategies.
Select a topic and create a presentation. Use appropriate rehearsal strategies to prepare for a presentation. Demonstrate appropriate tone, pacing, and body language for the audience and purpose of a presentation. Lesson
Identify and analyze extended metaphor in a literary text. Explain why certain literary works are considered classics. Apply knowledge of words stemming from Greek and Latin origins.
The American Response
Lesson
Lab
Elements of Literary Classics
Lesson
Lesson
Recognize and explain those elements in texts that prompt a personal response. Analyze texts that represent different perspectives of American culture. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of personal response.
5
Day 2 days: 65-66
2 days: 67-68
4 days: 69-72 2 days: 73-74
2 days: 75-76
2 days: 77-78
2 days: 79-80
Activity/Objective
Type
Beat Poetry Explain the emergence of the beat generation and its literature. Identify the characteristics of beat poetry. Analyze the historical and cultural significance of literature in the postmodernist period. Apply new vocabulary related to beat poetry.
Lesson
The Contemporary Period Explain the emergence of the contemporary period and its literature. Relate main ideas found in a literary work to primary source documents from its historical and cultural settings. Apply new vocabulary related to contemporary literature.
Lesson
Literary Analysis Select a topic and create an outline for a literary analysis. Write and edit a rough draft of a literary analysis.
Lab
Reading Across Genres Compare and contrast the presentation of a theme or topic across genres. Identify commonly used affixes.
Lesson
The American Language Analyze how reflective essays explore the theme of identity. Identify language bias in various settings. Explain the purpose of code switching in various settings. Apply knowledge of word parts to new vocabulary words. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of contemporary America.
Lesson
Tradition and Culture in Literature Analyze meaning by identifying ambiguity in a literary text. Analyze how literary texts explore the connection between tradition and culture. Identify strategies used by the media to inform, persuade, and entertain.
Lesson
Themes that Withstand Time Compare and contrast the presentation of a theme or topic in literary texts from different time periods. Explain how sentence variety shapes the overall effectiveness of a text. Apply new vocabulary related to sentence varieties and lasting themes. Apply methods of evaluating literature to evaluating other media.
Lesson
6
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
2 days:
Perspectives in Literature Analyze the use of second-person point of view in a literary text. Analyze the beliefs, perspectives, and assumptions underlying an author's work. Apply new vocabulary related to different perspectives in literature.
Lesson
Embracing Diversity in Literature Analyze texts that represent the diversity of American culture. Analyze how literary texts explore the themes of cultural and socioeconomic differences. Explain and analyze how media transmits culture.
Lesson
81-82
2 days: 83-84
4 days: 85-88
1 day:
Novel Analysis Select a topic and create an outline for an analysis of a novel. Write and edit a rough draft of an analysis for a novel. Incorporate overarching themes such as the American dream, the American identity, or the influences of culture and society into an analysis for a novel.
Lab
Semester Review
89 1 day:
Final Exam
Assessment
90
7
American Literature B Course Overview American literature is the study of written works and masterpieces written in the United States. This course emphasizes themes found throughout US history, from the American Indians who lived on the land before it was colonized, all the way to the present day. The literature often speaks to important events happening at the time and gives insight into the mindset of the authors of these works. American literature allows you to connect with the nation’s past through human experiences and helps you understand the political, economic, and religious forces that influenced authors and readers.
Course Goals By the end of this course, you will be able to do the following:
Describe various aspects of modern American writers. Discuss techniques used in persuasive writings. Analyze aspects of poetry such as poetic imagism, dictation, alliteration, and assonance. Explain the importance of The Harlem Renaissance. Define postmodernism. Describe the rise of postmodernism in literature. Explain the emergence of the contemporary period and its elements. Define the concept of genre and its importance to literature.
General Skills To participate in this course, you should be able to do the following:
Complete basic operations with word processing software, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Perform online research using various search engines and library databases. Some course readings may require a visit to the school library or public library.
For a complete list of general skills that are required for participation in online courses, refer to the Prerequisites section of the Plato Student Orientation document, found at the beginning of this course.
1 © 2013 EDMENTUM, INC.
Credit Value American Literature B is a 0.5-credit course.
Course Materials
Notebook Computer with Internet connection and speakers or headphones Microsoft Word or equivalent
Course Pacing Guide This course description and pacing guide is intended to help you keep on schedule with your work. Note that your course instructor may modify the schedule to meet the specific needs of your class. Day 1 day: 1 3 days: 2-4
3 days: 5-7
3 days: 8-10
2 days: 11-12
Activity/Objective Syllabus and Plato Student Orientation Review the Plato Student Orientation and Course Syllabus at the beginning of this course.
Type Course Orientation
The Modern American Writer Explain the emergence of the modernist period and its literature. Identify and analyze parallelism in a literary text. Apply new vocabulary and vocabulary strategies related to modernism. Write a professional résumé.
Lesson
Elements of Persuasion Identify, explain, and apply rhetorical devices used for persuasion. Analyze the effectiveness of persuasive characteristics in various texts. Apply new vocabulary related to persuasion.
Lesson
Early Modernism: Form and Irony Identify and analyze sonnets and ballads. Analyze irony in a literary text. Develop a claim based on research for a persuasive essay.
Lesson
Early Modernism: Rhyme Differentiate among different rhyme schemes. Analyze the effects of rhyme schemes in poetry. Apply knowledge of word parts to understand word roots. Develop a counterargument for a persuasive essay.
Lesson
2
Day 2 days: 13-14
2 days: 15-16
2 days: 17-18
4 days: 19-22
2 days: 23-24
3 days: 25-27
2 days: 28-29
2 days: 30-31
Activity/Objective
Type
Elements of Poetic Imagism Explain the elements of imagist poetry. Analyze meaning by evaluating diction. Apply new vocabulary related to imagism.
Lesson
Themes of Poetic Imagism Analyze the effects of alliteration, assonance, and consonance in a literary text. Compare and contrast approaches to similar ideas or themes in two or more texts from the same period. Apply knowledge of word parts for creating descriptions.
Lesson
Disillusionment in the 20th Century Distinguish between dynamic and static characters. Analyze how dynamic and static characters affect the plot of a literary text. Apply knowledge of roots and affixes. Apply new vocabulary related to static and dynamic characters.
Lesson
Persuasive Essay Select a topic and create an outline for a persuasive essay. Use rhetorical techniques in a persuasive essay. Execute the writing process for a persuasive essay.
Lab
Elements of Modernism Identify and analyze archetypes in a literary text. Analyze the use of sound devices in prose. Apply knowledge of affixes.
Lesson
Development of Mood and a Single Effect Analyze the development of mood in a literary text. Analyze how authors create a single effect in a literary text.
Lesson
American Drama Identify and analyze elements and conventions of drama. Identify and analyze characteristics of parody. Analyze the use of understatement in a literary text. Apply knowledge of words with Greek and Latin origins.
Lesson
The Harlem Renaissance: Jazz Poetry Explain the emergence of the Harlem Renaissance period and its literature. Compare and contrast the representation of a subject or scene in two different artistic media.
Lesson
3
Day 3 days: 32-34
2 days: 35-36
Activity/Objective The Harlem Renaissance and Modernism Explain how language can be used as a tool for control and freedom. Describe how context and language structures convey an author's intent and viewpoint. Analyze the historical and cultural significance of literature in the modernist period. Apply knowledge of roots and affixes. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of modernism.
Lesson
The Rise of Postmodernism
Lesson
2 days: 37-38
1 day:
Type
Explain the emergence of the postmodern period and its literature. Evaluate the political, ethical, and social influences of the historical period that shape a literary text. Analyze the elements of science fiction in a literary text. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of postmodernism.
Organizing Literature Analyze the effects of main ideas and organizational patterns in a literary text. Analyze the use of analogies in a literary text. Determine purpose and audience for a presentation. Midterm
Lesson
Assessment
39 3 days: 40-42
4 days: 43-46
The Crucible, Act One Identify and explain the elements of literary criticism. Identify and analyze propaganda in a literary text. Identify and analyze the parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism. Apply new vocabulary related to McCarthyism.
Lab
The Crucible, Act Two Explain and apply the Aristotelian theory of literary criticism. Differentiate between internal and external character development. Identify and analyze the parallels between The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials. Apply new vocabulary related to character development.
Lab
4
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
4 days:
The Crucible, Acts Three and Four Make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama. Identify and analyze the parallels between The Crucible, the Salem witch trials, and McCarthyism. Compare and evaluate adaptations and interpretations of a script. Apply new vocabulary related to the structuralist theory.
Lab
47-50
3 days: 51-53
The Civil Rights Movement and American Literature
2 days: 54-55
4 days: 56-59
Presentation
3 days: 60-62
2 days: 63-64
Differentiate between an author's implicit and stated opinions about an issue based on evidence in the text. Analyze how authors are influenced by one another's ideas in various texts. Apply new vocabulary. Incorporate useful visual aids into a presentation.
Meaning in Motifs Identify and analyze motifs in a literary text. Relate literary works to their historical, biographical, or contemporary context. Apply new vocabulary and vocabulary strategies. Demonstrate critical listening skills and strategies.
Select a topic and create a presentation. Use appropriate rehearsal strategies to prepare for a presentation. Demonstrate appropriate tone, pacing, and body language for the audience and purpose of a presentation. Lesson
Identify and analyze extended metaphor in a literary text. Explain why certain literary works are considered classics. Apply knowledge of words stemming from Greek and Latin origins.
The American Response
Lesson
Lab
Elements of Literary Classics
Lesson
Lesson
Recognize and explain those elements in texts that prompt a personal response. Analyze texts that represent different perspectives of American culture. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of personal response.
5
Day 2 days: 65-66
2 days: 67-68
4 days: 69-72 2 days: 73-74
2 days: 75-76
2 days: 77-78
2 days: 79-80
Activity/Objective
Type
Beat Poetry Explain the emergence of the beat generation and its literature. Identify the characteristics of beat poetry. Analyze the historical and cultural significance of literature in the postmodernist period. Apply new vocabulary related to beat poetry.
Lesson
The Contemporary Period Explain the emergence of the contemporary period and its literature. Relate main ideas found in a literary work to primary source documents from its historical and cultural settings. Apply new vocabulary related to contemporary literature.
Lesson
Literary Analysis Select a topic and create an outline for a literary analysis. Write and edit a rough draft of a literary analysis.
Lab
Reading Across Genres Compare and contrast the presentation of a theme or topic across genres. Identify commonly used affixes.
Lesson
The American Language Analyze how reflective essays explore the theme of identity. Identify language bias in various settings. Explain the purpose of code switching in various settings. Apply knowledge of word parts to new vocabulary words. Apply new vocabulary related to elements of contemporary America.
Lesson
Tradition and Culture in Literature Analyze meaning by identifying ambiguity in a literary text. Analyze how literary texts explore the connection between tradition and culture. Identify strategies used by the media to inform, persuade, and entertain.
Lesson
Themes that Withstand Time Compare and contrast the presentation of a theme or topic in literary texts from different time periods. Explain how sentence variety shapes the overall effectiveness of a text. Apply new vocabulary related to sentence varieties and lasting themes. Apply methods of evaluating literature to evaluating other media.
Lesson
6
Day
Activity/Objective
Type
2 days:
Perspectives in Literature Analyze the use of second-person point of view in a literary text. Analyze the beliefs, perspectives, and assumptions underlying an author's work. Apply new vocabulary related to different perspectives in literature.
Lesson
Embracing Diversity in Literature Analyze texts that represent the diversity of American culture. Analyze how literary texts explore the themes of cultural and socioeconomic differences. Explain and analyze how media transmits culture.
Lesson
81-82
2 days: 83-84
4 days: 85-88
1 day:
Novel Analysis Select a topic and create an outline for an analysis of a novel. Write and edit a rough draft of an analysis for a novel. Incorporate overarching themes such as the American dream, the American identity, or the influences of culture and society into an analysis for a novel.
Lab
Semester Review
89 1 day:
Final Exam
Assessment
90
7
