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American Studies I          American Studies II

 American Studies I combines American History and Literature from the Early Americans through the period of Reconstruction.  it includes the foundations of American Democracy and the workings of our government.  Traditional writing and reading assignments will be developed in relation to the historical themes.  For example, one unit may be the Constitution as a piece of classic literature.  Although the concentration will be on American literature, other periods and types of literature will be looked at in relation to the appropriate themes.  American literature will be incorporated with the cultural perspective providing the backdrop. 

Reading Materials:

The Crucible- Arthur Miller *  Story of the Salem Witch Trials

Fever 1793- Laurie Halse Anderson * Takes place in Philadelphia during the outbreak of Yellow Fever

Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne * New England setting details lives of Colonial America in the early days of Puritan Boston.  Hester Prynne wears the embroidered scarlet "A" on her clothing signifying adultery

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When the Legends Die- Hal Borland *The story tells of a young Native American boy as he struggles with becoming a man, and deals with the clashing of his native culture and the modern white society.

The Last of the Mohicans- James Fenimore Cooper * Story of the French and Indian War

Cold Mountain- Charles Frazier * Story of a soldier traveling home after the Civil War

Red Badge of Courage- Stephen Crane * story of the Civil War

Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain * Famous tale of post civil war adventures

Maggie: A Girl of the Streets- Stephen Crane *

Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglass * Details of his life as a prominent leader of the abolitionist movement

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl * This slave narrative by Harriet Jacobs gives vivid details of the life of slavery.
Witch Child- Celia Rees *Puritan times child is accused of witchcraft. 

 
Education of Little Tree- Forrest Carter* Tells the story of a boy who lives with his part Cherokee grandparents.  Good intro to simple living of Native Americans.

"Macbeth"- William Shakespeare* Classic tragedy of power and prophecy.

Plain Song- Kent Haruf* 17 year old Holt leaves home under scrutiny from her parents and the town and ends up living with older bachelor brothers who know more about cattle than teenage girls, but all learn much from each other.

 

Mrs. Miller has created her own website for American Studies B.  Click here to find out more.  Mrs. Miller

 

American Studies II combines American History and American Literature from the Reconstruction to the present.  Traditional writing and reading assignments will be developed in relation to the themes and time periods, which may include the American Dream, the Age of Industrialization, the great Depression, Westward Expansion and/or the World Wars.  Although the concentration will be on American Literature, other periods and types of literature may be studied as appropriate given the themes.

Reading Materials:

 

"Hamlet"- William Shakespeare* Tragedy of Hamlet and his struggles with the loss of his father and sense of self.

Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger *Holden Caulfield narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life. He has been expelled from prep school, and his use of slang that sounds edgy and timelessly appeals to teens.

Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck* Main characters Lenny and George are laborers during the Depression.  The events of their lives are evidence of  the difficulties of the times.

Night- Elie Wiesel *This autobiographical novella tells of Wiesel's experiences during the Holocaust.

The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald *Nick Carraway narrates the lives of the rich and famous during the 1920's on Long Island, New York.

The Things They Carried- Tim O'Brien *This story tells about the emotional and physical things soldiers carried into and out of the Vietnam war.

Black Boy- Richard Wright *Black Boy is a autobiographical narrative of Richard Wright's coming of age from innocence to experience in the Jim Crow South.

Their Eyes Were Watching God- Zora Neale Hurston * Through southern dialect and excellent dialogue, Hurston gives the story of Janie Crawford, married three times, and dealing with intolerance of her actions.  Culture of the south, particularly Florida is detailed.

The Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck *  This is a story of the lives of ordinary people struggling to preserve their humanity during the Depression.  Social and economic desperation hits when the Joads lose their tenant farm in Oklahoma, and they join thousands of others, traveling to California in search of the American dream.

Last Mission- Harry Mazur* The main character is a fifteen-year-old Jewish boy who tells hisfamily he will travel West but instead enlists in the Air Force and becomes a gunner during the war.

Hiroshima- John Hersey* Interviews with survivors of this atomic bomb are detailed in Hersey's account of this world event.

Red Sky in Morning- Richard Bradford *Josh and his family move from Alabama to New Mexico and in this coming-of-age story he learns about

A Raisin in the Sun- Lorraine Hansbury *The Younger family is an African American family living in the 1950's  and deal with issues of poverty, segregation and culture.

Gentlehands- M.E. Kerr *Buddy visits his grandfather and hears about Gentlehands, a man with a disturbing past.  Buddy learns the truth and lessons about his own level of tolerance for differences.

All Quiet on the Western Front- Erich Maria Remarque *Paul Baumer is a 19 year old soldier fighting in the trenches during World War One.  His experiences teach him about the horrors of war and the understanding that his enemies are a lot like him.

Ms. Emily Clark has created her own website with specific details about her American Studies II course.  Click here to connect.  Ms Emily Clark

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