This syllabus is for a high school English course on American Literature. The syllabus features 10 units that focus on canonical literary texts written by diverse American authors. The units in are organized chronologically, with each core text corresponding to an important period or movement in American history. The syllabus makes an excellent choice for an 11th-grade English course in American literature.

Because the syllabus is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your own literary tastes and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year!

Here are the 10 units featured in this chronological course on American literature:

1. Native Americans: History, Culture, & Modern Identity

• Tommy Orange, There There

2. Colonial America: The Puritans & Salem Witch Trials (1630-1776)

• Arthur Miller, The Crucible

3. Slavery & Emancipation (1800-1865)

• Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

4. New England Poetry (1860s-1900s)

• Emily Dickinson, Selected Poems

• Robert Frost, Selected Poems

5. The American Dream & Roaring Twenties (1918-1929)

• F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

6. Modernism: The Minimalist Short Story (1918-1939)

• Ernest Hemingway, "Hills Like White Elephants"

7. The Harlem Renaissance (1918-1939)

• Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

• Langston Hughes, Selected Poems

8. World War II & the Holocaust (1939-1945)

• Art Spiegelman, The Complete Maus

9. The Civil Rights Movement (1945-1969)

• Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

• Gwendolyn Brooks, Selected Poems

10. New Immigrant Literature (1965-2000)

• Jhumpa Lahiri, "A Temporary Matter"

• Poetry on Cultural Identity

Writing Instruction Tools

• Introducing Quotations: How to Properly Embed Textual Evidence

• How to Write an Analytical Essay

• How to Write a Personal Narrative (College Essay)

Discussion Tools

• Discussion-Based Teaching Toolkit: Socratic Seminar Rubrics

First-Day Lesson Plan

• Poems about "America"

Syllabus

• American Literature Syllabus

If you like this syllabus, you'll love the full-year American Literature Curriculum — a mega-bundle of teaching resources to get you through the entire school year! The year-long curriculum features over 1,500 pages of printable teaching resources: discussion questions, writing prompts, and answer keys for every book. And it's currently on sale for over 50% off!! Click on this link to learn more about the American Literature Curriculum!

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality teaching resources on great literature by diverse American authors. Each unit was created by a Ph.D. in English with a research specialization in American literature. He has taught courses in American literature for over 20 years and published award-winning academic essays on American writers like Sylvia Plath and James Baldwin.

Finally, if you have questions about ANYTHING related to American literature, please don't hesitate to get in touch via the email address below! I LOVE hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for American writers. And I'll be eager to do everything I can to make sure you have an amazing experience with American literature!

Happy teaching,

Adam Jernigan

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

P.P.S. This syllabus will always be free — so please don't hesitate to share the link with your colleagues. And if you'd be willing to leave a brief review, I'd be sincerely grateful for your support.