English 11

Students explore how the Romantics and Transcendentalists emphasized the power  and responsibility of the individual in both supporting and questioning  the government. Students consider whether the American Dream is still  achievable and examine the Modernists’ disillusionment with the idea  that America is a “land of opportunity.” Reading the words of Frederick  Douglass and the text of the Civil Rights Act, students look carefully  at the experience of African Americans and their struggle to achieve  equal rights. Students explore how individuals cope with the influence  of war and cultural tensions while trying to build and secure their own  personal identity. Finally, students examine how technology is affecting  our contemporary experience of freedom: Will we eventually change our  beliefs about what it means to be an independent human being? In this  course, students analyze a wide range of literature, both fiction and  nonfiction. They build writing skills by composing analytical essays,  persuasive essays, personal narratives, and research papers. In order to  develop speaking and listening skills, students participate in  discussions and give speeches. Overall, students gain an understanding  of the way American literature represents the array of voices  contributing to our multicultural identity.