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American Literature

Students in Scholé Academy’s upper-school American literature course will read a selection of classic American novels, short stories, poetry, and essays throughout the year. Organized chronologically, the reading selections each quarter will follow the development and growth of the United States as a country and as a source of beautiful, praiseworthy literature. Although we will be examining these works in light of American historical development, as with any reading, we will also simply be listening to the authors, asking questions of them and their works, and seeking truth, goodness, and beauty where they can be found. As a nation, the United States is fairly young and, therefore, does not have a lengthy literary history. Our hope, as instructors, is that the selected works will cause you to think, to wonder, and to wrestle with your understanding of what it means to live and walk beside your neighbor in this world God has created.

While this course primarily features literary study, it also incorporates some study from American history, helping students to see and enjoy the integration of both history and literature. For students who want to dive more deeply into this time period, an “Honors Track” will be offered with additional reading and assignments.

This class is paired with Scholé’s upper-school American History course, which is scheduled back-to-back with that course in a “block.” Students who take both courses receive a discount. This course may also be taken as a standalone literature study.

High School Credit: This course is the equivalent of one high school credit in English or literature.

How is faith integrated with these courses?
These seminar-style discussions unfold organically. One could approach the texts with a focus on defensive critiques of classical authors. By contrast, we seek to read charitably. We treat classic authors as if they were friends, gleaning every available truth while also examining them from a robustly Christian perspective.

At Scholé Academy, we have carefully considered how we should engage our contemporary culture as those who believe that Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and that all truth has its source in him. We think it is important to provide our upper school students (in grades 7-12) with tools and opportunities for critically examining various cultural trends, issues and mores through the lens of orthodox, Christian beliefs. Being confident in the truth revealed to us in creation, the Scriptures, and the tradition of the church, we are not afraid to follow the truth and its implications nor to address error and falsehood. … Read more about our Faith & Culture.

Required Materials:
Books and supplies are not included in the purchase of the course.

  • King James Bible
  • "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Jonathan Edwards
  • The Scarlett Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
  • The Call of the Wild, Jack London
  • Billy Budd, Herman Melville
  • The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
  • The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
  • Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
  • Selected short stories and poetry, provided by the instructor

Any edition of the novels above is acceptable.

Mrs. Alison Johansen

[email protected]

Alison Grace Johansen is a Scholé Academy instructor, tutor, and host of our poetry club. While tutoring in grammar and writing, she is teaching Upper-School American Literature and History, Classic Literature VII, and Art of Poetry. Alison earned her Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa., and her Bachelor of Arts in political science with a French minor from the University of Richmond. She worked as a legal journalist in Washington, D.C., for over 13 years before freelancing as a writer and editor in all forms of media: legal and academic publishers, startups and larger companies, magazines, newsletters, websites, books, and social media platforms. She hopes to inspire her students to discover the many ways in which they can use their own words to express themselves with truth, goodness, and beauty. Alison lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Her dedication to her faith and family influences every part of her life, from teaching Sunday school and writing a children’s picture book about food allergies, to exploring the beauty of God’s world with her family. If they aren’t enjoying a walk outside with their Goldendoodle named Nugget, you might find them reading together or playing the piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, and drums!

Caeli Lanzilotti

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Caeli Lanzilotti lives in Northern VA with her husband and two-year-old son. She is passionate about the Liberal Arts and pursuing a life fully realized. She has taught Ancient, American, and World Literature to 9th-12th graders in a private school setting for the past six years. Before moving to VA, she taught Middle School Literature-History, English grammar, and Religion for six years at a small classical school near Philadelphia. She loves the classical model of education, and she is deeply indebted to her former students and colleagues from whom and with whom she has learned so much about the virtuous life. She holds an MA in teaching and a BA in English with a minor in Philosophy. For leisure, she loves trail running and hiking in the woods with her husband, swimming, and baking.

Mrs. Phaedra Shaltanis

[email protected]

Phaedra Shaltanis, Chair of the Humanities Department, has taught in private and classical schools for over 25 years and has educated her four children in the classical tradition, which has been the monumental joy of her life. After college graduation, she began teaching high school Writing, Literature, Spanish, and Art in classical schools. Her involvement with Scholé Academy includes teaching American Literature, British Literature, Western History, Rhetoric I, Formal Logic and Well-Ordered Language Levels 1 and 2. She is enthused to serve as the Humanities department chair and appreciates guiding parents and teachers toward restful education. In her Dallas community, she currently directs a high school university-model program, trains and mentors teachers, conducts seminars on classical education, builds curriculum, supports parents, and provides fine art instruction at a classical high school. She and her husband hope to support classical education as avenues present themselves.

Quarter 1

  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Jonathan Edwards
  • Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow & Phyllis Wheatley
  • Writings from Dover Anthology Volume 1: Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards, Margaret Fuller, Benjamin Franklin, Red Jacket, Tecumseh, Lewis and Clark, Washington Irving, Declaration, Common Sense, etc.

Quarter 2

  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 
  • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
  • Poet: Walt Whitman & Paul Lawrence Dunbar  
  • Writings from Dover Anthology Volume 1 and 2: Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Lincoln, Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, O. Henry

Quarter 3

  • The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
  • The Call of the Wild, Jack London
  • Billy Budd, Herman Melville
  • Poet: Emily Dickinson and Ezra Pound
  • Short Stories from Dover Anthology Volume 2: Edgar Allen Poe, Willa Cather,, Helen Keller, Booker T. Washington, Gilman, Chopin and mor

Quarter 4

  • The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
  • Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
  • Poet: Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Edna St. Vincent Milay, Langston Hughes

Red checkmarkComputer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

Red checkmarkHigh-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Red checkmarkWebcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Red checkmarkHeadset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Red checkmarkZoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. unnamed-e1455142229376 To download Zoom:

  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

Red checkmarkScanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.

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First, read the available course descriptions, noting prerequisites, target grades, and course objectives. If you think your student is prepared for the course, go ahead and register. After registration, a placement assessment may be provided to students, depending on the course and the student's previous enrollment with Scholé Academy. Registration is finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.

 

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