Age: 14+ High School 1 Full Credit
Survey American literature from the Puritans through contemporary fiction in a course that teaches how to analyze literature and write a thesis.
Ben, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, taught the humanities for 16 years in the classroom. In this course, he gives students:
- An appreciation for the Christian foundation of the United States of America
- Exposure to a wide variety of literary genres: novels, short stories, poetry, and more
- Readings from the 17th century through contemporary fiction
- Tips for how to stay engaged in books that might be challenging
- A process and rubric for writing a thesis paper
29 lectures covering the following books:
- The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
- Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Our Bronze Membership provides online access to this and 30+ additional courses, PDF course books, audio stories, and a customer support group.
Our Silver Membership adds Family Access (5 logins) and facilitation for courses through our Groups. Course facilitation provides:
- Direct encouragement from instructors.
- Additional links of interest that support learning in the course.
- Live Zoom meetings with facilitators to discuss lecture material and assignments.
Our Gold Membership adds grading, homeschool support, and discounts on live courses.
You can learn more (or upgrade your current plan) on our Membership Page. Our support team of homeschool moms can also answer your questions. Visit our support page to contact them.
All courses can be accessed on desktop, mobile, and through our Compass Classroom App (iOS & Google).
Learn more about American Literature in the Compass Classroom Store.
Preview the assignments for this course in the scope and sequence.
Course Content
INTRODUCTION & MATERIALS
About Instructor
Ben Crist
Ben taught Latin and the Humanities in Classical and Christian schools for 16 years. In addition to classroom and tutorial instruction, he has worked in school administration, curriculum development, and teacher training. Ben is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and serves as a deacon in his church. He lives with his wife and four children in Franklin where they homeschool.
1 Course
