I wanted to share a few posts featuring new-to-us curriculum choices. We have not used this curriculum yet, but after much research, I have decided to give it a try. Stick around and see if we end up liking it!
(disclaimer – affiliate links are used in this post, but this is NOT a sponsored post)
I have decided to use Compass Classroom American Literature for my rising 11th-grade daughter.
Info from the publisher:
From its roots in the Christian west, American literature gave shape to new ideas even as it breathed life into existing forms such as the Biblical sermon, the ancient quest, and the medieval romance.
This course takes the student from colonial writings to modern fiction, and surveys both prose and poetry. The class is divided between lecture and discussion formats. The student should expect frequent, guided readings and regular writing assignments.
We’ll develop a background in the Puritans and Founders. Then, we will read novels, poetry, and short stories.
This course is part of the Compass Lectures Series where veteran teachers are filmed as they teach in an actual classroom. This product includes streaming access to the videos filmed live in Nashville. Assignments for local students are explained on the videos and in the course steps. However, parents are solely responsible for assigning and grading this work.
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
There are 29 video lessons included. I have previewed several and enjoyed his teaching style and think my daughter will too.
- Introduction to American Lit & The Foundation of Story
- The American Story Begins
- The Last of the Mohicans (Part 1)
- The Last of the Mohicans (Part 2)
- The Last of the Mohicans (Part 3)
- The Last of the Mohicans (Part 4)
- Interlude: Selected Poetry & Short Stories to 1850
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Part 1)
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Part 2)
- Interlude: Selected Essays through Romanticism
- The Red Badge of Courage
- Little Women (Part 1)
- Little Women (Part 2)
- “The Gift of the Magi”
- “The Lady or the Tiger?”
- The Great Gatsby (Part 1)
- The Great Gatsby (Part 2)
- Interlude: Selected Poetry of Dickinson, Frost, and Eliot
- To Kill a Mockingbird (Part 1)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (Part 2)
- Interlude: Selected Modern Short Stories
- Travels with Charley (Part 1)
- Travels With Charley (Part 2)
- Travels With Charley (Part 3)
- Peace Like a River (Part 1)
- Peace Like a River (Part 2)
- Thesis Defense Preparation
- Thesis Defenses
- Final Lecture
Why I Chose This Curriculum:
We have never used a full literature curriculum! I usually pick and choose novel studies and just do things my own way. My daughter was up for the challenge of a reading-heavy course this year, and after much research, I landed on this one. Compass Classroom kindly offers us access to their library of courses, and I was so excited to find this there. A few key components appealed to me: video-based, book selections, short story selections, Christian-focused, & online dashboard.
I am not planning on her doing all of the writing assignments since she will also be doing IEW Writing. She also will not be doing the thesis project. We are mainly using this course for the books, short stories, and poems.
They have free trial lessons if you want to check those out here.
You can also take a look at their membership area with their free trial.
Lesson Plans
They provide lesson plans, but honestly, they confuse me. Creating my own allows me to dig deep into a course and fully understand assignments before the year begins. When kids learn independently, this helps me stay on track as a homeschool mom.
You are welcome to download and use these, also. There is a cover sheet for a binder as well. There is a one page year-at-a-glance and also detailed lessons by unit. These are copied almost directly from the course itself (minus the thesis assignments since we aren’t doing those), just formatted in a way that makes sense to my brain!
