American History and Historical Fiction
High School Section
For the first time, Mr. A is offering classes in his specialty!
This course presents a tour of the critical periods in America’s past, coupled with guided discussions of important works of historical fiction that shed light on them. High school students will learn to read, think, and write about American history more carefully and come away with a new appreciation of their own place in that tradition.
The course covers the following topics from both historical and literary perspectives through a combination of textbook readings, primary historical documents, and relevant historical fiction. Through reading, discussion, and writing assignments for each unit, students will learn to distinguish these types of sources and correctly handle and interpret each one like a historian:
1. Exploration and Settlement (1500-1750) – The Scarlet Letter
2. Independence and the New Republic (1689-1824) – Rabble in Arms
3. The Age of Jackson (1824-1850)
4. The Civil War Era (1850-1865) – Gone with the Wind
5. Reconstruction and Industrialization (1865-1919)
6. Prosperity and Depression (1920-1939) – The Great Gatsby
7. Hot Wars and Cold Wars (1939-1975)
8. Uncertain Times at Home and Abroad (1960-2000) – Fahrenheit 451
9. The 21st Century (2000-present)
Adam introduces and explains his choice of history textbook for American History and Historical Fiction.
Assigned texts
Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred M. McClay (ISBN: 978-1641771399)
Each of the novels listed above in any full text edition
For transcript purposes, the course fulfills a High School history and composition requirement, and is designed to prepare students for college entrance examinations.
Instructor Bio
CenterForLit director Adam Andrews, known to his students as “Mr. A,” is a Ph.D candidate in history at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he studies the history of American education. He has more than 25 years experience in the classroom. He and his wife Missy have been teaching CenterForLit classes since 2010. Mr. A loves books, yardwork, jazz music, and red wine. He is beyond excited to finally be teaching history again.
Course Details:
Instructors: Adam Andrews
Schedule: Monthly 2-hour Socratic discussions (see full schedule and topics below) are held at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (8:00 AM Pacific) on Wednesdays.
Live webinars: Online meeting software (included in tuition) provides screen sharing and live audio with chat. Students raise hands to participate aloud, chat with instructors, and see instructors via live video.
Recordings: High quality audio recordings of each class (with discussion notes in PDF format) allow students to participate at their own pace if desired. Students receive an email invitation to join the student database, where they have access to recordings and notes from each discussion.
Texts: Students purchase each of the novels listed above in any full text edition. In addition, they must purchase Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred M. McClay (ISBN: 978-1641771399).
Readings, assignments, and workload: Each month, students read approximately 40 pages in the assigned text and one half of the assigned novel. They complete a short writing assignment and a reading quiz on the current lecture topic, both of which are delivered via Google Classroom. All assignments and quizzes are monitored by course instructors. Students should expect to spend approximately 3 hours per week on reading and writing assignments.
Grades and Credits (optional): Upon request, students receive regular report cards and earn one High School credit in history and/or composition.
Tuition: $697.50 (after Pelican Society discount)
Discussion Schedule:
Excepting the introductory meeting, all discussion classes meet once per month at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific) on the following dates:
*CenterForLit only requires that students come to class having read (or listened to) an unabridged edition of the assigned title. Obtaining the exact ISBN listed is not mandatory.
Upon enrollment, you will download a registration packet with complete instructions
for joining each online discussion and participating in the conversation board.
If you would like more information, you can email Principal Megan Andrews at m.andrews@centerforlit.com.
Tuition, Discounts, and Enrollment:
Tuition for American History and Historical Fiction is $697.50 for Pelican Society members annually .
Early Bird Registration: Students enrolling before June 1, 2024 receive an additional 10% discount on all tuition fees for every course.
Sibling Discount: If you are enrolling more than one student from the same family, our system will automatically apply a sibling discount in addition to any other discounts or coupons. Simply make sure all registrations appear in the same shopping cart. You’ll receive a discount on each registration based on how many students are enrolling. Please note that our sibling discount structure amounts to a 100% tuition waiver for student number four!
American History and
Historical Fiction 2024-2025
Please consider purchasing your books for this course through one of our affiliate programs. CenterForLit earns a small profit from qualifying purchases. We appreciate your support! (See our official disclosure statement.)
We appreciate the responsibility involved in choosing curriculum materials for your students, and we ask you to make this decision carefully. If your plans change and your student must withdraw from a class, CenterForLit can transfer your registration to a different class or to a future term; however, THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATIONS.