American History and Historical Fiction

Junior High 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. We will introduce junior high students to the proper techniques for reading, thinking, and writing about history. Along the way, we hope they will begin to appreciate their own place in the American tradition.

The course covers the following topics from both historical and literary perspectives through a combination of textbook readings, primary historical documents and relevant juvenile historical fiction.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:

1. Exploration and Settlement (1500-1750) – The Witch of Blackbird Pond

2. Independence and the New Republic (1689-1824) – Johnny Tremain

3. The Age of Jackson (1824-1850)

4. The Civil War Era (1850-1865) – Across Five Aprils

5. Reconstruction and Industrialization (1865-1919)

6. Prosperity and Depression (1920-1939)

7. Hot Wars and Cold Wars (1939-1975) – The Devil’s Arithmetic

8. Uncertain Times at Home and Abroad (1960-2000) – Okay for Now

9. The 21st Century (2000-present)

Adam introduces and explains his choice of textbook for American History and Historical Fiction.

Assigned Texts:

  • Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story (Young Readers Edition, Volume 1) by Wilfred M. McClay (ISBN: 978-1641771702)

  • Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story (Young Readers Edition, Volume 2) by Wilfred M. McClay (ISBN: 978-1641772709)

  • Each of the novels listed above in any full text edition.

      

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 volumes 1 and 2 of Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story (Young Readers Edition) by Wilfred M. McClay (ISBNs 978-1641771702 and 978-1641772709).

  • 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 the “Pelican discount” - 10% off our full price.

     Discussion Schedule:

    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 a 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

Junior High Section

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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.