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the following topics from both historical and literary perspectives through a combination of textbook readings, primary historical documents, and relevant historical fiction.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:
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)
For transcript purposes, the course fulfills a High School history and composition requirement, and is designed to prepare students for college entrance examinations.
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
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, and jazz music. He is beyond excited to finally be teaching history again.
Course Details
Instructor: 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 the instructor, and see the instructor via live video.
Recordings: High quality video recordings of each class (with discussion notes in PDF format) allow students to participate asynchronously 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: $775
Discussion Schedule
All discussion classes meet once per month at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific) on the following dates:
*CenterForLit 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.
Tuition, Discounts, and Enrollment
Tuition is $775 annually .
Early Bird Registration: Students enrolling before June 1, 2025, receive a 10% discount on all tuition fees for every course.
Pelican Society Discount: Pelican Society members receive 10% off of all tuition fees for every academy course in addition to all other applicable discounts. Enrollment must originate while logged into the Pelican Society. Log in now or click here to join!
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!
Upon enrollment, the student will download a registration packet with complete instructions for joining each online discussion and participating in the discussion board. For more information, please email Megan Andrews at m.andrews@centerforlit.com.
Please consider purchasing your books for this course through one of our affiliate programs. CenterForLit earns a small profit from qualifying purchases with no additional cost to you. We appreciate your support! (See our official disclosure statement.)
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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.
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