Critical, informed reading doesn't come naturally. Read with the Best: American Literature Volume 1 1500-1860, a full year literature course, features excerpts from works of great American literature along with engaging activities that provide continual practice of critical thinking, reading, literary analysis, and writing skills, teaching students to truly think and thoughtfully engage with what they're reading. Focusing on actual skills rather than abstract rules, grammar is taught in the context of writing as students follow in the footsteps of literary giants.
Each week features a new author: Columbus, Bradford, Winthrop, Bradstreet, Rowlandson, Mather, Edwards, Franklin, Adams, Paine, Jefferson, Wheatly, Irving, Emerson, Longfellow, Hawthorne, Poe, Dickenson, and other classic American authors each have a week's lessons that include five to six different areas: “Background Checks" author information; "Words to Know" vocabulary; "Literary Analysis" literary term instruction; "Critical Reading" questions; "Make it Real" practical application; and end-of-the-week "Culminating Activities" to help students master lessons. Writing assignments are given every two weeks and a research paper is assigned for the last half of the year. Word lists, tips for students with different learning styles, and other helps are included. Answer key and vocabulary tests are available in the sold-separately Read with the Best American Literature Volume 1 Teacher Edition. 240 pages, softcover. Grades 8-12.
Please Note that the following resources are required for this course: Write with the Best, Vol. 2 (Jill J. Dixon); The New American Heritage Dictionary and Thesaurus; Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Seventh Edition; Writing a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Approach, Third Edition (Sadlier Oxford Publishing); and The Scarlet Letter, Third Edition, Kaplan Test Prep edition (Nathaniel Hawthorne).
