American Literature at Sharewold

This summer, I am teaching an American Literature class (along with SAT prep) at Shareworld.

GOAL: encourage life-long reading and critical thinking.

OBEJECTIVE: Introduce students to current American Literature via reading lists (CDE, MLA, etc), the Best American Series, and other important anthologies.

1. Students will select and present a 5-minute oral report on book from the appropriate grade list of the CA Dept of Education Recommended Literature or American Library Association YALSA)

2. Students will analyze stories and articles anthologized by the Best American series.

• No text required—copies of the selections for classroom analysis will be provided and the student can read the full story/article online.
• Students will select and present a 5-minute oral report on a Best American story/article.

Class Readings

• The Best American Short Stories 2009: The peripatetic coffin / Ethan Rutherford
• The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009: Is Google making us stupid? / Nicholas Carr
• The Best American Mystery Stories, 2009: This or any desert / Vu Tran
• The Best American Science and Nature Writing, 2002: Examined life: What Stanley H. Kaplan taught us about the SAT / Malcolm Gladwell
• The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2009 (select one) The chameleon / David Grann, Everything I know about my family on my mother's side / Nathan Englander, Monster / Rebekah Frumkin
• Best American Science Writing 2008: The abyss / Oliver Sacks
• The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008: The CSI effect / Jeffrey Toobin
• The Best American Travel Writing 2005: Welcome to nowhere / Simon Winchester
• The Best American Travel Writing 2009: Ecotouring in Honduras / Elisabeth Eaves: 1/5 Island Dreams, 2/5 Swimming with Sharks , 5/5 Mel Gibson & the Demise of Civilization
• Best New American Voices 2009: Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice / Nam Le

Selections from other anthologies under consideration:

• Best American Fantasy 2009
• Best European Fiction 2010
• Nebula Awards Showcase 2009
• The Best American Crime Reporting 2009
• The Best American Essays 2009
• The Best American Magazine Writing, 20079
• The Best of Technology Writing 2008