Introduction: American Literature

The purpose of your individual English blog is to supplement class discussions with your own personal ideas. This is a place where you will post weekly in response to an idea that gives you a chance to put your own personal spin on the meaning of the literature we're covering and how it relates to your life.

11th grade English is American literature. We'll be covering several literary movements that align with American history in order to attempt to answer the question - what is unique about American literature? What do stories, poetry, plays and novels created by Americans tell us about American culture?

Consider these questions: What do you think it means to be an American? What do we, as a people, have in common? What are our common goals and dreams? What stereotypes about Americans exist and to what extent are they true? What are positive viewpoints on Americans? Why is it great to be an American?

For your first blog post, write an introduction to your blog in which you discuss the implications of being an American. Write several paragraphs about what America and being an American citizen mean to you. You may want to write about your goals in life and the similarities or differences between them and that of the typical "American dream." Use your knowledge of American history and pop culture to give depth to your response.

Due Friday, October 1.