Welcome to American Literature!

Hi everyone,
I hope you had a terrific summer! Welcome to your Junior year, and our mutual exploration of American Literature. I'm excited to welcome you to this adventure! I know that sounds corny, but it really is an adventure to learn...at least, it's always been that way for me. I hope it will be for you, as well. Last year, I spent time thinking and learning, and part of that had to do with the idea of being "American": What does that mean? Why do so many millions of people around the world long for the kinds of freedoms and opportunities we so often take for granted because we've enjoyed them without thinking about them all our lives? How did those ideas get started? Who shaped those ideas? Why have so many risked or lost their lives for America in the over 200 years of our history? Why is it important to consider such ideas when you're sixteen or seventeen years old? Is it enough that the Lincoln School Department says you should? (I don't think that's enough, either!) We'll start the year off with the Summer Reading test, and then a project that will get us started about the idea of "being American." Then, in the spirit of making the American ideal really live in our classroom, I want your views on how we will approach the study of the literature this year. Seriously. There are innumerable ways we can interact with each other, the texts, and the ideas, and I don't want to be the only one who has a say in deciding that, since I really do believe in the wisdom and beauty of "many voices, one song." Please think of and use this space as an opportunity for growth: nobody has all the answers, but all of us together can go to places we'd never have gotten to visit on our own. And that can be quite an adventure. Welcome aboard! : )