2025-2026 School Year

English w/American Literature Honors GVL

Course Description

Welcome to the adventure of American literature! During this course we will read chronologically through American history, encountering important works of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry that represent the major eras and voices of America’s literature. We will consider each work in the context of American history and culture, in the context of the literary genres and developments it represents, and in the context of the Christian worldview. For further explanation see the parent information document for UHC literature classes (link above).

To be successful in this class:

Students must be able to maintain a rigorous reading schedule (about 100 pages most weeks), take an active part in classroom discussions, and complete the written essays and assignments (including a research paper) as well as presentations and tests to demonstrate understanding and critical analysis of each work.

Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

Fees: $465

Prerequisites:

Parents must read UHC High School Literature Class Parent Information before registering their student for a literature class at UHC.

View High School English Grade Levels and Prerequisites.

Course Credit: 1 Honors English Credit

Required Materials

Books: (no electronic books may be used in class)

Every student in grades 7-12 taking a Literature class at UHC must have access to either an electronic copy or a hard copy of the Blue Book of Grammar.  You will only need to purchase this book once per family, and your student(s) will use it as a reference for all UHC literature classes.

The editions referenced are not required as long as the student’s edition is unabridged.

  • Colonial Period:  Benjamin Franklin’s contributions to the American Enlightenment (teacher will provide)
  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Romanticism Unit: Poe, Irving, and the Transcendentalists (teacher will provide)
  • The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass (teacher will provide ebook link)
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  • Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
  • Poetry Units  (teacher will provide)
  • The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
  • My Antonia by Willa Cather
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • Short stories by Faulkner, O’Connor, and Walker (teacher will provide)
  • 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (teacher will provide pdf link)

Honors Addendum Summary

In addition to the regular coursework, students taking the class for honors will:

  • Complete honors work incorporated into class assignments (such as extra honors questions on tests, a leadership role in a group activity, or a more challenging essay prompt)
  • Complete TWO additional honors assignments, one in the fall and one in the spring.
    • Read one book from the honors booklist, write a 5-paragraph literary essay, and complete 1 supplementary activity with reflection OR read another book and write a 3-paragraph reflection or supplementary activity.
    • Read one book from the honors booklist, complete a project and presentation, and complete 1 supplementary activity with reflection OR read another book from the booklist and write a 3-paragraph reflection or complete a project/presentation.

Honors books:

Specific assignments and details for honors work will be provided by the teacher.

Meet Bethany Hansz

Education: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Furman University

Teaching experience: Bryson Elementary School, Simpsonville, SC; Homeschooled my two children 2012 through present

Certifications: certified to teach in South Carolina

UHC courses taught:

  • American Literature
  • Middle School Literature Discussion/Analysis (7th and 8th grades)
  • High School Composition

Began teaching at UHC in 2019