American Literature A - English 11-12

Course Description:

This is the first course in a two-course sequence. Two major themes for this course are “Leadership at Home” and “Leadership in Society.” Students will address several essential questions related to these themes while reading a variety of works by American authors. In addition to major works, students will read short stories and informational texts, engage in poetry analysis, view informational videos, and write for various purposes. Larger writing assignments include an informative essay and a major research project. Students partake in grammar challenges where they learn about grammar concepts and develop a mastery of their use. In addition to building their writing skills, students learn several reading strategies such as how to use graphic organizers to extract important information, take Cornell notes for an informational text or during a lecture, and summarize to monitor comprehension. Furthermore, students will explore several rhetorical devices and strategies like symbolism, dialect, author’s purpose, foreshadowing, persuasive devices, setting and more.

Course Details:

Course Title (District): American Literature A - English 11-12
Course Title (NCES SCED) : American Literature
Course Provider : Michigan Virtual
Content Provided By : Michigan Virtual
Online Instructor Provided By : Michigan Virtual
Standards Addressed : Michigan Merit Curriculum, Common Core State Standards, National Collegiate Athletic Association
Alignment Document : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wOqTlFxAGDsuOjgjqTZ-5PQ82vSulVNm5QOYsBEan8w/edit?usp=sharing
Academic Terms : Semester, Trimester, Accelerated, Open Entry / Fixed End
NCES SCED Code : 01054
Subject Area : English Language and Literature
Course Identifier : American Literature
Course Level : High School (Secondary)
Available Credit : 0.5
Sequence : 1 of 2

How To Enroll:

Enrollment Website : https://slp.michiganvirtual.org/
Email : [email protected]
Phone : (888) 889-2840

Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.

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Additional Course Information:

Additional Cost: $0.0

Additional Cost Description: Required texts the student must provide:

  • A Raisin in the Sun--Lorraine Hansberry
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God—Zora Neale Hurston
  • The Crucible—Arthur Miller
  • Various other shorter works

Students will be able to:
  • Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text
  • Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas
  • Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text
  • Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone
  • Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence
  • Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take
  • Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently
  • Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content
  • Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
  • Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
  • Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others
  • Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation
  • Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism
  • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research

iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses

Academic Content Standards and Assessments Rating Comments
The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. Fully Met
The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. Fully Met
The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. Fully Met
Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. Partially Met
Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. Fully Met There is a pacing guide, reading pre-test, course intro and quiz.
Course Overview and Introduction Rating Comments
Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. Fully Met Great
Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. Fully Met
Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. Fully Met
Legal and Acceptable Use Policies Rating Comments
The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. Fully Met
Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. Fully Met
Privacy policies are clearly stated. Fully Met
Instructor Resources Rating Comments
Online instructor resources and notes are included. Partially Met There are resources for instructors but no notes.
Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. Fully Met Clear rubrics and some examples are included.
Accessing Course Effectiveness Rating Comments
The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. Fully Met
The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. Fully Met
Course Updates Rating Comments
The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. Fully Met
Certification Rating Comments
Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. Fully Met
Instructor and Student Support Rating Comments
Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. Fully Met
The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. Fully Met
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. Fully Met
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. Fully Met
The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. Fully Met
Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. Fully Met
Instructional and Audience Analysis Rating Comments
Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. Partially Met Most of the assignments seemed to be the same - read and respond.
Course, Unit and Lesson Design Rating Comments
The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. Fully Met This course has great organization.
Instructional Strategies and Activities Rating Comments
The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. Partially Met
The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. Partially Met
The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. Fully Met
The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. Partially Met
Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. Fully Met
Communication and Interaction Rating Comments
The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. Fully Met
The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. Fully Met
The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. Fully Met Most of this would occur via feedback on assignments.
Resources and Materials Rating Comments
Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. Fully Met
Evaluation Strategies Rating Comments
Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. Fully Met
The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. Fully Met
Feedback Rating Comments
Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. Fully Met Discussion posts, quizzes,essays, and short response.
Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. Fully Met
Assessment Resources and Materials Rating Comments
Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. Fully Met
Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. Fully Met
The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. Fully Met
Course Architecture Rating Comments
The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. Fully Met
The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. Fully Met
User Interface Rating Comments
Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. Fully Met
Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. Partially Met Rich media is lacking a bit.
Technology Requirements and Interoperability Rating Comments
All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. Fully Met
Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. Fully Met
The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. Fully Met
The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. Fully Met
Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. Fully Met
Accessibility Rating Comments
Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). Fully Met
Data Security Rating Comments
Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Fully Met

Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review: 07/18/2014

NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses: Fourth Edition (2025)

Rating Comments
A1: A course overview and syllabus are included in the course. Fully Met
A2: Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated. Fully Met
A3: The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided. Fully Met
A4: Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. Fully Met
A5: Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided. Fully Met
A6: Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. Fully Met
A7: The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to obtain it. Fully Met
A8: Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the course. Fully Met
Rating Comments
B1: The course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course. Fully Met
B2: Where applicable, the course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards. Fully Met
B3: Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. Fully Met
B4: Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned with the content delivered. Fully Met
B5: The course content and supporting materials reflect different perspectives and provide non-stereotypical forms of representation. Fully Met
B6: The course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, Open Education Resources “[OER])” that support course content standards are accurate and current. Fully Met
B7: The course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements. Fully Met
B8: Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. Fully Met
B9: Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation. Fully Met
Rating Comments
C1: The course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring. Fully Met
C2: The course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. Fully Met
C3: The course is organized by units and lessons arranged in a logical sequence. Fully Met
C4: The course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners. Fully Met
C5: The course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. Fully Met
C6: The course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. Fully Met
C7: The course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. Fully Met
C8: The course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress. Fully Met
C9: Course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner. Fully Met
Rating Comments
D1: Learner assessments align with stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. Fully Met
D2: Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward understanding of content. Fully Met
D3: Assessment practices provide frequent and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning. Fully Met
D4: Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways. Fully Met
D5: Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners. Fully Met
Rating Comments
E1: Course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view. Fully Met
E2: The course design facilitates readability. Fully Met
E3: The course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the variable needs of learners, following Universal Design for Learning principles. Fully Met
E4: Multimedia in the course is easy to use. Fully Met
E5: Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course. Fully Met
Rating Comments
F1: All technologies and tools included for use as part of the course ensure that learner privacy is protected in accordance with the Acceptable Use Policy and applicable law. Fully Met
F2: The course tools further the learning objectives and course competencies. Fully Met
F3: The course technology allows for customization and personalization. Fully Met
F4: The course operates within a platform to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades. Fully Met
F5: Courses utilize emerging technologies that can enhance the learning experience, prioritizing learners and outcomes. Fully Met
Rating Comments
G1: The course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. Fully Met
G2: The course is regularly reviewed to ensure that the course is current and relevant. Fully Met
G3: The course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. Fully Met

Review Conducted By: Quality Matters
Date of Review: 05/23/2025

Unit 1: Leadership and Parents


Unit 2: Leadership and Spirituality


Unit 3: Leadership and Family Part 1


Unit 4: Leadership and Family Part 2


Unit 5: Informative Essay


Unit 6: Introduction to Research


Unit 7: What Qualities Define a Good World Leader?


Unit 8: What Can I Do to Avoid Repeating the Mistakes Made in History?


Unit 9: Who is in a Position to Help Me Affect Change?


Unit 10: Writing the Research Essay

Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends Random Draw Date Enrollment Drop Date Course Starts Course Ends # of Seats Course Fee Potential Additional Costs
Accelerated 01/02/2025 06/27/2025 04/01/2025 06/06/2025 05/23/2025 08/01/2025 100 $350 $0
Accelerated 01/02/2025 06/27/2025 04/01/2025 06/13/2025 05/30/2025 08/08/2025 100 $350 $0
Accelerated 01/02/2025 06/27/2025 04/01/2025 06/20/2025 06/06/2025 08/15/2025 100 $350 $0
Drop Policy Completion Policy Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends
Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. Students may access their course from their enrollment start date to their enrollment end date. A completion is a 60% final score or higher. Accelerated 01/02/2025 06/27/2025
Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. Students may access their course from their enrollment start date to their enrollment end date. A completion is a 60% final score or higher. Accelerated 01/02/2025 06/27/2025
Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. Students may access their course from their enrollment start date to their enrollment end date. A completion is a 60% final score or higher. Accelerated 01/02/2025 06/27/2025
Students can use chat, email or private message system within the course to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance.
School Year Enrollment Count Pass Count Completion Rate Notes
23-24 251 219 87.25%
22-23 225 213 94.67%
21-22 471 374 79.41%
19-20 226 174 76.99%
18-19 260 215 82.69%
17-18 230 189 82.17% Enrollment data includes all enrollments (21f and non-21f) for the 2017-18 school year.
16-17 219 189 86.3% Enrollment data include all enrollments (21f and non-21f) for the 2016-17 school year.
15-16 197 172 87.31% None
14-15 232 182 78.45% Enrollment data includes all enrollments (21f and non-21f) for the 2014-15 school year.
13-14 85 37 43.53% Enrollment data include all enrollments (21f and non-21f) for the Spring and Summer 2013-14 school year.
https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/