Pride and less prejudice
Text and photo by ASH MEHTA
American Literature course to be revived in English program with an activist twist
A
merican Literature, a semester-long course focusing on the relationship between literature and the American identity, is being revived after not being offered at Palo Alto High School for three years. This time, it has a modern flourish. The course used to be required curriculum for all students until the 2018-19 school year, before being made optional and eventually discontinued as a result of the popularity of AP English Language and Composition for juniors, according to an article by the Paly Voice. Now, the English Department is working on bringing back the course with an emphasis on diversity. If enough students sign up, the 2022-23 school year will see the re-introduction of the class. “Our ideas for bringing it back is to provide a class where we can look at literature that comes from a wide range of American voices,” said Kari Snell, an English teacher who worked on developing the course. “That’s kind of one of the key components that we’re focusing on when we’re trying to develop the curriculum.” Snell said that she envisions the course focusing especially on literature from a diverse range of races and ages, among other things. She said she hopes students will find either characters that they relate to or experiences they want to learn more about. “Students will then have an opportunity to maybe dive in deeper to either a storyline that they either relate to or want to learn more about,” Snell said.
The old American Literature course looking forward to hearing about what her was less focused on diversity, according to students are passionate about and taking the Snell. It tried to incorporate diverse stories course in the direction of the students’ inand representation, terests. but also focused on want to leave “Our ideas for bringing it some“Iroom other things, like for incorSAT vocabulary. back is to provide a class porating things that Snell said she students might be inwanted to revive where we can look at lit- terested in, too,” she American Literature erature that comes from said. Caption: English teacher for a while, but the English department a wide range of American Kari Snell sits at her desk. Snell is helping develop waited until the new voices.” the American Literature course would feel discurriculum for the uptanced from its previ— KARI SNELL, english teacher coming 2022-23 school year. “Now that it’s not ous version. framed as the required ju“I think we just nior class, we no longer have to teach it the same way maybe needed time before we brought it we used to,” Snell said. “Our ideas for bringing it back back so that it didn’t necessarily feel like the is to provide a class where we can look at literature course we used to have,” Snell said. that comes from a wide range of American voices.” According to Snell, American Literature will consist mostly of short-form literature, rather than novels, as the course is only a semester long. “I think it could suit pretty much any student,” Snell said. “I think maybe a student who’s interested in having an opportunity to just read a lot of short stories versus focusing each unit around novels might find this course appealing … students who are interested in having an opportunity to think about comparing different peoples’ experiences.” Snell said she’s
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