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Facilitator Guide | High School (Grades 9 to 12) | Full Year | 36 Weeks
What does it really mean to achieve the American Dream?
Is success measured by wealth, influence, freedom, family, character, or something else entirely?
The American Dream is a year-long high school humanities course that seamlessly integrates American literature and United States history into one rich, discussion-based learning experience. Rather than studying classic novels in isolation, students explore how literature reflects the historical events, economic realities, and cultural values that shaped America during one of its most transformative eras. The course investigates the meaning of ambition, identity, prosperity, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness through four unforgettable literary works.
Designed for non-traditional homeschool families, this facilitator-led curriculum replaces lectures and traditional tests with meaningful conversation, reflective journaling, hands-on projects, and portfolio-based assessment. Parents become discussion partners rather than lecturers, helping students develop critical thinking, analytical writing, and confident communication skills.
Throughout the year, students read and analyze:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Each novel is paired with the historical period that gave rise to its themes, including:
The founding ideals of the American Dream
The Roaring Twenties
Business culture and consumerism
The Great Depression and Dust Bowl
American identity, opportunity, and social change
Students wrestle with four essential questions that weave through the entire course:
What is success?
Does wealth create happiness?
How do communities shape identity?
What happens when ambition outpaces character?
Learning extends well beyond reading through engaging activities that include historical simulations, debates, creative projects, family interviews, strategy games, artwork, documentaries, research, entrepreneurship discussions, podcasts, and Socratic seminars. Every unit culminates in authentic projects, while the course concludes with a substantial student-designed capstone project demonstrating growth across the entire year.
Assessment focuses on genuine learning through:
Reflective journals
Socratic discussions
Creative and analytical projects
Portfolio development
Student presentations
There are no traditional tests, allowing students to demonstrate mastery through authentic thinking and meaningful work.
Whether your student is college bound, interested in law, business, history, literature, political science, or simply becoming a thoughtful citizen, The American Dream develops the reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning skills necessary for lifelong learning.
Full-Year Curriculum (36 Weeks)
High School Grades 9 to 12
Facilitator Guide
Integrated American Literature and U.S. History
Non-Traditional Homeschool Approach
Project-Based Learning
Socratic Discussion Framework
Portfolio Assessment
Hands-On Activities
Creative Culminating Project
Transcript-Friendly
California Common Core and National Standards Alignment
Facilitator Guide | High School (Grades 9 to 12) | Full Year | 36 Weeks
What does it really mean to achieve the American Dream?
Is success measured by wealth, influence, freedom, family, character, or something else entirely?
The American Dream is a year-long high school humanities course that seamlessly integrates American literature and United States history into one rich, discussion-based learning experience. Rather than studying classic novels in isolation, students explore how literature reflects the historical events, economic realities, and cultural values that shaped America during one of its most transformative eras. The course investigates the meaning of ambition, identity, prosperity, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness through four unforgettable literary works.
Designed for non-traditional homeschool families, this facilitator-led curriculum replaces lectures and traditional tests with meaningful conversation, reflective journaling, hands-on projects, and portfolio-based assessment. Parents become discussion partners rather than lecturers, helping students develop critical thinking, analytical writing, and confident communication skills.
Throughout the year, students read and analyze:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Each novel is paired with the historical period that gave rise to its themes, including:
The founding ideals of the American Dream
The Roaring Twenties
Business culture and consumerism
The Great Depression and Dust Bowl
American identity, opportunity, and social change
Students wrestle with four essential questions that weave through the entire course:
What is success?
Does wealth create happiness?
How do communities shape identity?
What happens when ambition outpaces character?
Learning extends well beyond reading through engaging activities that include historical simulations, debates, creative projects, family interviews, strategy games, artwork, documentaries, research, entrepreneurship discussions, podcasts, and Socratic seminars. Every unit culminates in authentic projects, while the course concludes with a substantial student-designed capstone project demonstrating growth across the entire year.
Assessment focuses on genuine learning through:
Reflective journals
Socratic discussions
Creative and analytical projects
Portfolio development
Student presentations
There are no traditional tests, allowing students to demonstrate mastery through authentic thinking and meaningful work.
Whether your student is college bound, interested in law, business, history, literature, political science, or simply becoming a thoughtful citizen, The American Dream develops the reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning skills necessary for lifelong learning.
Full-Year Curriculum (36 Weeks)
High School Grades 9 to 12
Facilitator Guide
Integrated American Literature and U.S. History
Non-Traditional Homeschool Approach
Project-Based Learning
Socratic Discussion Framework
Portfolio Assessment
Hands-On Activities
Creative Culminating Project
Transcript-Friendly
California Common Core and National Standards Alignment
