AL American Literature & Composition
A 27-week curriculum, designed around Universal Design for Learning

A year of American voices, sequenced so every learner can climb.

Twenty-seven weeks of short stories, poems, and speeches — each built on a 50-minute routine, a single literary device taught in depth, and three homework paths so students self-select their challenge without ever being singled out.

27
weeks, each a complete unit
50 min
a six-part class routine
3
differentiated paths every week
20+
literary devices, spiraled
Scope & sequence

The whole year, and the threads running through it.

Devices aren't taught once and dropped — they return at rising intensity. Follow a thread to see the spiral, or open any week for the full lesson and its design rationale.

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Inside the 50 minutes

One predictable routine, repeated every single day.

Predictability is an accessibility feature. The same six beats run each class, so cognitive energy goes to the literature, not to figuring out what happens next.

5
15 · Slide presentation
10
10
5
5
Opening & check-in5m

A settled, familiar start — routine and a quick read of the room.

Slide presentation15m

Author, story context, the device of the week, and guided reading excerpts.

Discussion10m

Open questions that connect the text to students' own lives.

Classwork & activities10m

Hands-on stations — multiple ways to engage with the same idea.

Grammar instruction5m

A focused mini-lesson, each week building toward composition.

Homework prep & preview5m

Students choose their path and preview what's coming next.

Differentiation, by design

Three paths every week, so no one is singled out.

Every week ends with the same three homework options. Students self-select the challenge that fits — the differentiation is built into the menu, not assigned to a child.

AAnalytical

Essay and analysis tasks for students ready to take on abstract literary work.

BCreative

Story, dialogue, or artistic response for expression-oriented learners.

CScaffolded

A structured worksheet with word banks and sentence starters for students who need support.

Multiple means of expression

Students can show what they know in the format that fits them.

Traditional writing Visual representations Verbal explanations Creative interpretations Physical demonstrations

Supports, always available

Standing accommodations no student has to ask for.

Sentence starters
Visual anchor charts
Partner support options
Extended time as needed
Choice in expression format
Movement breaks built in
Quiet processing spaces
Technology aids available
American Literature & Composition · A UDL curriculum design
Learning experience design by Amy Sullivan
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Differentiated homework — choose a path
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Why it's sequenced here

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