12 Week English Class: Poetry Course for Middle School Students
In this semester-long course (12 weeks) we will cover major American and English poets, as well as poetic devices. We will read poetry weekly and work on writing our own poetry.
New on Outschool
What's included
12 live meetings
9 in-class hoursProjects
1 hour per week. Students will have assignments and projects to work on outside of classroom hours. The assignments will all be literature-based and include composing poems, location rhyme scheme within poems, and identifying other poetic devices in literature.Grading
A certificate or final grade will be made available upon request.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
During this semester-long course, we will cover the greats of English and American poetry, learn about poetic devices, and read and write poetry together. The poets we will cover are: William Wordsworth Carl Sandburg E.E. Cummings Matsuo Basho William Shakespeare Christopher Marlowe Dylan Thomas Geoffrey Chaucer Robert Browning Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Lewis Carroll Poetic topics covered: Rhyme scheme Couplet, triplet, quatrain, quintain, cinquain Free verse Haiku Sonnets Villanelle Medieval poetry Sonnets Ballands Odes and Pastoral poetry Narrative verse Nonsense verse This course is a perfect introduction for your middle school or junior higher to poetry. We will learn through lecture using Google slides, reading poetry together, trying to write our own poems, and learning about the poet's lives. All material will be presented in an age-appropriate manner for junior high and middle school students.
Learning Goals
-Become familiar with famous poets from England and America
-Be able to identify poetic devices and characteristics from different types of poetry
-Enjoy reading poetry
-Be able to follow directions and form to write specific poems based on style
Syllabus
12 Lessons
over 12 WeeksLesson 1:
William Wordsworth
-William Wordsworth, life and poetry
-Rhyme Scheme 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
E.E. Cummings
-E.E. Cummings, life and poetry
-Free Verse 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Carl Sandburg
-Carl Sandburg, life and poetry
-Couplet, triplet, quatrain, quintain, cinquain 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Matsuo Basho and Haiku
-Matsuo Basho, life and poetry
-Haiku 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The material will all be presented in an age-appropriate manner for middle school and junior high school students. Some portions of poet's lives may be left out or summarized to make biographical information appropriate for all students.
Supply List
Handouts will be sent to students prior to class. Students will need to have the handouts during class time as well as a pencil.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
We will refer to many classic poems, which are available in collections of poetry or online for free.
Joined November, 2024
New on Outschool
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello! My degrees are in history and English literature. I love studying history, literature, and film so I've taken as many courses in those areas as possible! During my academic career, I took courses in 18th-19th century English history, modern US history, history through the novel, Irish literature, Shakespeare, 18th century English literature, and children's literature. I also love film studies and have studied film making quite a bit on my own in addition to taking courses on the Western (in all it's forms from spaghetti to Star Wars) and Alfred Hitchcock.
I have been a homeschool parent for the past twelve years as well as an online tutor and small group instructor.
I offer courses in history, geography, literature, and film studies for 5th-12th graders.
During my time as a homeschool parent, I found I love working with emerging readers, so I also offer reading tutoring for the younger grades (K-4).
I value education and being a curious learner. The world is so large and amazing! We should all want to learn as much as we can about our history and culture that shapes us.
In my spare time I love camping, hiking, and knitting.Reviews
Live Group Course
$17
weekly or $200 for 12 classes1x per week, 12 weeks
45 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
2-10 learners per class
