7th/8th Literature & IEW Writing: English Language Arts (1st Semester Year 2)
During this 16-week semester-long course, students will study the basics of literary analysis, participate in weekly Socratic discussions focused on the five elements of a story, and learn the writing methods of IEW's "Structure and Style".
Melissa L. - Registered IEW Instructor
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What's included
32 live meetings
26 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Because this is a semester-long course, students will have homework every week. This could include reading and/or writing practice. Worksheets, handouts, and links to outside programs (such as Kahoots or Quizlet) for homework will be posted on the classroom page.Assessment
There are two comprehensive writing checkpoints during the course: week 6 and week 13. Writing will also be assessed throughout the course through submitted homework. Reading comprehension will be assessed weekly based on the student's participation and comprehension of the week's literary analysis topics. There may also be homework assigned for our literature study (varies depending on the reading for the week).Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 8
Looking for a 7th/8th-grade level English Language Arts course that offers your child the opportunity to explore some of literature's greatest works while encouraging strong writing habits using an award-winning and highly regarded writing curriculum? (It's true! You can read more about that here: https://iew.com/intro-iew/awards and https://iew.com/intro-iew/testimonials) If you said "yes", keep reading! (If you said "no" and are looking for your 5th or 6th grader, please use this link: https://outschool.com/classes/5th6th-literature-and-writing-composition-english-language-arts-66NhfF99?usid=7kVTvRl1&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link) In this 16-week semester-long course, your child will have the opportunity to develop writing skills to "become confident and competent communicators and thinkers" using classic literature as the guide. Reading and writing are best learned together, so in this course, we will be using the books that we read as our writing practice for consistency and to develop a deeper understanding of the material. Each week, twice a week, we will split the class into two parts. The first half of the class will include an introduction to the day's writing skills. We will use a passage or idea from our current reading when applicable. The second half of the class will be spent in a Socratic discussion focusing on one of the five elements of a story. This part is fun! Students will be given follow-up homework to reinforce new ideas and work toward mastery. This is not a lecture-based course! While there are times when lecturing is appropriate, the success of this course depends on class participation. Yes, even in writing. Each week, students will be engaged in Socratic discussions and will be active contributors during the step-by-step writing process. Fall Class Schedule & Topics *Please note that the first semester covers IEW Units 1-4. Units 5-7 will be continued in the spring (2nd semester). *There are also two weeks when we will not be attending class: the week of 9/23/2024 and the week of 11/25/2024 (Thanksgiving week). Week of 8/12/2024 - First Week of Class Week 1/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: KWO + (Literature) How to Read a Book/Intro. Week 1/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: KWO, DU, -ly + (Literature) Peter Rabbit - Intro. to Conflict and Alliteration Week of 8/19/2024 Week 2/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: KWO, Who/Which + (Literature) Paul Revere’s Ride - Intro. to Plot and Rhyme Week 2/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: KWO Review + (Literature) Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Intro. to Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week of 8/26/2024 Week 3/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Summarizing from Notes, Strong Verbs + (Literature) Velveteen Rabbit - Intro. to Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week 3/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Summarizing from Notes, Banned Words + (Literature) Fortune and the Woodcutter - Intro. to Theme and Allusion Week of 9/02/2024 Week 4/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Summarizing from Notes + (Literature) Review of the Five Elements using Casey at the Bat Week 4/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Summarizing from Notes, “Because” Clause, + (Literature) Book 1: Context and Authorship Week of 9/09/2024 Week 5/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Summarizing from Notes, Quality Adjectives + (Literature) Book 1: Conflict and Alliteration Week 5/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Summarizing from Notes, Adverbial Clause + (Literature) Book 1: Plot and Rhyme Week of 9/16/2024 Week 6/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: KWO and Summarizing from Notes Review + (Literature) Book 1: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 6/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Comprehension Checkpoint + (Literature) Book 1: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 9/23/2024 - BREAK Week of 9/30/2024 Week 7/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Paragraph Writing Part I, Topic/Clincher Part I + (Literature) Book 1: Theme and Allusion Week 7/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Paragraph Writing Part II, Topic/Clincher Part II + (Literature) Book 2: Context and Authorship Week of 10/07/2024 Week 8/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Paragraph Writing Part III + (Literature) Book 2: Conflict and Alliteration Week 8/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Paragraph Writing Part IV + (Literature) Book 2: Plot and Rhyme Week of 10/14/2024 Week 9/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Paragraph Writing Part V + (Literature) Book 2: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 9/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Paragraph Writing Part VI + (Literature) Book 2: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 10/21/2024 Week 10/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Story Sequence Part I + (Literature) Book 2: Theme and Allusion Week 10/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Story Sequence Part II + (Literature) Book 3: Context and Authorship Week of 10/28/2024 Week 11/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Story Sequence Part III + (Literature) Book 3: Conflict and Alliteration Week 11/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Story Sequence Part IV + (Literature) Book 3: Plot and Rhyme Week of 11/04/2024 Week 12/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Story Sequence Part V + (Literature) Book 3: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 12/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Story Sequence Part VI + (Literature) Book 3: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 11/11/2024 Week 13/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Comprehension Checkpoint + (Literature) Book 3: Theme and Allusion Week 13/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Single Reference Essay Writing Part I + (Literature) Book 4: Context and Authorship Week of 11/18/2024 Week 14/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Single Reference Essay Writing Part II + (Literature) Book 4:Conflict and Alliteration Week 14/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Single Reference Essay Writing Part III + (Literature) Book 4: Plot and Rhyme Week of 11/25/2024 - Thanksgiving Break Week of 12/02/2024 Week 15/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Single Reference Essay Writing Part IV + (Literature) Book 4: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 15/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Single Reference Essay Writing Part V + (Literature) Book 4: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 12/09/2024 - Last week of class Week 16/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Essay Presentations Part I + (Literature) Book 4: Theme and Allusion Week 16/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Essay Presentations II + (Literature) Book 4: Theme and Allusion Booklist for 7th/8th Grade Book 1: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Book 2: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Book 3: Watership Down by Richard Adams Book 4: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott *Students are expected to come to class prepared with the reading completed before the first week of discussion. Short stories and poems for weeks one to four will be posted on the classroom page. Beginning in week four, students will need to read at home in order to participate successfully in Socratic discussions. This gives students at least three weeks to read each book before discussing it. *Writing methodology taught using the Institute for Excellence in Writing’s Style and Structure Writing Method. I am a registered instructor with IEW. (Link for verification: https://iew.com/events-classes/instructors/find-accredited-instructor/330449) *Literature methodology adapted from Teaching with the Classics. Please note that all books and topics covered will be secular. *Please note that there are 32 classes in total (16 weeks, 2 classes per week). Each class = $16 per meeting. *This course is not graded unless specifically requested by a parent/guardian.
Learning Goals
Writing Goals:
*IEW Units 1 & 2 - Students will learn how to create "keyword outlines" and develop this skill into creating their own outlines. From there, students will be able to take their outlines and begin creating paragraphs.
*IEW Unit 3 - Students will be able to organize a story through one, two, and three paragraph essays. During the essay writing process, students will be introduced to multiple "dress-ups" (who/which, quality adjectives, strong verbs, "-ly" words, because, wwwasia) that will strengthen their writing skills and make them better writers. We will be using fiction for this section of the class.
*IEW Unit 4 - Students will learn how to create a report using a single source. During this part of the course, we will be focusing on nonfiction information. This could include an author's background, the time period or major event from one of our books.
Reading Goals:
*Create a love, or at least an appreciation, for reading literature.
*Students should be able to recognize, analyze, and understand the five basic elements of a story: conflict, plot, setting, character, and theme.
*Students will be able to present and communicate their ideas regarding the books they've read and share their opinions in a Socratic seminar.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
At this age, it is common for students to still need help and direction at home for writing. That's okay! In this class, I encourage parental guidance when students are working at home. Some students may struggle at the beginning with balancing the concepts of class and the physical act of writing. Please know that it is perfectly fine if your child wants to dictate to you as they learn. The goal at this age is to understand the concepts. Mastery comes with continuous practice and patience as each child moves at his/her own pace. If at any point during the class you feel that your child is falling behind or needs additional help, please feel free to reach out to me directly so we can work out a plan.
Reading should be done regularly so that your child does not feel overwhelmed with having to read large amounts during one or two sittings. I will post the chapters to read in the classroom based upon what I feel is a manageable amount for this age group. If your child struggles reading on his/her own or needs extra encouragement when reading, I suggest reading the books together or listening to an audiobook while following along.
Supply List
Paper, writing utensils, and access at least one form of a writing application (Google Docs or MS Word). All worksheets, handouts, and/or links will be sent via the classroom page as needed. Now about the books... As a homeschooling mom myself, I understand the importance of finding books that won't break the bank. That's why I made it a priority to choose books that have multiple options or discounted versions (usually e-reader). Some books may even be downloaded for free online via Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/) or via the Internet Archive, a non-profit online library (https://archive.org/). Most of the books can be found at your local library. You can also reach out to your local librarian about setting up Libby or Overdrive to read free digital books on your e-reader. Please make sure that you choose the version that is best for you and your child. With many versions and translations being made from the older works we will be covering there may be slight differences in the text but not in the overall theme or discussion. The goal isn't to create a library full of books that your child only reads once. Instead, it's more important that your child is able to ask questions, ponder new ideas, and form their own intelligent theories about the works that they read. With that said, if they do fall in love with a book be sure to get them a copy that they can read again and again. 7th/8th Grade Book 1: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Book 2: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Book 3: Watership Down by Richard Adams Book 4: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined January, 2020
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of Tennessee - Knoxville
As a lifelong learner, I too am always striving for growth. After years of using the IEW curriculum, I decided I wanted to share what I had learned with others and became a registered instructor with IEW. (Link for verification: https://iew.com/events-classes/instructors/find-accredited-instructor/330449) I have also been a tutor (teacher) for a local classical co-op, studied through literature seminars, and attended practicums to enhance my own reading and writing knowledge.
I am also a certified TESOL/TEFL/EYL teacher, professional writer, beta reader, proofreader, editor, and homeschool mom. I have a love for the English language (I have the BA in English to prove it), the smell of new books, and transferring ideas from mind to paper. My goal is to promote a love of learning while offering a safe and fun environment. I truly have a passion for reading and writing and would love to share my knowledge and experience with your children. Reviews
Live Group Class
$480
for 32 classes2x per week, 16 weeks
50 min
Completed by 65 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
3-12 learners per class
