7th/8th Literature & Writing Composition: English Language Arts (2nd Semester Year 1)
In this 16-week semester-long course, students will continue 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 12. 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
PART II: In this 16-week semester-long course, your child will continue building on the knowledge learned from the first semester (IEW Units 1-4) to develop writing skills to "become confident and competent communicators and thinkers" using classic literature as the guide. As they learned in the first semester, 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 skill. 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. *Please note this is the second semester (part II) to the full-year 7th/8th Literature & Writing Composition course. Because the material builds off the information learned in the first semester (part I) it is strongly recommended that your child sign up for that course as well. You can sign up here: https://outschool.com/classes/7th8th-literature-and-writing-composition-english-language-arts-CIxNdCbw?usid=7kVTvRl1&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link Spring 2022 Class Schedule & Topics *Please note that the first semester covered IEW Units 1-4. Units 5-9 will be continued this semester (2nd semester). At this age, students will complete all of the IEW Units. Please note that this is faster with more information that the 5th/6th course which covers Units 5-7 in the second semester. *There is one week when we will not be attending class: the week of 4/04/2022 (Spring Break). *Need to miss a class? I allow two (2) makeup days this semester. Please contact me directly to schedule a separate meeting time if you know of a date that does not fit your fall/winter schedule. Week of 1/10/2022 - First Week of Class Week 1/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Refresher Unit I + (Literature) How to Read a Book/Refresher Week 1/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Refresher Unit II + (Literature) Book 1: Context and Authorship Week of 1/17/2022 Week 2/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Refresher Unit III + (Literature) Book 1: Conflict and Alliteration Week 2/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Refresher Unit IV + (Literature) Book 1: Plot and Rhyme Week of 1/24/2022 Week 3/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Writing from Pictures Part I + (Literature) Book 1: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 3/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Writing from Pictures Part II + (Literature) Book 1: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 1/31/2022 Week 4/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Sentence Openers: Subject + (Literature) Book 1: Theme and Allusion Week 4/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Writing from Pictures Part III + (Literature) Book 2: Context and Authorship Week of 2/07/2022 Week 5/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Writing from Pictures Part IV + (Literature) Book 2: Conflict and Alliteration Week 5/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Sentence Openers: Prepositional + (Literature) Book 2: Plot and Rhyme Week of 2/14/2022 Week 6/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Comprehension Checkpoint + (Literature) Book 2: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 6/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Intro. to Research/Summarizing Multiple References + (Literature) Book 2: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 2/21/2022 Week 7/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Outline & Summarize One Paragraph Reference, Sentence Openers: "ly" Word + (Literature) Book 2: Theme and Allusion Week 7/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Introduction to Topic/Clincher Relationship + (Literature) Book 3: Context and Authorship Week of 2/28/2022 Week 8/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Outline & Summarize Two Paragraph Reference+ (Literature) Book 3: Conflict and Alliteration Week 8/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Outline & Summarize Two Paragraph Reference, Sentence Openers: Adverbial Clause + (Literature) Book 3: Plot and Rhyme Week of 3/07/2022 Week 9/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Outline & Summarize Three Paragraph Reference Part I + (Literature) Book 3: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 9/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Outline & Summarize Three Paragraph Reference Part II + (Literature) Book 3: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 3/14/2022 Week 10/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Multiple Topic Inventive Writing + (Literature) Book 3: Theme and Allusion Week 10/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Multiple Topic Inventive Writing + (Literature) Book 4: Context and Authorship Week of 3/21/2022 Week 11/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Multiple Topic Inventive Writing + (Literature) Book 4: Conflict and Alliteration Week 11/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Multiple Topic Inventive Writing+ (Literature) Book 4: Plot and Rhyme Week of 3/28/2022 Week 12/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Writing Prompts + (Literature) Book 4: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 12/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Writing Prompts + (Literature) Book 4: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 4/04/2022 - Spring Break Week of 4/11/2022 Week 13/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Creative Writing Part I + (Literature) Book 4: Theme and Allusion Week 13/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Creative Writing Part II + (Literature) Book 5: Context and Authorship Week of 4/18/2022 Week 14/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Intro. to the Five-Paragraph Essay + (Literature) Book 5: Conflict and Alliteration Week 14/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Five-Paragraph Persuasive Essay Part I + (Literature) Book 5: Plot and Rhyme Week of 4/25/2022 Week 15/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Five-Paragraph Persuasive Essay Part II + (Literature) Book 5: Setting, Personification, and Imagery Week 15/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Five-Paragraph Persuasive Essay Part III + (Literature) Book 5: Character, Irony, and Foreshadowing Week of 5/02/2022 - Last week of class Week 16/Day 1: (Writing) IEW: Critiques + (Literature) Book 5: Theme and Allusion Week 16/Day 2: (Writing) IEW: Critiques + (Literature) Discuss Summer Reading Options/Play Games Booklist for 7th/8th Grade (2nd Semester) Book 1: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Book 2: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (abridged Great Illustrated Classics version - see supply list) Book 3: Book of Three - Llyod Alexander Book 4: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Book 5: The Giver by Lois Lowry *Students are expected to come to class prepared with the reading completed before the first week of discussion. In the second semester, students will be reading five novels. To have an active discussion in week one, students will need to read at home in order to participate successfully as the literature component is based on Socratic discussions. *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 = $15 per meeting. *This course is not graded unless specifically requested by a parent/guardian.
Learning Goals
Writing Goals:
*IEW Unit 5 - Students will learn how to write paragraphs using pictures as their guide. Being able to look at an image and then describing what they "think" is happening in story form trains students in the art of event description. This helps significantly increase their ability to write narratives, research papers, essays, and journalism.
*IEW Unit 6 - Students will be able to organize their work into easy to understand outlines from multiple types of texts. (We will be using our fictional novels for this unit.) This semester we will be focusing on one, two, and three paragraph references and outlines.
*IEW Unit 7 - Students will take what they've learned throughout the year and apply it to writing about topics that they already know about and enjoy. This unit also provides the foundation for strong essay writing including the use of an introduction and conclusion to prepare for Unit 8.
*IEW Unit 8 - Students will learn how the proper structure for formal essays focusing on the five-paragraph persuasive essay. This is in preparation for high school writing and research assignments.
*IEW Unit 9 - Using "critique" vocabulary, students wrap up the semester/year with an introduction to critiques. This provides the structure for book reports, critiques, and reviews.
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.
Below are the links to the Common Sense Media Parental Guidance Recommendations:
Book 1: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-hobbit
Book 2: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (abridged Great Illustrated Classics version - see supply list) Common Sense Media Review not available, using a different source: https://www.dogobooks.com/the-count-of-monte-cristo-classics/book-review/1626927359
Book 3: Book of Three - Llyod Alexander
Book 4: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/where-the-red-fern-grows
Book 5: The Giver by Lois Lowry https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-giver-book-1
This class uses Kahoot, Blooket, (https://www.blooket.com/privacy) and Gimkit for gameplay as well as Google Suite tools such as Docs, Forms, and Slides. For gameplay, an account is not needed as learners will be given a code to play directly with the educator. Google Suite tools may require an email address, however, this information is not collected by the educator and meets Outschool's COPPA compliance requirements.
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. Booklist for 7th/8th Grade (2nd Semester) Book 1: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Book 2: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas ***I have taught this book as both the abridged and the unabridged version. However, it's more important to read and understand the story than to have hundreds (and hundreds) of pages to read without understanding the premise of the story. With that said, I am recommending the Great Illustrated Classics this year. You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Count-Monte-Cristo-Illustrated-Classics/dp/1603400478/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (NOT AN AFFILIATE LINK!) Book 3: Book of Three - Llyod Alexander Book 4: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Book 5: The Giver by Lois Lowry
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
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 53 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
3-13 learners per class
