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8th Grade English and Literature Semester 1
Erica Sirratt
Average rating:4.8Number of reviews:(250)
In this 14-week class, students will read "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl," "The Monkey's Paw," and "King Thrushbeard." Students will write a biographical narrative essay and a literary analysis.
Class experience
US Grade 8
In 8th grade English, the focus shifts away from the fundamentals and into more comprehensive skills, such as the analysis of literature and the creation of essays. My teaching approach is both interactive and structured, fostering open dialogue while still covering all necessary topics. Everyone will be invited to take part in the discussion, though not required to do so. When applicable, I will give students hands-on assistance with the different concepts we are working on. Two different...
3 units//14 lessons//14 Weeks
Unit 1The Diary of Anne FrankThe Diary of Anne Frank4 lessons4 WeeksWeek 1Lesson 1Introduction to Anne FrankIntroduce the class Elements of literature: Plot, setting, point of view Introduce, “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” Read non-fiction, “Courage in Denmark: Resistance to the Nazis in WWII.” We will go over some of the events that were happening that lead up to the start of the book. Introduce Interactive Notebook Enrichment: Read article “Anti-Jewish Legislation in Pre-war Germany” and answer questions (PDF & Google Forms) HOMEWORK: Read pages 1-49 and complete interactive notebookWeek 2Lesson 2Types of ConflictWriting warm-up: Diary entry Discuss the reading What are the six types of conflict? What types of conflict are we seeing so far in the story? Introduce active reading (annotating) Enrichment: Practice annotating an article (PDF) HOMEWORK: Read 50-107 and complete interactive notebook activitiesWeek 3Lesson 3Context CluesWriting warm-up Discuss the reading Context clues - How do we find out what words mean? Look at the context clues to figure out what different words mean Enrichment: Define words using context clues (Google Forms) HOMEWORK: Read 108-161 and complete interactive notebook activitiesWeek 4Lesson 4AnnotatingWriting warm-up Discuss the reading Look over the words we didn’t know and how we found out what they meant Read non-fiction text, “Who was Anne Frank?” Practice annotating to find the main idea and answer questions Enrichment: Read “Egg” by Linda Pastan and practice annotating (PDF) HOMEWORK: Read pages 161-225 and complete interactive notebook activitiesUnit 2Biographical EssayBiographical Essay4 lessons4 WeeksWeek 5Lesson 5Introduce Biographical EssayWriting warm-up: Diary Discuss the reading Autobiography, biography, and memoir: What’s the difference? Character profile of Anne Start brainstorming ideas for a biographical essay Discuss key elements of a biographical essay Enrichment: Complete a plot diagram for Anne Frank. HOMEWORK: Finish the book and complete interactive notebook activities. Choose a topic for your essay.Week 6Lesson 6ResearchWriting warm-up: Diary Discuss the reading Evaluate the development of characters How to research and take notes for your essay Enrichment: Evaluate sources for quality (Google Forms) HOMEWORK: Search for sources and take notesWeek 7Lesson 7CitationsWriting warm-up Review key elements of an essay Read an example biographical essay How to cite sources Enrichment: Practice citations HOMEWORK: Work on the citations for your essay.Week 8Lesson 8Writing IntroductionsHow to write an introduction Practice writing thesis statements Enrichment: Re-write thesis statements (Google Forms) HOMEWORK: Write the outline and rough draft of your essay, and read “The Monkey's Paw," by W.W. Jacobs.Unit 3Literary AnalysisLiterary Analysis6 lessons6 WeeksWeek 9Lesson 9Analyzing LiteratureWriting warm-up: Editing Discuss issues with the biographical essay Why analyze literature? Review annotating and elements of literature Re-read “The Monkey's Paw" and annotate Enrichment: Finish annotating “The Monkey’s Paw” (PDF) HOMEWORK: Read “King Thrushbeard,” by Brothers Grimm and annotate to answer questions (Google Forms).Week 10Lesson 10Introduce Literary AnalysisWriting warm-up: Editing Discuss “King Thrushbeard.” Elements of literary analysis: Understanding the author, symbolism, motif Brainstorm topics for literary analysis Enrichment: Read “The Gift of the Magi” and answer questions (PDF & Google Forms) HOMEWORK: Choose a topic for your literary analysis, and read an example literary analysisWeek 11Lesson 11Evidence and OutlinesWriting warm-up: Reading comprehension How to find evidence in the reading Discuss key elements of a literary analysis Work on putting together an outline HOMEWORK: Write the outline of your literary analysisWeek 12Lesson 12Writing SummariesWriting warm-up: Thesis statements How to write an introduction (attention-getter, background info, thesis statements) How to summarize a story Work on writing the rough draft of your essay Enrichment: Practice summarizing stories (Google Forms) HOMEWORK: Write the rough draft of your essayWeek 13Lesson 13Revising EssaysWriting warm-up: Editing How to revise and add content to your essay Practice revising an essay in class Enrichment: Practice revising an essay (PDF) HOMEWORK: Revise both your essaysWeek 14Lesson 14Editing EssaysWriting warm-up Tips for editing Practice editing an essay in class Work on finishing your essay HOMEWORK: Edit both essays
I have a bachelor's degree in writing and journalism. I worked as a journalist for over five years and won several awards during my career. A large portion of my college years was spent studying creative and essay writing. I have self-published a few fiction books and I am currently working on another. Before changing my degree to writing, my study focus was on education. This change has given me knowledge of teaching and writing. I have been teaching ELA since 2014, and I have been teaching on Outschool since 2020.
Homework Offered
Two different types of homework will be assigned. The first type of homework is considered enrichment. It won’t be required, but it will help students reinforce concepts taught in class. The second type of homework will be necessary to get the most out of class (and receive a grade). Homework will be clearly labeled as enrichment or required.Assessments Offered
Grades Offered
Students will receive an itemized grade sheet that contains a breakdown of each assignment. Unless otherwise requested, students will receive this grade at the end of the semester.
Students will need to have a copy of the book, "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl."
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
The stories in this class main contain some violence that may not be appropriate for sensitive students.
Average rating:4.8Number of reviews:(250)
I have a lot of passions in life, but two of my biggest passions are reading and writing. One of my main goals is to create a love of literature. If a student can read well, the possibilities of what they can learn are endless. I believe that...
Group Class
$15
weekly or $209 for 14 classes1x per week, 14 weeks
50 min
Completed by 44 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-14
2-8 learners per class
