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Bram Stoker's Dracula Book Club

In this 5-week course, students will read and discuss Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel, Dracula
Janelle Fila
Average rating:
4.6
Number of reviews:
(903)
Star Educator
Class

What's included

5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Students will read approximately 70 pages a lesson on their own time. Students will have access to the new video and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. I assign a short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions. There are also activities like vocabulary words and an optional trivia quiz to test their comprehension from the chapters.
Assessment
The more questions, comments, and posts that students share in the classroom, the more I can understand their knowledge and comprehension of the topics we are discussing.
Letter Grade
included

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
Advanced Level
Dracula by Bram Stoker is the classic vampire story that started a cultural phenomenon. It is the perfect book for discussion and analysis because Stoker's use of language and symbolism can be hard to appreciate and understand when reading alone. Students will read 4-5 chapters (approximately 70-75 pages) per lesson on their own time. Each lesson, a new video will discuss the pages that the students have previously read. This class does not meet live. The prerecorded sessions will emphasize characters, their motivations, theme, story plausibility, and inferences about what might come next. We will also refer to any symbolism within the story and discuss what the author intended to represent with those symbols. 

Each lesson, students will have access to a video that covers the important elements of the reading and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. The worksheets will also address/remind the students of some of the important topics from each chapter. I also assign a short writing assignment focused around the discussion questions. 

Weekly breakdown: 
Students will receive a worksheet and discussion questions for each weekly video. There is one weekly writing assignment to complete after the weekly readings. I will post vocabulary words from the weekly reading for the students to use in a sentence that showcases their understanding of the definition. I will also post a link to a Kahoot! trivia game the students can complete to further immerse themselves in this world (and test their retention of the previous pages they have read).

Kahoot is a free resource that does not require an account or any additional steps. 
Posts are almost always available in the classroom at 1 am EST.
Learning Goals
The prerecorded sessions emphasize characters' motivations, theme, and story plausibility. Students will examine their own thoughts through a worksheet, a writing assignment, vocabulary words, and an optional Kahoot! review quiz.
learning goal

Syllabus

5 Lessons
over 5 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Chapters 1-6
 Video lesson, worksheet, vocabulary words, writing assignment, and optional Kahoot! review quiz 
Lesson 2:
Chapters 7-11
 Video lesson, worksheet, vocabulary words, writing assignment, and optional Kahoot! review quiz 
Lesson 3:
Chapters 12-17
 Video lesson, worksheet, vocabulary words, writing assignment, and optional Kahoot! review quiz 
Lesson 4:
Chapter 18-22

Other Details

Parental Guidance
From commonsensemedia.org: Parents need to know that the vampire novel that started it all is sexier, more violent, and edgier than you probably remember. In one scene, sexually aggressive female vampires dance seductively for Jonathon Harker who expresses "a wicked, burning desire" for them to kiss him; in another the heroine is forced to drink from Dracula's breast. While not described in gruesome detail, there's plenty of staking, throat slashing, biting, and blood drinking. Count Dracula is not the tortured romantic hero of modern-day cinema, but rather an evil monster that must be destroyed. Also, parents should be aware that this novel has a strong female character turned into a sexually aggressive predator, as well as unsettling descriptions of mental illness.
Supply List
Students will need a copy of Dracula to read on their own. It can be borrowed from the library or even listened to as an audio book. The students will not need a physical copy of the story in class, although they may find it helpful to have while filling out their worksheets or working on their writing assignment.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
  • Kahoot
Joined June, 2019
4.6
903reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Spalding University
I have a Master's Degree in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults. I was a substitute teacher for three years before teaching full-time on Outschool. I also currently teach English Composition for my local community college. I have been blessed to discuss classics like Dracula in the classroom multiple times, including my own high school reading experience. I learn something new every time I am exposed to this story. It is an excellent book to discuss. While the language can feel cumbersome at times, the themes of violence, friendship, and survival are timeless. I am excited to read this story alongside your student to see what emotions and feelings Stoker's images and descriptions stir up for them.

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Self-Paced Course
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$10

weekly or $49 for all content
5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content

Completed by 1 learner
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Ages: 13-18

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