Classic and Modern, Section 2: Homeschool High School English 1 Or 2
High school English / ELA students will grow in their ability to read, think, write, and communicate critically and effectively. Literature includes "It's Trevor Noah" and "A Christmas Carol." Discussion and project based. Honors option.
What's included
8 live meetings
6 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Detailed weekly assignments will be given. Students will complete work individually at home. Assignments can be adapted by families depending on student's learning style and family's homeschool philosophies. Student work will include about 75-100 pages of reading per week and will also include several different optional activities (including free-writing prompts and work on projects). If families are using this as part of a complete homeschool curriculum, students should expect to spend 2-3 hours of work outside of class, however it will be possible to complete the work in as little as one to two hours per week for some students. Students taking this class for Honors credit will need to spend more time per week. Because student's abilities vary greatly, the amount of time it takes students to complete assigned work will vary greatly.Assessment
Students will be informally assessed through class discussion to ensure student understanding and so I, as the teacher, can adapt the class to student's needs. The narrative essay and project will have a grading rubric provided and parents have the option of using the rubric to provide a grade for their learner, or having me grade projects (or opting out of grading all together.) All students who complete projects will receive personalized video feedback on their work. For families using this class as part of their ELA curriculum, you will have several pieces of work from this class to include in a portfolio. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there are other elements you need to meet homeschool requirements in your state / province / country.Letter Grade
Parents / Students have the option of receiving formal grades for projects, as well as the class as a whole. For families who need work for a homeschool portfolio, there will be several pieces of work that can be used to that end. Please reach out with any questions.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 10
Intermediate - Advanced Level
This class is part of a Classic and Modern series, and can be taken alone or as part of a full year curriculum. Sections 1, 3, and 4 work with this class for a full year of high school English Credit and are linked at the end of this description. They will be offered on the same days / times for scheduling convenience. There is an option to make this an Honors level course (for all sections). ****************************************** This English 1 or 2 class is a great addition to your homeschooling experience for grades 9-10. Students are provided with opportunities to engage in deep discussion about what they read, learn key elements of literature, and complete creative projects, all while growing their abilities to think critically. The literary focus of this class is "Classic and Modern." In this series, students will be exposed to more traditional literary works, as well as contemporary writings with excellent literary merit. Each week during class students will discuss the reading assignments from the past week using Bloom's Taxonomy question starters, with student-created questions. As a teacher, I am always amazed at the depth of questions students ask and engage in! Students are welcome to participate in class discussions out loud or in the chat, and they are also welcome to just listen. The rest of class time will focus on what is needed to complete the outside work-- walking through writing a narrative essay or the HOW and WHY literary elements are used (not simply what elements are used by an author) to complete the creative project. Because this is a homeschool class, much of the work is done outside of class. Students will be given weekly assignments that cover reading, writing, and reinforcement of literary concepts. Assignments are not broken down by day so they can be adapted to each family's learning style and schedule. Weekly checklists are providers for learners to grow in their ability to track their own progress and be responsible for their academic work. Work is clearly marked so students and parents know what is required to be able to fully participate in the next class, and what is up to the parent's discretion. Because this class can be used for High School credit, the general expectation is that assignments will be completed in their entirety, but there is also opportunity to adapt based on student abilities and needs as well as each family's local homeschooling requirements. For students seeking an Honors credit, additional work will be provided. Parents can choose to have learners submit work to me for feedback and grades. This is truly a homeschool language arts class that you can customize to your learner's needs. Topics below are the main reading selections and lessons that will be discussed during each week's class. Week 1: Poetry Discussion, "I Have a Time Machine" by Brenda Shaughnessy, course overview, introduce narrative essays and topic selection Week 2: "It's Trevor Noah," discuss part 1, thesis statements and outlines (narrative essays) Week 3:"It's Trevor Noah," discuss part 2, explode the moment, show don't tell, vivid descriptions (narrative essays) Week 4: "It's Trevor Noah," discuss part 3, revising and editing strategies (narrative essays) Week 5: Essay presentations (optional), discussion of "Geraldo No Last Name" by Sandra Cisneros Week 6: Discuss "A Christmas Carol" Stave 1-2, Project Introduction (Food Truck), Analysis in writing Week 7:Discuss "A Christmas Carol" Stave 3-5, Character Analysis Week 8:Project Presentations: Food Truck, discuss "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver (poem) WRITING CONCEPTS covered include (but are not limited to): planning, thesis statements, outlines, rough drafts, using descriptive writing, revising and editing, publishing / final drafts. LITERARY CONCEPTS and skills that will be covered include (but are not limited to): analyzing how characters change and develop, allusions, theme, plot elements (rising action, falling action, climax, etc), types of conflict, symbolism, figurative language (including connotation and denotation), setting, and genre. Who would do well in this class? Because this course is aimed at students in grades 9-10, students should have completed grade 8 Language Arts (any curriculum or course of study, homeschool, public, or private school). If your family does not use a traditional curriculum, feel free to send me a message if you aren't sure if your learner would be successful in this class. Students reading and writing at or above grade level should be able to work on this class independently. Students reading and writing below grade level can be successful in this class if they have support at home to be able to help with weekly assignments. Reading and writing levels should not affect student's abilities to participate during weekly class meetings. Additional assignments will be provided for students seeking Honors credit for this series. Completing all four sections of this series meets most state / provincial standards for English 1 or 2 high school credit (grades 9 or 10). If you need to keep a portfolio, these classes will have ample assignments / projects / writing to include. I also offer (optional) grades for projects and the class as a whole. If you are using these classes for formal credits and are unsure if they will meet requirements of your area, please reach out. I am happy to help you figure out if this class will work for your needs. Additional sections in this series are linked below (section 4 will be linked when it is listed): Classic and Modern, Section 1 https://outschool.com/classes/classic-and-modern-section-1-shakespeares-julius-caesar-english-1-or-2-kRKZET4f Classic and Modern, Section 3 https://outschool.com/classes/classic-and-modern-section-3-homeschool-high-school-english-1-or-2-C1Vazx3p Classic and Modern, Section 4 https://outschool.com/classes/classic-and-modern-section-4-homeschool-high-school-english-1-or-2-rX4RtwCj REFUND POLICY: I understand that booking in advance is appealing to guarantee a spot in the class, but I also realize that plans can change. Please know that if you need to withdraw your learner for any reason up to ten days before the start date of this class, I will be happy to issue a full refund. Please contact me if this is the case.
Learning Goals
Students will grow in their ability to write a narrative essay, working through the entire writing process (planning, drafting, incorporating feedback, revising and editing, final draft) and using descriptive language to connect to their audience.
Students will grow in their ability to read, think critically about, and discuss literary works from a variety of classic and modern authors across a variety of genres (poetry, novel, short story, memoir).
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Poem Discussion, Course Overview
Course Overview, Discuss "I Have a Time Machine" by Brenda Shaughnessy (poem)
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
It's Trevor Noah
Discuss Part 1, "It's Trevor Noah," Narrative Essays (thesis statements and outlines, submit for feedback)
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
It's Trevor Noah
Discuss Part 2, "It's Trevor Noah", Narrative Essays (adding description, show don't tell, exploding the moment), submit rough draft for feedback
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
It's Trevor Noah
Discuss Part 3, "It's Trevor Noah," Narrative Essays (revising and editing), submit final draft for feedback / grade
50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
This class is designed to support a variety of learning needs with scaffolded and adaptable assignments. Dyslexic, ADHD, and Autistic learners have had great success in these types of classes. Please reach out with any specific questions.
Parental Guidance
The reading selections for this class are considered appropriate for high school learners and do not contain graphic or explicit content. Please note that the Trevor Noah book is the Young Reader's edition. Because each family is different, it is recommended that parents read summaries of the books before enrolling.
Pre-Requisites
Because this class can be used for high school credit (English 1 or 2), at a minimum students should have completed a year of eighth grade English Language Arts (in any program). For specific questions, please reach out.
Supply List
Students will need "It's Trevor Noah: Born A Crime, Stories from a South African Childhool" by Trevor Noah and "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Please note that "It's Trevor Noah" is the Young Reader's Edition. Books can be purchased new, used, or borrowed from your local library. Optional: parents might benefit from a *free* account with Teachers Pay Teachers to download and print *free* resources from that site for their learners. All other material will be common household and school supplies, or PDFs sent in the classroom.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Main literary selections are:
"I Have a Time Machine" by Brenda Shaughnessy (poem)
"It's Trevor Noah: Born A Crime, Stories from a South African Childhool" by Trevor Noah (memoir). Please note that "It's Trevor Noah" is the Young Reader's Edition.
"Geraldo No Last Name" by Sandra Cisneros (short story)
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (novel)
"The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver (poem)
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of Mississippi
I have a Bachelor of Arts in English, and held a Professional Teaching Certificate in Florida to teach English in grades 6-12. I taught middle and high school Language Arts in public schools in Florida, and for the past several years I have taught comprehensive Language Arts classes to homeschoolers. I have several years of experience teaching novels that deal with complex issues such as those present in the selections for this class at the high school and middle school level, including "The Giver," "Lord of the Flies," "Night," and "A Long Walk to Water" in various contexts, dealing with the inherent issues that arise with these topics. As we discuss challenging topics in this class, we will affirm the value of all humanity, regardless of country of origin, religion, economic status, gender, etc.
Reviews
Live Group Course
$136
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
4-8 learners per class