Classic Literature Novel Study - FLEX
In this 6-week course, students will select classic literature novels to read and analyze through diagramming, literary analysis, short writing prompts, and close-text reading strategies through a personalized reading plan.
Kaitlyn Fischer: A Guided Reading Teacher
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Class Experience
Through this Flexible Schedule course, students will have the opportunity to choose a classic literature novel of their choice. Through the course, students will be asked to complete some interest-based information about themselves for the novel that they have chosen so that the teacher can personalize a reading activity set for the book. The course is set for six weeks because this tends to be a good length for most students to read the novels that they have chosen but resources will be available past the end of the flex schedule.
******* Please note that if you are in this class, I need to know the novel that you choose. Please send it as a comment or as a message to me in the classroom so that I can send your documents to you as soon as possible. It does take approximately 24 hours to post the first novel videos for week one because I need to know the novel you want to read before I can post the videos. But there will be Week One videos on the first day to help you get started with reading! Thank you! *******
Current or Recent Students are Reading
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- 1984 by George Orwell
Schedule:
Week One: Book Selection
- Videos:
- What is a Classic Novel? Elements of Classics
- Introduction to Genres
- Explanation of Skills and Expectations
- How to Choose the Right Novel
- Researching a Novel
- Providing a Reading Plan for the Chosen Novel
- Activities:
- Interest Survey
- Researching a Classic Literature Novel
- Classroom Interaction:
- Create a Slide (Google or PowerPoint) for Your Chosen Novel
Week Two: Exposition, Setting, Character, and Conflict
- Videos:
- Mini-Lessons for Exposition, Character, and Conflict
- Introduction to a Plot Diagram
- Example of a Completed Plot Diagram
- Activities:
- Starting a Plot Diagram
- Miniature Summary of the Novel (So Far)
- Classroom Interaction:
- Share Your Plot Diagram and First Impressions of the Novel
- Rate the Novel (Praise and Critiques)
Week Three: Plot Development and Character Development
- Videos:
- How does Plot Develop?
- Introduction to STEAL Charts
- Types of Character Developments and Examples
- Activities:
- STEAL Chart Analysis
- Add to Your Plot Diagram
- Classroom Interaction:
- Share Your STEAL Chart and Comment on Another Student's
- Rate the Novel (Praise and Critiques)
Week Four: Character Development and Symbols
- Videos:
- Types of Character Developments and Examples (Continued)
- Critiquing a Character
- Introduction to Symbolism and Examples
- Finding Symbols (Tips and Tricks to Symbolism)
- Activities:
- Character Critique
- Symbolism Analysis Activity
- Classroom Interaction:
- Character Critique
- Symbolism Collage/Book Cover Art
- Rate the Novel (Praise and Critiques)
Week Five: Climax and Conflict
- Videos:
- What is the Climax?
- How do Conflict and Climax Play a Role in a Novel?
- Examples from Literature (Books and Movies)
- Activities:
- Add to Your Plot Diagram
- Identify the Climax if Possible (Depends on Reading Schedule)
- Types of Conflict Activity
- Classroom Interaction:
- Choose One Conflict and Analyze It (Share in Classroom)
- Rate the Novel (Praise and Critiques)
Week Six: Symbolism, Theme, and Resolution
- Videos:
- What is a Theme?
- How does Symbolism Affect Theme?
- What is the Resolution and Does My Novel have One?
- Activities:
- Finish the Plot Diagram
- Connecting Symbolism to Theme Writing
- Classroom Interaction:
- Book Project of Choice
- Choose from Many Options and Share a Mini-Video Book Review
- Rate the Novel (Final Praise and Critiques)
This class is a great opportunity to have students get exposure to classic literature by choosing their own novels. To foster an interest and love, students have the chance to pick something that still meets the expectations and level of complexity that classic novels typically achieve while meeting the individual interests of the students.Learning Goals
Students will be able to:
- Define: Plot, Character, Symbolism, Theme, and More!
- Identify: Elements of a Plot Diagram, Conflict, Symbolism, Theme, and More!
- Analyze: A Novel's Elements and Critique those Elements
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Some classic novels will require a parental guide. When your student chooses their novel, I will provide the parental guide to the students and parents and I will be able to send you a plan for addressing those comments for each individual novel.
Supply List
Students will be asked to purchase the novel of their choice so that they can participate in class. If you need help ordering it, I am happy to provide links to versions of the novel that I recommend. But below is the list of novels that have already been completed by students that I teach in classes that are similar to this one, just live taught. Novels Completed by Students: Adams, Douglas - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: Mystery, Science Fiction, Comedy Adams, Douglas - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Science Fiction, Comedy x 6 Adams, Douglas - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Science Fiction, Comedy Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women: Historical Fiction Alighieri, Dante - Dante’s Divine Comedy: Inferno: Epic Poetry Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice: Romance, Historical Fiction Babbitt, Natalie - Tuck Everlasting: Fantasy, Romance Barnhill, Kelly - The Girl Who Drank the Moon: Modern Fiction, Fantasy Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451: Dystopian, Science Fiction x 5 Carroll, Lewis - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Fantasy, Psychological Carroll, Lewis - Through the Looking-Glass: Fantasy, Psychological x 2 Christie, Agatha: And Then There Were None: Mystery x 5 Christie, Agatha: Murder on the Orient Express: Mystery x 4 Cisneros, Sandra - The House on Mango Street: Vignette, Fiction x 2 Collins, Suzanne - The Hunger Games Series: Moder, Dystopian, Science Fiction x 3 Cooper, Susan - Over Sea and Under Stone: Fantasy Cooper, Susan - The Dark is Rising: Fantasy Dashner, James - The Maze Runner: Modern, Dystopian Dickens, Charles - A Christmas Carol: Fiction, Ghost Story, Novella Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan - Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet: Mystery x 6 Dumas, Alexander - The Count of Monte Cristo (Unabridged): Action/Adventure, Historical Fiction Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby: Historical Fiction x 3 Frank, Anne - The Diary of a Young Girl: The Diary of Anne Frank: Autobiography Giff, Patricia Reilly - Lily's Crossing: Historical Fiction Golding, William - Lord of the Flies: Allegory, Fiction x 6 Gratz, Alan - Allies: Modern, War Fiction, Historical Fiction Gruen, Sara - Water for Elephants: Modern, Romance, Historical Fiction Hawking, Stephen - My Brief History: Autobiography Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter: Historical Fiction Heller, Joseph - Catch-22: War Fiction, Satire, Historical Fiction Hemingway, Ernest - The Old Man and the Sea: Tragedy, Allegory Hiassen, Carl - Squirm: Modern Fiction, Mystery, Comedy Hinton, S.E. - The Outsiders: Fiction x 2 Holm, Anne - I am David: Historical Fiction Kesey, Ken - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Psychological Thriller, Comedy, Fiction King, Stephen - Carrie: Horror, Thriller L’Engle, Madeleine - A Wrinkle in Time: Fantasy, Science Fiction x 2 Law, Ingrid - Savvy: Modern Fiction, Fantasy Leblanc, Maurice - Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief - Mystery, Fiction x 2 Le Guin, Ursula K. - A Wizard of Earthsea: Fantasy x 2 Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird: Fiction, Thriller x 3 Lewis, C.S. - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Fantasy Lofting, Hugh - The Story of Dr. Dolittle: Fiction, Fantasy London, Jack - The Call of the Wild: Action/Adventure x 2 Lowry, Lois - The Giver: Dystopian, Science Fiction x 5 Martel, Yann - Life of Pi: Action/Adventure McCarthy, Cormac - The Road: Dystopian, Tragedy x 2 Miller, Arthur - The Crucible: Play, Tragedy Montgomery, L.M. - Anne of Green Gables: Historical Fiction x 3 More, Thomas - Utopia: Dystopian, Satire x 2 O’Brien, Tim: The Things They Carried: War Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Historical Fiction Orwell, George - 1984: Dystopian, Science Fiction x 7 Orwell, George - Animal Farm: Dystopian, Allegory, Dystopian x 2 Paterson, Katherine - Bridge to Terabithia: Fiction Patterson, James - Word of Mouse: Modern Fiction Pattillo Beals, Melba - Warriors Don’t Cry: Autobiography Paulsen, Gary - Brian’s Winter: Action/Adventure, Fiction Paulsen, Gary - Hatchet: Action/Adventure, Fiction x 4 Pullman, Philip - The Golden Compass: Fantasy, Action/Adventure Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein: Science Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Horror Sophocles - Antigone: Play, Tragedy Sophocles - Oedipus at Colonus: Play, Tragedy Sophocles - Oedipus Rex (Oedipus, the King): Play, Tragedy Speare, Elizabeth George - The Witch of Blackbird Pond: Historical Fiction x 2 Steinbeck, John - Of Mice and Men: Historical Fiction, Novella x 3 Steinbeck, John - The Pearl: Historical Fiction, Novella Stevenson, Robert Louis - Kidnapped: Action/Adventure Stevenson, Robert Louis - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Science Fiction x 3 Stoker, Bram - Dracula: Fantasy, Horror, Gothic Fiction Thomas, Angie - The Hate You Give: Modern Fiction Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Hobbit: Fantasy, Epic x 5 Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Fellowship of the Ring: Fantasy, Epic x 2 Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Two Towers: Fantasy, Epic Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Return of the King: Fantasy, Epic Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure/Satire Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure/Satire x 2 Tzu, Sun - The Art of War: Self-Help, Military Verne, Jules - Around the World in 80 Days: Action/Adventure, Historical Fiction x 2 Verne, Jules - Journey to the Center of the Earth: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure Vonnegut, Kurt - Slaughterhouse-Five: Science Fiction, Satire, War Fiction Weir, Andy - The Martian: Science Fiction Wells, H.G. - The Time Machine: Science Fiction, Dystopian x 4 Wells, H.G. - The War of the Worlds: Science Fiction Wiesel, Elie - Night: Autobiography, Memoir, Personal Narrative x 2 Zusak, Markus - The Book Thief: Historical Fiction x 2
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
2 Teaching Certificates
Colorado Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education
Colorado Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
I have been teaching literature to students for more than 8 years now online through Outschool and in public classrooms in both Colorado and Missouri. For Outschool classes, here are the novel classes that I run that are very similar to this course but are taught live as opposed to in a flex format such as this one. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out!
High School:
https://outschool.com/classes/classic-literature-novel-study-V9NC71b3?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
High School with Essay Writing:
https://outschool.com/classes/classic-literature-a-novel-study-with-essay-writing-XGq63J1S?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Middle School:
https://outschool.com/classes/classic-literature-a-novel-study-xkvxQwCz?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Middle School with Essay Writing:
https://outschool.com/classes/classic-literature-a-novel-study-with-essay-writing-QQ6MmARX?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_linkReviews
Live Group Class
$16
weekly6 weeks
Completed by 4 learners
No live video meetings
Ages: 12-17
