Welcome to Semester 1 of Seventh or Eighth Grade English/Language Arts! This class covers grammar, writing, reading, and vocabulary, speaking, and listening. 

STRUCTURE
We will meet twice a week. 

The first day of the week (Mon) we will cover reading.  The first week of class, we will do introductions, discuss procedures for submitting work, get to know each other, and learn some background about our first book. The rest of the semester, Mon. will be reading discussion days. We will cover reading comprehension, vocabulary, and story elements. It is important that the learners have read the assigned chapters prior to class each week (beginning in the 2nd week).

The second day of the class (Wed.) we will start with a grammar and/or writing lesson. This will include direct instruction with discussion and guided practice. A homework assignment will be assigned. This homework is where a lot of the learning will take place because it gives the learner an opportunity to put into practice the skills they are learning.


HOMEWORK
Homework assignments will be posted under the lesson posts tab in the Outschool classroom. Assignments may be submitted as a pdf or google doc. I will give private, detailed, personal feedback on all writing. My goal is to meet your learner where they are and help them bring their writing up to the next level through practice, encouragement, engagement, and constructive feedback.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
The class is designed to be appropriate for for 7th or 8th grade. Within the larger topics and reading assignments, I will adapt my instruction to best suit the learners enrolled. I will differentiate instruction to the extent possible, so that each learner is challenged just the right amount. If the whole group needs to go faster or slower, I may adjust the pace of the class, eliminate certain lessons, or go into more depth in certain lessons. Learners may find additional instructions added to their homework doc that offers extra support, modifications, or enrichment, depending on their skill level, educational needs, and interests.


OVERVIEW OF TOPICS COVERED
Semester 1 covers grammar, sentence writing, paragraph writing, and basic essay writing. (Additional essays will be covered in Semester 2 of this class.) Semester 1 also includes reading comprehension, some vocabulary, and story elements (plot, characters, setting, flashback, etc.) Reading will take place outside of class, and we will discuss the assigned chapters each week. We will read the following books:

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
This dystopian novel is set in the future.  The characters live in an underground city and have no knowledge of the outside world until the main characters discover the truth about their city. The city was originally built to escape some catastrophe on earth, with the intent that the survivors would eventually return to the surface. Now the city is falling apart and supplies are running low. Worst of all, the power generator that creates energy to light up the city is going out. It is up to Lina and Doon to find a way out of the city of Ember.

Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
This is an autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, an activist who was attacked as a teenager for trying to stand up for the rights of girls in her country to obtain an education.  This is the true story of her struggles, hopes, and dreams.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
This is a fun adventure/mystery where three kids are playing a game called Book Scavenger while searching their city for clues to a mystery surrounding the game's founder, Mr. Griswald.  It includes themes of good v. bad, making friends, and surviving middle school. If you liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, then you are sure to love this book.


WEEKLY TOPICS TO BE COVERED
Week 1
Introductions
Reading Lesson: Introduction City of Ember; Vocabulary
Grammar Lesson: Master Your Use of Verbs

Week 2
Reading Lesson: Read City of Ember chapters 1-4
Grammar Lesson: When a Noun or Pronoun is a Subject or an Object in a Sentence and Why You Should Care

Week 3
Reading: Discuss City of Ember chapters 5-9
Grammar and Sentence Writing: Beyond Description

Week 4 
Reading: Discuss City of Ember chapters  10-14
Grammar and Sentence Writing: Prepositional Phrases Do Not Create Run-Ons, So Bring 'Em On!

Week 5
Reading: Discuss City of Ember chapters 15-20
Grammar and Sentence Writing: Using Semi-colons to Create Sophisticated Compound Sentences

Week 6
Reading: Discuss Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights, chapters 1-6
Grammar and Sentence Writing: Avoid Run-on Sentences, Fragments, and Comma Splices

Week 7
Reading: Discuss Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights, chapters 7-15
Grammar and Writing: Complex Sentences; Sentence Variety

Week 8
Reading: Discuss Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights, chapters 16-end
Writing: Parts of a Paragraph; Topic Sentences

Week 9
Reading: Discuss Book Scavenger, chapters 1-7
Writing: Using Evidence

Week 10
Reading: Discuss Book Scavenger, chapters 8-13
Writing: Transitions, Coherence, and Explanations

Week 11
Reading: Discuss Book Scavenger, chapters 14-22
Writing: Clincher Conclusions
 
Week 12
Reading: Discuss Book Scavenger, chapters 23-31
Writing: Parts of an Essay; Introductory Paragraphs

Week 13
Reading: Discuss Book Scavenger, chapters 32-37
Writing: Body Paragraphs

Week 14
Reading: Discuss Book Scavenger, chapters 38-41
Writing: Conclusion Paragraphs

You can follow up with my Complete Homeschool English/Language Arts Curriculum, 7th/8th Grade, Semester 2 class https://outschool.com/classes/complete-homeschool-englishlanguage-arts-for-7th8th-grade-semester-2-H9uUlKvh?usid=TFJoijCE&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link