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Cross-Curricular Novel Study With Writing/Poetry: One Crazy Summer

This cross-curricular novel-based English Language Arts class is designed to support learners working on a 5th-7th grade level. It includes history, poetry, vocabulary, reading, literary analysis, and a variety of writing activities.
Malikai Bass M.A
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(347)
Popular
Class

What's included

8 live meetings
6 in-class hours

Class Experience

This class goes a step beyond your average book club and is designed to support neurodivergent learners. The texts are chosen with high concepts and interest but with easier language. Texts chosen are available on platforms with dyslexia-friendly options including audiobooks. Scaffolding is provided for new or non-literal language. The course is taught by a neurodivergent educator. Additionally, each unit includes at least one book/poem with a neurodivergent character/author/poet so that learners have the opportunity to see diverse positive representations.
	Each unit incorporates literature, poetry, and at least one form of creative writing such as graphic novels or dramas as well as non-fiction text. We will use novels and texts to help us explore feelings, ideas, and humanize contemporary issues for young critical thinkers. (All texts used pursuant to copyright laws and with applicable permission.)
         In each class, we will study award-winning literature set during an important historical event and use that to learn about subjects like history, geography, science, and civics as well as practice vocabulary, reading comprehension, creative writing, and academic composition. This course involves a substantial amount of independent work and assumes the learner will dedicate approximately 45 minutes to an hour each weekday we do not meet. A teacher-created workbook is included with your enrollment in the course to guide reading. For each section, activities include vocabulary development, handwriting, reading comprehension questions, short-response questions to practice critical thinking, and a writer’s craft activity using our novel as a mentor text and involving a short essay or creative writing piece. These activities can be completed or skipped based on the needs of the individual learner to provide more time and support for emerging skills. 
       In this unit, we will read "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams Garcia. Three girls travel to Oakland to meet their mother. During the summer of 1968, their mother sends them to a summer day camp run by the Black Panthers. There the girls learn about their part in the civil rights movement, their history and roots, and where they fit into the diverse community of Oakland. 
Week 1:During out first meeting students will complete introduction activities, pre-read, and fill out an anticipation guide. We will also have a short lesson to provide background and context for our novel. Students will read sections 1-8 during the week and complete workbook activities. During Friday's group Meeting, we will discuss the reading and complete activities on comprehension, character development, and character analysis. 
Week 2: On Monday, students will discuss point of view during the novel and practice understanding scenes from opposing points of view. We will also continue to discuss the historical context of our novel. Students will read sections 9-18 during the week. On Friday, we will discuss writer's craft including theme, tone, pacing, and use of alternate text types in the novel. 
Week 3: On Monday, students will be introduced to our seed novel and poetry focus "Brown Girl Dreaming". We will compare and contrast the texts. Students will read sections 19-26 during the week. On Friday, we will practice claim and evidence writing to answer questions about the text in a short essay format. 
Week 4: On Monday, we will discuss foreshadowing and imagery in the novel. Students will ready sections 27-35. On Friday we will have a  wrap up meeting evaluating the accuracy of our predictions for the novel, returning to our anticipation guide, and writing book reviews.

Learning Goals

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.9
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3
Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.6
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.9
Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
This novel is set during the summer of 1968 in Oakland California. It includes period-accurate racial terms but does not include the use of slurs, It includes mentions of violence/death and racial discrimination. This course uses the nearpod platform for interactive activities and writing during class. Students must be able to click a link and input a username (first name or initial preferred) but do not need to register for an account.
Supply List
One Crazy Summer by Rita-Williams Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Notebook 
Pencil
Teacher Created Workbook
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
  • Nearpod
Sources
One Crazy Summer by Rita-Williams Garcia Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Joined April, 2021
5.0
347reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
I have been teaching cross-curricular novel studies for several years. I have an honor's degree in English from the University of East Tennessee with a specialization in global and youth literature as well as a minor in human development and learning. I have taken several classes on multicultural literature and social studies and decolonizing education. While pursuing my degree in English, I took specific classes on young adult novels and teaching middle grades literacy.

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Live Group Class
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$120

for 8 classes

2x per week, 4 weeks
45 min
Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-13
3-6 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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