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

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.