ELA for Young Teens: Daily Lessons in Reading and Writing

Reading literature and writing are the things that middle school students LOVE, right?  
With daily practice and continuous reinforcement students will find confidence in English Language Arts, and maybe even learn to love reading and writing! 
Only 50 minutes, 4 times per week, this is an interactive class, student participation is integral to student success.  

******Students are expected to have their cameras on, and to participate verbally.******

**********PLEASE READ*************
Outschool has recently changed its policy regarding class cancellations. We know how disappointing canceled classes can be for learners, so we too are amending our policy.  In the past we have waited for late enrollees, of which we have had MANY!  Unfortunately we can no longer do that. 

Instead we will evaluate class enrollment for ongoing classes on teach Sunday at 5pm Eastern.  IF enrollment falls below 3 students, we will push the class back a week and offer students a refund for the missed class.  When other sections are available students will have the option to transfer to another class. 

For one time, camp and multi day classes we will postpone the start of the class if enrollment falls below 3 learners 48 hours before the class is scheduled to begin.  Full refunds will be provided for learners who cannot attend the newly scheduled class time. 
 
Thank you for understanding, and for your loyalty.


Each day will include journal writing while students log in (designed to take 5 to 7 minutes).  Next is a quick grammar activity that takes about 7-10 minutes.  Then we delve into the lesson for that day.  Short stories, poetry and even short novels will be read during and outside of class, students will be encouraged to write in response to the reading and complete written assignments connected to the literature, and learners will interact with one another in groups and online games. The lessons and activities of the week will be centered around the literature. Writing is also centered on the literature.  Assignments throughout the week will build upon one another.   

Structure of the class and content covered may change based upon the needs of the learners. 

Each week is unique and does not require prior knowledge from previous classes.   However, students are expected to have basic knowledge of parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions), as well as basic punctuation, capitalization and spelling conventions.  Learners will also need to have a minimum reading level equivalent to 4th grade, be able to write complete sentences and paragraphs in response to prompts and for assignments, and be mature enough to interact with other learners in the class.  

Younger learners who are advanced may be considered for the class, but if it is not a good fit the teacher may suggest a transfer to another section or withdrawal of the learner.  

June 28 - July 4  The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - Setting and Symbolism, Descriptive Writing and use of adjectives and adverbs
July 5 - 11  The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell - Similes, metaphors, personification, irony, imagery and allusion, Narrative Writing.
July 12 - 18  The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe - Metaphor, imagery and symbolism, Expository writing
July 19 - 25  The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry - Allusions, alliteration, imagery, metaphors, similes, foreshadowing, hyperbole, and the different types of irony, Descriptive writing using alliteration and hyperbole.
July 26 - Aug 1   Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer - Hyperbole and Exaggeration, Writing Limericks and Haikus

August 2 - 8         Monsters are Due on Maple Street by Rod Sterling
August 8 - 14       The Party by Pam Munoz Ryan
August 15 - 21     Thank you M'am by Langston Hughes
August 22 - 28      After 20 years by O. Henry
Aug. 29 - Sept. 5  Names, Nombres by Julia Alvarez
September 6 - 12  Theseus and the Minotaur
Sept. 13 - 19          Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyeard Kipling
Sept. 20 - 26          The 13th by Shelley Walden
Sept. 27 - Oct 3     Growing Up by Gary Soto
October 4 - 10        Monkeyman by Walter Dean Myers
October 11 - 17      Chiron, the Wisest Centaur by Madeleine L'Engle
October 18 - 24      Charles by Shirley Jackson
October 25 - 31      Seventh Grade by Gary Soto
November 1 - 7      Annabelle Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

November 15-21    Big Finish by Erin Michelle Jendras
November 22-28    Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll      
Nov. 29 - Dec 5      Raymond’s Run by Toni Cade Bambara
December 6-12      Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan
December 13-19    The Long Night by Steve Vance
December 20-26    A Present for Mrs. Robertson by Meg Medina     
January 3 - 9         The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind by Ray Bradbury
January 10 - 16     One Friday Morning by Langston Hughes
January 24 - 30     The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
Jan. 31 - Feb 6      Learning About the Holocaust by Michael A. Signal
February 7 - 13     Michael Jordan: A Profile in Failure by Jeff Stibel 
February 14 - 20    A Rough and Rugged Road by Libby Wilson
February 21 - 27   Simone Biles by Marty Kaminsky
Feb. 28 - March 6  Louis Armstrong by Jessica McBirney
March 7 - 13         "The Worst Birthday" by J.K. Rowling
March 14 - 20        Stray by Cynthia Ryland
March 21 - 27        Joan of Arc: France's Young Tragic Hero by David White
March 28 - April 3  Laura's Key by Anne-Marie Reidy
April 4 - 10             Daisy Low Grows the Girl Scouts by Natasha Wing
April 11 - 17           The Jacket by Gary Soto
April 18 - 24          To a Daughter Leaving Home by Linda Pastran
April 25 - May 1     The Story of the Lazy Boy: A Kachari Folktale, Compiled by Rev. Sidney Endle
May 2 - 8                The Third Wish by Joan Aiken