Fierce Girls' Read-Aloud Book Club, Ages 10-12
Come and share two great novels that feature spirited, powerful female leads.
Lisa Bagchi
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(110)
What's included
12 live meetings
6 in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 5 - 6
Reading aloud inspires children to engage eagerly and connect deeply with stories, and is an essential tool for building a lifelong love of reading. When students listen to a story while following along visually, understanding of sentence structure and flow deepens and stories truly come to life. When children read aloud themselves, they get to hear the story unfold in their own voice, and to ride with the flow of sentences--becoming more in tune with sentence rhythm, challenging diction and punctuation. Increased comfort with and interest in reading emerges with this process, as does greater confidence and skill with comprehension--not to mention the joy that comes with sharing the experience of a story in a small group. In this class, we read two novels aloud together, examining and celebrating the challenges faced by the strong female protagonists in each. I will read aloud and also will encourage students to read aloud. Reading aloud for students will be optional. Regular reflection throughout our reading will play a main part in the course as well. I will pose questions frequently--some recall-based, others designed to motivate critical thinking by encouraging students to explore subtext. Our books will be Lois Lowry's Number the Stars and Cynthia Lord's Rules. Number the Stars is told through the perspective of 12 year old Annemarie, who lives in 1940s Nazi-occupied Denmark and whose family is helping Jewish families escape the country. Rules tells the story of 12 year old Catherine, who cares for her autistic brother and forms a bond with a boy her age afflicted with cerebral palsy. The stories are very different, yet in each, the protagonist grapples with enormous challenges and emerges a little more 'fierce' as a result. Both stories are also 'page-turners' that will captivate readers! Weekly breakdown is as follows: Week 1: Number the Stars, chapters 1 through 8 Week 2: Number the Stars, chapters 9 through 17 (end) Week 3: Rules, chapters entitled "Rules for David" through "Sometimes People Laugh..." Week 4: Rules, chapters entitled "Open Closet Doors Carefully..." through "If you Need to Borrow Words..." (end) I hope to see you there!
Learning Goals
Students will:
Deepen interest in stories and reading
Build greater skill and confidence with reading
Sharpen critical reading/thinking ability
Grow in ability to share ideas within a group
Explore marginalized groups and their struggles
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Both of these novels deal with marginalization. None of the material is violent or egregious in nature due to the age at which it is aimed; however, challenging topics arise, including the holocaust (Number the Stars), autism and cerebral palsy (Rules). I see these challenging topics as important to acknowledge as we study a text, and as the teacher I will address questions with honesty and directly while honoring the emotional limits of the age group. I will facilitate an atmosphere that welcomes different perspectives and create a safe and supportive place to share observations. Please see below for a description of my experience with this, and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Supply List
Students will need copies (electronic or paper) of the novels Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Rules by Cynthia Lord.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined July, 2020
5.0
110reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Michigan Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
In my twenty years of teaching middle school, I have worked extensively in the area of diversity. One of the core philosophies of my school centers around examining and lifting marginalized groups. To this end, our faculty has engaged in workshops and seminars with authors and activists in the field, including Peggy McIntosh, Bryan Stevenson, Matt Faulkner and Donna Gephart. Among students and faculty, we hold an annual Diversity Day, during which we study and celebrate differences in areas such as sexuality, gender, class, race, and ability. Personally, a colleague and I facilitate a girls' group which meets weekly to discuss issues surrounding gender stereotypes, finding our voice, and establishing healthy boundaries and friendships. I have immersed myself in the study of diversity through my English curriculum as well, teaching many works of literature that deal with oppression and disenfranchisement. Through these experiences, I have built comfort with and experience in examining these complicated issues with young people. Reviews
Live Group Class
$144
for 12 classes3x per week, 4 weeks
30 min
Completed by 7 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-12
3-6 learners per class
