Full Curriculum ELA: Reading, Writing, Vocab, and Grammar (Grades 7-8)
In this ongoing class, students in grades 7-8 will work on reading, analysis, vocab, grammar, & writing skills. Major topics include textual evidence, active reading, word study, clear writing, annotation, & critical thinking. Pdfs provided
Vanessa Roach
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(360)
Popular
What's included
1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
1 hour per week. Students will have writing assignments in some units. If you would like feedback, please send it to me through Outschool private message or post on the classroom post.Assessment
Discussion, homework, informal assessments, reading checks, Gimkits, etc.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
Intermediate - Advanced Level
Thank you for your interest in my class! I'm so happy that you are here! This class is suitable for students aged 12-14 who wish to learn more advanced reading and writing strategies and techniques. Throughout the course, students will read short passages (fiction or nonfiction), complete writing activities, and answer analysis questions. This class moves students past recall (who, what, when, where) and encourages students to analyze, think critically, and support ideas with evidence. In doing so, students will explore how context and background information advances the plot of a story, how characters change and mature, how authors structure writing for specific purposes, and how types of evidence are used to persuade readers. Students will also be exposed to basic literary criticism (an important aspect of thorough reading). Students will also be provided with optional resources to practice. Most classes have reading assignments, so if your are a new learner, please email me to find our the reading assignment. The best way to teach writing is by looking at good literature. Many of our writing activities are supported by mentor texts (short essays, poems, articles, and short stories). Students should find the class directly applicable to their middle school assignments. My class will help build the skills that high school teachers and college professors are looking for--critical analysis, independent thinking, and articulation and support of claims and evidence. Note: Some classes may require short reading assignments prior to class. PDFs of these readings will be posted at least 4 days before class starts. Please make sure that your learner is able to read the text before enrolling in class. Email me if you need a copy of the text. I typically am very responsive. Types of writing included in the course: paragraph structure breakdown of writing components (hooks, introductions, thesis statements, etc) argumentative persuasive technical writing research narrative descriptive creative Sample short stories that may be used: “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl “Charles” by Shirley Jackson “To Build a Fire” by Jack London “The Scholarship Jacket” by Marta Salinas “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin "The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton "Ain't No Good Girl" by Sharon Flake "Test" by Theodore Thomas “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl "Royal Jelly" by Roald Dahl "Genesis and Catastrophe" by Roald Dahl "Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe Various poetry and nonfiction Skills taught: poetry analysis plot elements and structure irony figurative language vocabulary in context grammar theme and writing thematic statements comprehension and analysis writing effectively for a purpose "showing" instead of telling using textual evidence effectively inference writing for different audiences literary criticism annotating texts/active reading editing strategies testing skills Schedule: 1. Test Prep Warmup 2. Vocab Practice Mini-lesson 3. Grammar Revisions 4. Mentor Text Analysis or Writing Skill 5. Closing, go over assignment JANUARY 2025 Unit 1: Considerations of Technology Lesson 1: Notice and Note in Fiction, Intro to topic, exploring the considerations of technology today, writing prompt Lesson 2: "The Brave Little Toaster" Lesson 3: "The Automation Paradox" and "Heads Up, Humans" Lesson 4: "Hallucination" Short Story and "There Will Come Soft Rains" Lesson 5: "The Test" and "The Flying Machine" Lessons 6-8: Writing an informational essay (citations, credible sources, objectivity) Unit 2: The Fun of Fear Stories: "The Outsider" by H.P. Lovecraft, "The Monkey's Paw," "The Feather Pillow," "Born of Man and Woman" Articles: "Scary Tales," "What is the Horror Genre?" Writing: Creative Writing Story Unit 3: The Places We call Home Excerpt from "The Book of Unknown Americans," "Long Way Gone," "My Favorite Chaperone," "Golden Glass," and "Salmon Boy" Unit 4: The Horrors of the Holocaust and the Legacy of Anne Frank "Diary of Anne Frank" Excerpts "After Auschwitz" Speech from Elie Wiesel MISSED CLASSES If your student misses a class, a recording will always be accessible on the classroom page. The PowerPoint lesson and notes are always available as well. Do note that learners that leave and then come back (i.e. pausing a subscription) may not be able to see my posts if I posted anything while they are away. Reach out to see if you missed anything. Recordings are unfortunately unavailable for weeks that your learner does not attend AND if they have not been present for a live class (Outschool Policy). REFUND POLICY If your student is not able to attend in person but stays enrolled, refunds will not be issued. This is because the student can still access the materials, recordings, and receive feedback for assignments. I do provide refunds for emergency situations. If you have a tech or Zoom issue, contact Support and mention the Happiness Guarantee.
Learning Goals
CLOSE READING
Close Reading is a skill that is required in order to discover more than an author’s message and what was said. In this course, we begin to concentrate on how an author conveys, persuades, evokes, and so on. In understanding a writer’s talent and craft, we improve our own ability to convey, persuade, and evoke.
The following is a list of some of the devices and concepts that we will be focusing on:
∞ Finding patterns in a text through annotation
∞Analysis, including, for example, the author’s development of theme or tone through imagery, diction, syntax, choice of details, point of view, author’s use of figures of speech and sound devices
∞Noticing language choices: Students understand how writers and speakers use specific words and sentences to move the thoughts, emotions, and actions of readers and listeners.
∞ Reading and analyzing text through literary criticism lenses (i.e. Marxist, historical, biographical, reader response, etc.)
WRITING
Writing is a process. Learning to write is a process. The only way to learn how to write well is through writing and writing and writing some more. Part of the process is revision. These two activities are imperative to a good writer. Students will be able to:
∞ Write introductions that attack an issue in a thoughtful manner
∞ Write well-developed and solid paragraphs
∞ Use facts, quotations, and paraphrases as support for a stated position
∞ Write thesis statements powerful enough to dictate the direction of the paper
∞ Gain patience for deep and meaningful revisions
∞ Analyze, not simply summarize
∞ Develop a voice
Other Details
Parental Guidance
All texts are commonly used or taught at the middle school level. Some texts may have a spooky theme or reference murder/death (no gory details described). No inappropriate or extreme profanity, vulgarity, etc. will be in any texts that I use. I take careful consideration to make sure that all lessons are age-appropriate.
Pre-Requisites
Students should be working at a beginning 7th grade reading and writing level.
Supply List
I supply all texts and materials.
1 file available upon enrollment
Language of Instruction
English (Level: B2+)
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
The teacher will provide reading sources. Each source will be available in PDF format for easy accessibility.
Joined April, 2020
4.9
360reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Indiana Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Master's Degree in English from University of Southern Indiana
In my classes (brick and mortar and Outschool), I work with all levels of students (IEP students, general education, and high-ability students). My goal as a teacher is to foster critical thinking and communication skills in order to help your child achieve their goals and become more proficient readers, writers, and critical thinkers. More than that, I encourage students to fall in love with learning.
Experience/Education:
-Brick and Mortar Teacher for 7 years (current)
-Outschool Teacher for 3 years (current)
-BS in Education (Reading/English 3-12, Gifted Education 3-12, Special Education 5-12)
-Masters of Arts In English Teaching
-Certification in High Ability/Gifted Learning Strategies
-Certification in Teaching Students with Learning Exceptionalities
-SAT/PSAT Testing Administrator (5 years)
-Harkness Socratic Seminar Trained (Summer of 2023)
-Indiana Writing Workshop Trained (Summer of 2023)
I am a secondary English teacher with certifications in gifted education and special education. I have been professionally teaching for 7 years and have a masters of arts in English education. I enjoy using socratic and discussion-based learning to help students think deeply about the texts that they read.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
50 min
Completed by 358 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
2-12 learners per class
