High School English I, 1st Semester Language Arts (ELA): Crime and Justice
A 13-week semester-long course where students explore "Crime and Justice" via short story writing, literary journalism, and a mock trial. A great option for homeschoolers or those needing enrichment.
Mr. Steven M.Ed.
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5.0
Number of reviews:(24)
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What's included
39 live meetings
39 in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Students will be assigned some reading as homework. Audio versions will be provided to assist all students (digital or hardcopies of our two novels should still be purchased/rented). Students will also work a project during each unit. Projects will be submitted via the Outschool Classroom.Assessment
I will provide written feedback on all three course projects. Please contact me ahead of time to request graded projects at no cost.Grading
Grades provided by request.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 11
A Freshman or English One level course This a 13-week semester-long full curriculum English Language Arts course that develops students’ reading, analysis, and writing skills while exploring the topics of “Crime” and “Justice.” Course readings: - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers by David Grann - Mean Girls by Micol Ostow - Meets 3 times a week - 1-2 hours of homework expected between class meetings - Homework is typically reading and analysis for class discussions Course is divided into 3 major units and features 1 micro-unit. At the end of each major unit, students will demonstrate their understanding with a project. READ ON FOR A MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWN: Unit One prepares students to write a suspenseful short story by reading and analyzing Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery “And Then There Were None.” Students will become familiar with foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism as they build their vocabulary and writing skills. By the end of the unit, students will utilize the mentioned concepts to write and present an original short story that builds suspense and ends with commentary on what justice means to them. A two day micro-unit focuses on investigating a crime. Students will develop their analysis skills as they examine evidence, use reasoning, and discuss with classmates to solve the case and hold the culprit accountable. Unit Two engages students in David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon as they prepare to write a piece of literary journalism. Students will develop a critical understanding of U.S. history and expand their vocabulary as they become familiar with the conventions of literary journalism, research, and citation. By the end of the unit, students will utilize the mentioned concepts to write and present a piece of literary journalism that informs the audience of a historical criminal. Students will also have the option to add more life to their written work by transforming it into a podcast episode. Unit Three develops students’ understanding of the U.S. legal system as they read a novelization of Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls.” Students will become familiar with the U.S Federal Court System, civil cases, due process, voir dire, and other aspects of a civil suit. By the end of the unit, students will utilize the mentioned concepts to participate in a mock trial that covers a civil suit between characters from “Mean Girls.” Students should be prepared to participate in class and engage with texts at grade level. I am here to aid students as they develop, but that can only happen if students are prepared to read our texts with moderate to minimal assistance. Three novels must be purchased/rented for this course: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (purchased/rented by the first meeting), Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers by David Grann (purchased/rented by Week 6), and Mean Girls by Micol Ostow (purchased/rented by Week 10). It is important that you purchase the Young Readers version of Killers of the Flower Moon as that is the version we are using in this course. If there are any questions or issues about purchasing or renting these novels, please reach out. Weekly Breakdown Unit One: Short Story Writing Week 1 (3 meetings) - Unit project preview; background knowledge; Foreshadowing. Homework: Read assigned chapter of And Then There Were None - Discussion; character worksheets; irony. Homework: Read assigned chapters. - Discussion; symbolism; read chapter. Homework; Read assigned chapters. Week 2 (3 meetings) - Discussion; Creative brainstorming; read chapter. Homework: Read assigned chapters. - Discussion; Commentary; Writing with the end in mind; read chapter. Homework: Read assigned chapters. - Discussion; creating symbols; brainstorming irony and foreshadowing. Homework: Read assigned chapters. Week 3 (3 meetings) - Discussion; dependent vs independent clauses. Homework: Read assigned chapters. - Discussion; plotting; appositives. Homework: Read assigned chapters. - Discussion; Commentary revisited; modifiers. Homework: Plot short story Week 4 (3 meetings) - Tracking the foreshadowing; creating characters. Homework: Work on short story - Conjunctions; work on short story. - Workshop and revision Week 5 (3 meetings - Unit 1 Wrap-up & Micro-unit) - Short story sharing; unit wrap up; intro to micro-unit - Case investigation - Case investigation Unit Two: Literary Journalism Week 6 (3 meetings) - Unit project preview; Background knowledge; Read Foreword. Homework: Read assigned chapter of Killers of the Flower Moon - Discussion; literary journalism worksheet; read chapter. Homework: Read assigned chapter - Discussion; choosing a topic; begin research. Homework: Read assigned chapters Week 7 (3 meetings) - Discussion; read chapter; organizing research. Homework: Read assigned chapter - Discussion; read chapter; continue research. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; read chapter; plotting literary journalism. Homework: Read assigned chapters Week 8 (3 meetings) - Discussion; continue plotting; citations. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; Descriptive writing; finalize outline. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; continue writing; podcasts. Homework: Read assigned chapters Week 9 (3 meetings) - Discussion; continue writing; literary journalism checklist. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; read chapter; finalize writing. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; literary journalism presentations; Unit wrap up Unit Three: Mock Trial Week 10 (3 meetings) - Unit project preview; truth; people of the court; read Mean Girls Prologue. Homework: Read assigned chapters of Mean Girls - Discussion; U.S. court system; First Amendment Rights; read chapter. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; evidence; civil vs criminal cases. Homework: Read assigned chapters Week 11 (3 meetings) - Discussion; defamation; read chapter. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; complaint; due process; read chapters. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; Flow of a trial; opening statement; read chapters. Homework: Read assigned chapters Week 12 (3 meetings) - Discussion; discovery; interrogatories; read chapter. Homework: Read assigned chapters - Discussion; filing a complaint; case assignment; evidence and witnesses worksheet. Homework: Continue worksheet - Depositions; continue building case. Homework: Continue trial preparation Week 13 (3 meetings) - Objections; closing statement. Homework: Continue trial preparation - Voir dire; trial prep. Homework: Finalize trial preparation - Mock trial; unit and course wrap up
Learning Goals
- Understand and apply key narrative techniques including foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism
- Utilize creative brainstorming and literary analysis techniques to develop a plot for a short story
- Master structural elements of writing such as independent and dependent clauses, appositives, and modifiers
- Grasp the concept of literary journalism, from topic selection to research to presentation
- Apply correct citation format in a literary journalism piece
- Understand the U.S. court system, including key legal concepts like evidence, defamation, and due process
- Learn about and engage in various stages of a trial, from filing a complaint to the discovery process to effectively arguing a case
Other Details
Parental Guidance
And Then There Were None: While this novel is a common one to find in public high schools, there are some considerations to keep in mind. This novel can sometimes be a product of its time with how some characters view race, ethnicity, and gender. It is a murder mystery that features the deaths of several characters, including suicide. I do not consider the writing to be gruesome, but everyone has their own comfort levels. Please consider looking here for more info: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/and-then-there-were-none
Killers of the Flower Moon - Adapted for Young Readers: This book covers true events that detail murders of Native Americans. The original book has been adapted to be appropriate for ages 10 and up. Despite the changes, it remains faithful to the original version. Please make sure you obtain the "Adapted for Young Readers Version" since this is the version we are using in our course.
Mean Girls: This is a novelization of the film. Anything you might associate with a high school comedy is included, such as cursing, bullying, underage drinking, crude humor that references sexuality and drugs. While the story has a good message and fits perfectly into our curriculum, it is up to you if it is within your comfort zone. Common Sense Media does not feature this novel, but it does feature the film: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/mean-girls. Amazon has the novel listed as "Reading Age: 14 years and up" and "Grade Level: 9-12"
Supply List
Digital or physical copies of the following: - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (purchased/rented by first day) - Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers by David Grann (purchased/rented by Week 6) - Mean Girls by Micol Ostow (purchased/rented by Week 10)
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined March, 2023
5.0
24reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
3 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from University of Redlands
Bachelor's Degree from University of California, Riverside
Associate's Degree from Riverside City College
I have taught Language Arts in-person and online to students ranging from elementary to high school. This course is an adapted mishmash of various lessons I've taught throughout my teaching career and is refitted to align with students at an English I level. I have my Bachelor's in Creative Writing and my Master's in Education.Reviews
Live Group Class
$50
weekly or $650 for 39 classes3x per week, 13 weeks
60 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
4-10 learners per class
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