Students will grow in their ability to read, think critically about, and discuss literary works from a variety of contemporary authors.  Students will grow in their ability to analyze how writers use literary elements in their writing.  Students will be able to express their learning verbally and creatively in a variety of ways. 

I have a Bachelor of Arts in English, and held a Professional Teaching Certificate in Florida to teach English in grades 6-12.  I taught middle and high school Language Arts in public schools in Florida, and for the past several years I have taught comprehensive Language Arts classes to homeschoolers.  I have several years of experience teaching novels that deal with the complex issues such as those present in the selections for this class at the high school and middle school level, including "The Giver," "Lord of the Flies," "Night," and "A Long Walk to Water" in various contexts, dealing with the inherent complex issues that arise with these topics.  As we discuss challenging topics in this class, we will affirm the value of all humanity, regardless of country of origin, religion, economic status, gender, etc. 

Homework Offered
Detailed weekly assignments will be given.  Students will complete work individually at home and can be adapted by families depending on student's learning style and family's homeschool philosophies. Student work will include about 75-100 pages of reading (maximum) per week and will also include several different optional activities (including free-writing prompts). If families are using this as part of a complete homeschool curriculum, students should expect to spend 2-3 hours of work outside of class, however it will be possible to complete the work in as little as one to two hours per week for some students.  Because student's abilities vary greatly, the amount of time it takes students to complete assigned work will vary greatly.  
2 - 4 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Students will be informally assessed through class discussion to ensure student understanding and so I, as the teacher, can adapt the class to student's needs.  

Projects will have a grading rubric provided and parents have the option of using the rubric to provide a grade for their learner, or having me grade projects (or opting out of grading all together.) All students who complete projects will receive personalized video feedback on their work. 

For families using this class as part of their ELA curriculum, you will have several pieces of work from this class to include in a portfolio. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there are other elements you need to meet homeschool requirements in your state / province / country.
Grades Offered
Parents / Students have the option of receiving formal grades for projects, as well as the class as a whole. For families who need work for a homeschool portfolio, there will be several pieces of work that can be used to that end. Please reach out with any questions. 

This class is designed to support a variety of learning needs with scaffolded and adaptable assignments. Dyslexic, ADHD, and Autistic learners have had great success in this class. Please reach out if you have specific questions. 

As this is a class geared toward students working at 7th, 8th, and 9th grade levels, students should have completed at least 6th grade ELA material in any program. For specific questions, please send me a message. 

Main literary selections are:

In This Place (An American Lyric) by Amanda Gorman (PDF provided) (poetry)

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (winner of the 2022 Newberry Award) (dystopian science fiction novel)

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin (National Book Award finalist 2012) (nonfiction novel)

"Flying Lessons and Other Stories" edited by Ellen Oh (for "How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium" by Matt de la Pena. Selections from this book will also be read and discussed in other sections of this course.)