Students will grow in their ability to read, think critically about, and discuss literary works from a variety of authors writing about cultures different from their own.  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 school Language Arts in public schools in Florida, and for the past several years I have taught comprehensive Middle School 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 "True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle," "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 50-75 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 most 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.  

Students will need to complete weekly reading to participate in class discussions, but all other assignments are considered optional, depending on how families are using this class. Please see the homework section above and reach out with any questions. 
Grades Offered
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.)

If parents wish to have a formal course grade for their student, I'm happy to provide that as well. 

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. 

Because this class is aimed at learners who are in grades 6-8, students need to have completed a minimum of 5th grade level ELA (a formal curriculum is not required). If you have questions about this, please reach out. 

Main literary selections are:

"True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi

"A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park

"Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros (PDF provided)