Learn to Love Literature Part 2 - 5th-8th Grade (English, Literature)
In this Full-Semester 16-week English Literature course, we will dive into five great books. This class was created to build vocabulary, reading fluency, and enjoyment.
Ms. Stacey Hamlin
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(148)
What's included
16 live meetings
8 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. There will be discussion questions each week to help focus your learner on what they are reading. I also expect to do some light character studies and vocabulary discussions as we progress through the semester. The largest aspect of the homework will entail the actual reading of the material. There will be no written homework to turn in.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
While there is no prerequisite requirement for this class, I do run these as a series. You will see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc...but they just reflect different books and can be taken in any order. We will start with The Single Shard, an orphan boy who learns the art of celadon pottery. Our second book, The Tale of Despereaux was one of my favorites even before the movie came out. It tells the tale of the daring mouse Despereaux. Our third book is The Witch of Blackbird Pond, the story of a young girl who immigrates from Barbados to Puritan Connecticut and befriends "the witch" (late 17th century). Our fourth book, The City of Ember is an exciting Dystopian Novel where our protagonists set about to escape their dying city, only to change everything. Our last book is an old one. The Incredible Journey is the story of two dogs and a cat that travel 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to find their way home. Our stories this semester are full of excitement and hardship and figuring out how to find the things that really matter. The Details English, Literature I have been a lover of books since I was 9 years old and had to have surgery. My mother, who understood a few things about her child, read the first book in a series to me with all the voices and enthusiasm any book could want. Then she read the first 2 chapters of the next book. And then she stopped. The larger picture of why she stopped at that moment isn't important. What is important is that she lit a flame in me. I wanted to know how it finished. From that point on, I've been a reader. This early experience truly informs the books I choose for my young readers. I want the books to fire their minds, I want them to touch their hearts. Reading a book is starting a conversation with a person you've never met and truly hearing them. I want to build lovers of reading not just hit that magical 30-minute reading time. The Details We will be reading through five wonderful books over the course of 16 weeks. Each book will increase in word count helping your learner's reading fluency gradually improve. This is the perfect, light-reading class to keep everyone reading through the whole semester. Semester One and Semester Two are completely self-contained and can be taken in any order. Classes will follow a general structure: Welcome Discussion (questions provided) Introduction of next class assignment Vocabulary to look out for Every week the student will need to complete the reading and the Discussion Questions to be ready for the following week's class. There is no homework to hand in. Below is our general schedule. Assignments by week Week 1 No Assignment due first week Week 2 A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park Read approximately 60 pages Week 3 A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park Read approximately 60 pages Week 4 The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo Read approximately 70 pages Week 5 The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo Read approximately 70 pages Week 6 The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo Read approximately 70 pages Week 7 The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo Read approximately 70 pages Week 8 The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare Read approximately 85 pages Week 9 The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare Read approximately 85 pages Week 10 The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare Read approximately 85 pages Week 11 The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau Read approximately 95 pages Week 12 The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau Read approximately 95 pages Week 13 The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau Read approximately 95 pages Week 14 The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford Read approximately 90 pages Week 15 The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford Read approximately 90 pages Week 16 Final Class Wrap up of Discussion Questions and Full Class Discussion
Learning Goals
This class was created to build vocabulary, reading fluency, and enjoyment.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Each of the books in this class was chosen to provide an excellent example of a genre of books. They were also chosen for children from approximately 5th-8th grade, so 10-15 year-olds.
That said there are a few things to consider in these books. I've used Common Sense Media, Good Reads, and other online reviews to give you some "Things Parents need to Know" where available.
A Single Shard - Parents need to know that in the tale of the "Rock of the Falling Flowers," women jump to their deaths.
"The Tale of Despereaux" Parents need to know that Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Medal-winning The Tale of Despereaux is a thrilling story of a brave, giant-eared mouse in love with a human princess. By directly addressing the reader, the author introduces many concepts to think and talk about. This book is an excellent read-aloud or discussion group book. It could be read to children as young as 6, but parents need to know there is some violence -- Despereaux's tail is cut off, and a girl's ears are boxed until she's partially deaf. This memorable book has the feel of a classic and was adapted for a movie, DS game, and a console game.
"The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Families can talk about the historical realities of religious life in colonial America and might even enjoy researching the infamous Salem witch trials, which took place several years after the fictional events in this book. Why are the Puritans in the story so quick to level charges of witchcraft against those who share different values than they do? How is Kit's daily life in the colonies different than her lifestyle in Barbados? How is being a woman today different than being a woman in the 1600s?
"The City of Ember" Parents need to know that Jeanne DuPrau's City of Ember is an engaging dystopian sci-fi story about two young teens in a race against time to save their city before the lights in Ember go out forever. This action adventure, set in a post-apocalyptic world, tells a story about learning to work together, conquer fears, and uncover the truth against the odds. DuPrau teaches critical thinking skills by having relatable characters solve a mystery. Young readers will enjoy the drama, intrigue, and healthy friendship that develops between the female and male main characters.
"The Incredible Journey" Families can talk about loyalty. Do you think the story is realistic? If you have pets, how do you feel toward them? How do you think they feel toward you?
Supply List
Your learner will need their own copy of the books below. Please feel free to use the library or digital editions of the books. While there are many wonderful audiobooks available here, I do not recommend audiobooks for this class simply because we are building reading fluency and speed. SEEING the words really helps with solidifying the words in the memory. I include the Amazon link to each book to make it easy to find them. Sometimes, seeing the cover is helpful. (These are NOT affiliation links...just a quick search on my part.) A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park: https://www.amazon.com/Single-Shard-Delightful-Philip-Pullman/dp/0861541863/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669922453&sr=1-1 The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo: https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Despereaux-Being-Princess-Thread/dp/0763680893/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669922488&sr=1-1 The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blackbird-Elizabeth-George-Speare/dp/0547550294/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669922526&sr=1-1 The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau...The link says the deluxe edition as I can't seem to find the link to the original. If you look, you will find the original in thrift shops and used bookstores: https://www.amazon.com/City-Ember-Deluxe-First-Book/dp/0385371357/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669922584&sr=1-1 The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford: https://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Journey-Sheila-Burnford/dp/0440413249/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669922715&sr=1-1
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2020
4.9
148reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have taught for over 30 years so far. I started as a corporate trainer training, at the time, high-end IT classes. I went on to homeschool my children through high school, an endeavor that took 16 years. During those years I ran several Co-op classes for junior high and high school Language Arts, Public Speaking, and Drama. I also created Scene and Heard Performing Arts, a live homeschool Drama Club for ages 5-18. I am very familiar with upper elementary, middle school, high school, and adult learning.Reviews
Live Group Class
$8
weekly or $128 for 16 classes1x per week, 16 weeks
30 min
Completed by 7 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
3-9 learners per class
