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Learn to Love Literature Part 4 - 6th - 9th Grade (English, Literature)

In this Full-Semester 16-week English Literature course, we will dive into four great books. This class was created to build vocabulary, reading fluency, and enjoyment.
Ms. Stacey Hamlin
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(148)
Class

What's included

27 live meetings
13 hrs 30 mins in-class hours
Homework
1 hour 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 6 - 9
Intermediate - Advanced Level
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 Book Thief, the story of a young girl in 1939 Nazi Germany.  Our second book, The Magician's Nephew is the Prequel to the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe and is the origin story for all the Narnia Universe.  Our third book is Ender's Game tells of a dystopian future when children are this planet's first defense.  Our fourth book, Watership Down has been one of my very favorites since childhood.  In this book we follow Fiver and Hazel on an epic journey.  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 four 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.

Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 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
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 2	
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 3	
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 4	
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 5
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 6	
The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 7	
The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 8	
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 9	
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 10	
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 11
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Read approximately 100 pages

Week 12
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Read Approximately 110 pages

Week 13	
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Read Approximately 110 pages

Week 14	
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Read Approximately 110 pages

Week 15	
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Read Approximately 110 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.
learning goal

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-9th 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. The Book Thief - Parents need to know that Markus Zusak's The Book Thief is a powerful portrayal of life in Nazi Germany before and during World War II, especially as it was experienced by German kids. Main character Leisel is taken in by foster parents in a small town after her younger brother dies. Death serves as both a character and the narrator, and figures in the plot. Characters suffer cruel fates but also are great examples of the power of personal sacrifice, heroism, friendship, and courage. This is a tough story told about a horrendous time, so there's plenty of grief and sadness, as well as violence and cruelty. But ultimately the book is a portrait of the triumph of spirit and humanity, with all of humanity's complexities and contradictions deeply explored. In addition to the violence of the war, which causes the deaths of many major beloved characters, there are also beatings, whippings, fights, and a suicide. Adults and children smoke and drink champagne. The Magician's Nephew - The series presents the conflict of faith and logic, as well as raising moral questions about whether good will always triumph over evil. Although there are spiritual themes present, the overall magic of the story is found in the fantasy of the world of Narnia, and thus appeals to children and adults of all faiths. Ender's Game - Parents need to know that Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is a gripping and emotional sci-fi novel that will appeal to older tweens and teens. Originally published in 1985, the dystopian story follows kids who are trained from age 6, mostly by playing simulated battle games, to find a way to wipe out an entire species of alien invaders. The violence is at times quite brutal, as kids kill other kids, and main character Ender is admired for his ruthlessly efficient violence, though he himself is disturbed by it. Some bullying by an older brother is intense and disturbing, and the conclusion to the story is shocking. Occasional strong language includes "s--t," "ass," and "bastard," and there's potty language throughout. Watership Down - Parents need to know that Richard Adams's larger-than-life story is compelling and full of high adventure, and his characters are vividly drawn and winning. Experienced fantasy fans cheer the heroes on. - Ms. Stacey's note: there are some violent parts to this book, rabbits being suffocated underground, ears being shredded.
Supply List
Your learner will need their own copy of these books.  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 make it easy to find it.  Sometimes, seeing the cover is helpful. (These are NOT affiliation links...just a quick search on my part.)

The Book Thief - https://a.co/d/iINw57J

The Magician's Nephew -  https://a.co/d/5SdWq2E

Ender's Game - https://a.co/d/9dNhv14

Watership Down - https://a.co/d/dpc69vB
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2020
4.9
148reviews
Profile
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
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$5

weekly or $130 for 27 classes
1x per week, 27 weeks
30 min

Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-15
3-9 learners per class

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