$180
for 10 classesLiterature Group & Social Time - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Completed by 5 learners
Ages 10-15
Live Group Class
Live video meetings
1x per week, 10 weeks
5-12 learners per class
45 min
What's included
10 live meetings
7 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Read ~30 pages of the book each week, what should take no more than 60 minutes to complete for an average reader.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
In this fun, engaging, and thought-provoking class, students will come together each week over 10 weeks to discuss with each other sections of the acclaimed book "Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes. Under the facilitation of a veteran educator who is an expert at providing students a safe and secure learning environment, there are two main purposes for the class, equal in their intention: 1) To provide 10-15 year-olds a chance to build their communication skills. Students will be encouraged to talk, listen, and otherwise gain positive experience in sharing and listening to each other's opinions. 2) To have the students develop their critical thinking skills through reading and talking about a thought-provoking story. About the book, which has sold over 5 million copies and inspired an award-winning movie, it tells the story of a man's journey from having a so-called intellectual disability to gaining extraordinary intelligence through an experimental procedure first performed on a mouse. Important themes in the book include the treatment of neurodiverse people, the intersection of happiness & self-awareness, and how events from the past influence a person later in life. By reading this book, the students will develop their social & emotional learning skills with a particular focus on empathy and thoughtfulness. By talking about the book with others and an encouraging educator, these skills will take deeper root. Weekly reading is approximately 30 pages of a 300 page book, which for most readers this age will take them ~60 minutes to read. Parents who want more involvement are encouraged to read the book aloud to their children. Here's the weekly breakdown and the focus questions for each week (readings refer to dates in the book): WEEK ONE - Read March 3 up to March 29 - QUESTION: To whom do you think the letters and notes Charlie writes are written? WEEK TWO - Read March 29 up to April 21 - QUESTION: What change do we see in the relationship between Charlie & Algernon? WEEK THREE - Read April 21 up to May 11 - QUESTION: To what degree does our past define us as human beings? WEEK FOUR - Read May 11 up to June 8 - QUESTION: Are the doctors who operated on Charlie acting in his best interests? WEEK FIVE - Read June 8 up to June 13 - QUESTION: How have Charlie’s feelings changed from earlier in the story? WEEK SIX - Read June 13 up to June 21 - QUESTION: What is the story suggesting about the connection between intelligence and happiness? WEEK SEVEN - Read June 21 up to July 14 - QUESTION: Is Charlie being consistent in his actions? WEEK EIGHT - Read July 14 up to August 26 - QUESTION: What would have been different about the story if Charlie had been a woman who underwent such a controversial surgery? WEEK NINE - Read August 26 up to October 3 - QUESTION: What does Algernon represent to Charlie? What are the parallels between their conditions? WEEK TEN - Read October 3 to end of book - QUESTION: What's important about the book's title? ----- A NOTE ABOUT THE COST OF THIS CLASS: I know the price of my classes is higher than many others on Outschool. As an experienced and talented educator, I believe I'm worth this amount and invite you to look at my reviews. That said, I don't want any family to be priced out of what I offer. Whatever your financial situation, if you're interested in one or more of my classes, please reach out and let me know what you can afford. I can provide coupons, refunds, and/or reductions, and am confident we can find an equitable rate that works for you and me.
Learning Goals
Students will gain comfort speaking in front of others, specifically around sharing their opinions. They will build their critical thinking skills and learn how to be supportive of others.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Flowers for Algernon is on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999 at number 43. The reasons for the challenges vary, but usually center on those parts of the novel in which the main character struggles to understand and express his sexual desires. Many of the challenges have proved unsuccessful, but the book has occasionally been removed from school libraries.
Supply List
Each student should acquire their own copy of the book Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes, readily available.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Meet the teacher
Teacher expertise and credentials
Washington Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Master's Degree from Pacific Oaks College
I've been a certified teacher for over 30 years, including being the founder of a progressive middle & high school in Seattle (in 1994). I have a warm way of engaging with students who typically come away feeling cared for after attending one of my classes. I love helping students build social-emotional skills, and I love discussing literature with people. In this class, I get to do both!
Reviews
Other classes by Andy Smallman
Other classes by Andy Smallman
Related categories
Parents also liked
American Girl BOOK CLUB
Kristi Rodenbeck
4.9
(481)
$13 per class
Next session at 1 AM on Thursday
Group Class
1/wk, 30 min
8-13
Book Club: Flora & Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo
Tristan - Book Clubs/Reading Comprehension
5.0
(414)
$12 per class
Next session at 1:45 AM tomorrow
Group Class
5 wks, 1/wk, 40 min
8-12
Book Club: The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate Dicamillo
Tristan - Book Clubs/Reading Comprehension
5.0
(414)
$14 per class
Next session at 2 AM on Monday
Group Class
1 wk, 3/wk, 40 min
7-10
Book Club: The Tiger Rising by Kate Dicamillo
Tristan - Book Clubs/Reading Comprehension
5.0
(414)
$12 per class
Next session at 3 AM tomorrow
Group Class
5 wks, 1/wk, 40 min
8-12
Book Club: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Tristan - Book Clubs/Reading Comprehension
5.0
(414)
$12 per class
Next session at 7 PM on Thu 3/6
Group Class
5 wks, 1/wk, 45 min
7-10
Book Club: Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
Tristan - Book Clubs/Reading Comprehension
5.0
(414)
$12 per class
Next session at 4 AM on Monday
Group Class
1 wk, 5/wk, 40 min
10-13
Book Club: Wings of Fire
Orchard Academy
4.8
(823)
$11 per class
Next session at 3:10 PM on Tuesday
Group Class
1/wk, 30 min
8-12
Bookworms: A Book Club for Middle Schoolers
Dr. Sharon BC
5.0
(126)
$30 per class
Next session at 3 PM on Tuesday
Group Class
1/wk, 45 min
10-14
Book Club - The Wild Robot
Sarah Spears
5.0
(4)
$16 per class
Next session at 10 PM on Tue 3/11
Group Class
16 wks, 1/wk, 50 min
8-13
Magic Tree House Book Club
Jordan Hayes
4.8
(18)
$12 per class
Next session at 2:15 PM on Tue 3/4
Group Class
1/wk, 45 min
6-9
Middle Grade Fiction Book Club
Kayla Grose
4.9
(15)
$8 per class
Next session at 11 PM on Wed 3/12
Group Class
1/wk, 30 min
9-12
Book Club - Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
Sarah Spears
5.0
(4)
$15 per class
Next session at 12 AM on Mon 3/3
Group Class
1/wk, 45 min
7-12
South Asian Book Club
Teacher Paro
5.0
(270)
$9 per class
Next session at 12 AM on Tue 6/17
Group Class
1/wk, 30 min
9-13
Classics for Kids Book Club!
Outschool Educator Jennifer Hall
4.9
(269)
$29 per class
Next session at 2 PM on Mon 6/2
Group Class
1/wk, 50 min
8-13
Harry Potter Book club
Miss Amii
$10 per class
Next session at 9 PM tomorrow
Group Class
1/wk, 1 hr
11-15
Summer Book Club!
Michelle Boe - Certified Teacher
5.0
(243)
$12 per class
Next session at 5:45 PM on Mon 7/14
Group Class
1/wk, 40 min
7-9
More to explore
Motivation
Unity 2a
Cooking With Friends
Writing A Story
Spanish Reading And Writing
Northern Lights Academy By Donna Richmond
Wings Of Fire Fanfiction
Wildlife Biology About Axolotl
Improving Vocabulary
Valentines Cooking
FCE
Business Battle
Learning Path
Stop
Text Evidence
Writing Essay
Debate Intermediate
Beyond First Position
Guided Practice Writing Five Paragraph Essays
Floral Drawing