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?

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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.