Living Forever: Gift, or Curse?
Literacy Circle Group discussing the novel, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
What's included
6 live meetings
5 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
This literacy circle course is for the book “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt. We will meet for 45 minutes, six times throughout this three week course. This 20 chapter novel is very popular, and it is a part of many Language Arts courses for grades 3-6. This course is structured as a literacy circle, which is a very unique and immersive, structured book club type environment. In a literacy circle course, there are 6 participants and 6 jobs. Each session, every student will have a specific job. The job is to be completed before class, and shared with the small group. By doing this, everyone will have a way to contribute to the discussion without relying on open ended questioning alone. The 6 jobs in a literacy circle course are: 1. Discussion Leader: Prepare some interesting questions for discussion based on your assigned reading. 2. Real Life Connector: Find connections in the story to real life events, or applicable themes. 3. Word Wizard: Locate words in the text that might be interesting or unfamiliar to your peers. Present the definitions of the words. 4. Imaginative Illustrator: Illustrate a detailed scene from the text that really stood out to you. 5. Star Summarizer: Summarize the assigned text, include the most important details. 6. Character Catcher: Choose 2 characters and describe their unique traits, along with any events that changed or defined their character in the assigned chapters. By having a specific job, everyone will be able to contribute to the literacy circle, which promotes a rich and fulfilling learning experience for all participants. An email will be sent with each student’s scheduled roles, they will have one assignment due each session, and should have completed their reading and assignment before each session, enabling us to have a rich discussion during each session. Session 1: Prologue-chapter 4 (approx. 20 pgs.) Session 2: Chapters 5-8 (approx. 24 pgs.) Session 3: Chapters 9-13 (approx.20 pgs.) Session 4: Chapters 14-17 (approx. 22 pgs.) Session 5: Chapters 18-21 (approx. 22 pgs.) Session 6: Chapters 22-epilogue (approx. 29 pgs.) Aside from the book, all materials will be provided by the teacher, and there will be collaborative discussion throughout the course.
Learning Goals
NCTE/IRA NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
1.
Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
2.
Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
3.
Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
7.
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
9.
Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
11.
Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12.
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Here is the common sense media review of the book. Feel free to check it out to see any questionable content ahead of time.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/tuck-everlasting/user-reviews/adult
Supply List
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt Tuck Everlasting https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312369816/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_K4CdFbWRJDB8G I will email each learner a digital copy of their literacy circle workbook to be printed prior to the first session of class.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
I will be using several resources from readwritethink.org and scholastic.com as well as common core aligned standards.
Joined July, 2020
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hi there! I am an educational independent contractor specializing in distance learning. Most days you will find me at my home just outside of Memphis, TN, managing my family of 6 in my role as “chaos coordinator”, or all around the world in my role as educational contractor, connecting with kids and families in many different countries. I love teaching, I have taught, in different capacities, for over 15 years now! About 4 years ago I took the plunge into the world of online learning and I think it is a total game changer for teachers, students, and families- allowing us to work together like never before!
I graduated from Harding University in 2009 with my degree in Early Childhood Education and Children’s Ministry. I have worked in public schools, private schools, and with several churches in their youth and children’s ministry programs. I have taught all ages pre-k-12th, and I still don’t know what my favorite age to teach is, they are all so fun in different ways!
I firmly believe that your experiences in education form your successes. I have seen students that “hate” reading absolutely blossom once they find a genre they love, or plug into a literacy group that is a good fit for them. Kids that are “bad at math” finally find a method or presentation that “clicks” and then they are unstoppable. My favorite thing about Outschool is the limitless opportunity to find classes and teachers that are good fit for your student’s individual learning style and interests.
During my time teaching elementary school, I became a big fan of “Literature Circles” these are “book club” based reading experiences that are very structured and conducive for reading fluency, comprehension, and a host of other imperative reading skills. I love hosting these courses online through Outschool as well! During my time working with middle school and high schoolers, I learned that I really enjoy doing “topic of interest” studies with them. We have done thematic studies, pulling themes from novels, plays, and poems, as well as topics of personal interest, such as test taking, study skills, even dating and body changes during puberty.
I do my best to offer interesting and engaging courses, that will appeal to learners with a variety of learning styles. Before offering a course, I research standards based instruction on the topic, and integrate my research into an interactive class experience with your student in mind.
Connect with me on instagram: Teaching_in_pajamas
I look forward to meeting your student in class!
Teacher Jamie
Reviews
Live Group Class
$45
for 6 classes2x per week, 3 weeks
55 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-13
6-9 learners per class
