Middle School ELA: Seventh and Eighth Grade English Language Arts

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀: 

❶ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 If the class fee is a barrier to your learner's enrollment, message me for more information about payment plan options and scholarship opportunities. 

❷ 𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀/𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 Learners registering for both the social studies and English language arts course in the same school year, or enrolling in one of the courses in the immediate consecutive school year following completion of the other course (for example, taking ELA in 2024-25 and social studies in 2025-26), will be refunded $100 of their course fee. The refund will be made in the week before class meetings begin, at the time workbook links are being distributed to students. For learners on the payment plan, the $100 refund will be applied to the fourth payment. 

❸ 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 The course will meet twice per week, 45 minutes per meeting, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The fall semester begins on August 12 and ends on December 18 with a one-week Labor Day break the week of September 1, a one-week fall break the week of October 27, and a one-week Thanksgiving break the week of November 24. The spring semester begins on January 26, 2026, and ends on May 21, 2026 with a one-week spring break the week of March 9, 2026. 

❹ 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 Students will receive a virtual interactive workbook before the course begins. The workbook is created using Google Slides. Students will complete homework in the workbook and the teacher also provides feedback on homework in the workbook. 

❺ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 No refunds of course fees are given after the workbooks are distributed. 

❻ 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 Learners enrolled in any of my semester courses are invited to attend study hall, held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons during the semester, at no additional cost. This is a time when students can get extra help with assignments, ask questions, work with classmates on group projects, or just log in and work on homework with other learners. 

❼ 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Homework is assigned following each class meeting. Most students will need some adult assistance with the homework. Students are welcome to attend the course and complete as much or as little homework as they and their adult wish. In order to receive a letter of completion, however, students must complete homework in order to earn at least a 70 percent of better on their final grade. 

➑  𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗢𝘄𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 The Foster Woods Folk School publishes a school newsletter during the school year (with the exception of break weeks). Learners enrolled in any Foster Woods Folk School course are invited to contribute writing and artwork for the newsletter with a completed permission form from the learner's adult. 

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𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗦

Middle School English Language Arts is taught to common core standards, covering literature, grammar, writing, speaking, listening, presenting, and the process of writing a research paper. 

In reading, learners will cite textual evidence to support their analysis, determine themes and central ideas, compare and contrast different mediums, compare and contrast fictional accounts with historical accounts, and analyze structure, points of view, characterization, author's purpose, arguments, and how individuals, events, and ideas influence outcomes. Each class will include a discussion of reading assignments with learners encouraged to share their analysis during the conversation. Reading assignments will include a novel study unit (Richard Adams' 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑫𝒐𝒘𝒏), a memoir study unit (Elie Wiesel's 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕), a short story and informational text unit, and a poetry unit. Learners will further engage with the assigned literature by responding to a journal prompt following each class. Each class will include the introduction of a grammar, language usage, or literary device concept with a worksheet or project to be completed after class to reinforce the concept. During the second class each week, learners will focus on a speaking/listening exercise. The research writing scaffold lessons will begin during Week 17 with the completed research paper due during Week 30. 

Teaching will include class discussions, lectures with slides, videos and other multi-media presentations, learning games and activities, worksheets, and group projects. 

The class meets twice each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each class will begin class with a discussion about the assigned literature with learners encouraged to share thoughts they may have expressed in response to the assigned journal prompt. Following the literature discussion, a grammar, language usage, or literary device concept will be taught with a worksheet or project relating to the concept assigned for homework. During the Thursday class, there will also be a speaking/listening lesson, student presentations, and/or research paper lessons. 

This class is for learners who just want to practice their English Language Arts Skills, as well as students who want to get a letter of competition. There is 3-4 hours of homework to be completed each week. See the rubric below for how the learner will be evaluated.

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝟭: 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆-𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺𝘀' 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑫𝒐𝒘𝒏
𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟯-𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭: 
Class 1: Introductions and Class Agreements
Class 2: Lecture/Discussion: Allegory and Systems of Government; Grammar: Noun Review; Speaking and Listening: Slideshow Presentations 

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮: 
Class 3: Lecture/Discussion: Allusion and Lapine Vocabulary; Grammar: Plurals and Possessives 
Class 4: Lecture/Discussion: Foreshadowing; Grammar: Appositives; Speaking and Listening: Student Slideshow Presentations

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯: 
Class 5: Lecture/Discussion: Anthropomorphism; Grammar: Pronouns
Class 6: Lecture/Discussion: Irony; Grammar:  Action Verbs and Subject-Verb Agreement; Speaking and Listening: Book Talks

𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟰: 
Class 7: Lecture/Discussion: Verisimilitude; Grammar: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Class 8: Lecture/Discussion: Proverbs; Grammar: Helping and Linking Verbs; Speaking and Listening: Student Book Talks Presentations

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟱: 
Class 9: Lecture/Discussion: Character Comparisons; Grammar: Gerunds, Participles, Infinitives
Class 10: Lecture/Discussion: Gender in the Novel; Grammar: Past, Present, Future Verb Tenses; Speaking and Listening: Collegial Discussions

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟲: 
Class 11: Lecture/Discussion: Themes in the Novel; Grammar: Progressive Tense
Class 12: Lecture/Discussion: Themes in the Novel; Grammar: Perfect Tense; Speaking and Listening: Group Decision Making 

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟳: 
Class 13: Lecture/Discussion: Plot; Grammar: Active and Passive Verbs
Class 14: Lecture/Discussion: Comparing the novel to the movie; Grammar: Indicative, Imperative, and Subjective Verb Moods; Speaking and Listening: Student Committee Reports

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟴: 
Class 15: Lecture/Discussion: Wrapping up the novel; Grammar: Gerunds, Participles, Infinitives
Class 16: Unit Paper Due: Book Report, Presentation of Book Reports

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𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝟮: 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗿-𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗹 
𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱-𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟵: 
Class 17: Lecture/Discussion: Introduction to 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕; Grammar-Comparative, Superlative, Predicate Adjectives
Class 18: Lecture/Discussion: Fiction vs. Nonfiction, Memoir; Grammar: Adverbs and Intensifiers, Comparative and Superlative; Speaking and Listening: Convince Us 

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟬: 
Class 19: Lecture/Discussion: Why do we need to hear stories of Holocaust survivors?; Grammar: Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
Class 20: Lecture/Discussion: Creating Identity Boxes; Grammar: Conjunctions and Interjections; Speaking and Listening: Convince Us Presentations

𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟭: 
Class 21: Lecture/Discussion: Identity Boxes; Grammar: Sentence Types
Class 22: Lecture/Discussion: Identity and Stories; Grammar: Simple and Compound Sentences; Speaking and Listening: Partner Discussions

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟮: 
Class 23: Lecture/Discussion: Timeline of Elie Wiesel's Life; Grammar: Complex Sentences
Class 24: Lecture/Discussion: How does trauma change identity?; Grammar: Adjectives, adverbs, and noun clauses; Speaking and Listening: Partner Discussions

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟯: 
Class 25: Lecture/Discussion: What is the purpose of memoir? Why did Elie Wiesel write 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕?; Grammar: Capitalization and End Marks
Class 26: Lecture/Discussion: What does it mean to bear witness? Why is it important?; Grammar: Commas; Speaking and Listening: Small Group Discussion

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟰:
Class 27: Lecture/Discussion: Wrapping Up the Novel; Grammar: Semicolons and Colons
Class 28: Lecture/Discussion: Discussion of 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 article, "The Story of Night"; Grammar: Quotation Marks; Speaking and Listening: Small Group Discussions

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟱: 
Class 29: Lecture/Discussion: Discussion of Oprah Winfrey's video with Elie Wiesel; Grammar: Italics and Underlining
Class 30: Lecture/Discussion: Discussion of Elie Wiesel's speech "The Perils of Indifference"; Grammar: Apostrophes; Speaking and Listening: Large Group Discussions

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟲: 
Class 31: Lecture/Discussion: Discussion of Elie Wiesel's poem "Never Shall I Forget"; Grammar: Hyphens, Ellipses, Dashes, Parentheses
Class 32: Lecture/Discussion: Unit Project Due: Human Rights Campaign, Presentation of Unit Projects

𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞: 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝟯: 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁 
𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟳: 
Class 33: Lecture/Discussion: Introduction to Short Stories; Language Usage-Word Roots, Prefixes, Suffixes, Dictionary Usage
Reading Assignment: "One Friday Morning" by Langston Hughes
Class 34: Lecture/Discussion: Sequence of Events, Interaction Between Events, How Ideas Influence Individuals and Events; Language Usage: Negatives and Double Negatives; Speaking and Listening: Note Taking; Research Paper: Choosing a Topic and Writing a Research Question
Reading Assignment: "Jim Crow and the Great Migration" 

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟴: 
Class 35: Lecture/Discussion: Comparing Historical Fiction to Historical Account; Language Usage-Synonyms, Antonyms, Thesaurus Usage
Reading Assignment: "Lather and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez
Class 36: Lecture/Discussion: Story Elements and Inferences; Language Usage: Analogies; Speaking and Listening: Speeches, Research Paper: Preliminary Research
Reading Assignment: "One of these Days" Gabriel García Márquez

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟵: 
Class 37: Lecture/Discussion: Characterization, Relationships Between Characters; Language Usage-Homophones and Homographs
Reading Assignment: "The Friday Everything Changed" by Anne Hart
Class 38: Lecture/Discussion: Analyzing Dialogue; Language Usage: Connotations and Denotations; Speaking and Listening: Analyzing a Speech; Research Paper: Writing a Thesis Statement
Reading Assignment: "Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls" 

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬: 
Class 39: Lecture/Discussion: Compare Short Story and Article; Literary Device-Archetype
Reading Assignment: “The Aged Mother” By Matsuo Bashō
Class 40: Lecture/Discussion: Traditional Literature and Its Purpose; Literary Device: Colloquialism; Speaking and Listening: Historical Speeches; Research Paper: Conducting Research and Choosing Good Sources
Reading Assignment: "Witchcraft in Salem"  

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟭:  
Class 41: Lecture/Discussion: "Herd Behavior"; Literary Device-Dramatic Irony
Reading Assignment: “Herd Behavior" 
Class 42: Lecture/Discussion: Plot; Literary Device: Mood; Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Historical Speeches; Research Paper: Plagiarism
Reading Assignment: "The Last Class: The Story of a Little Alsatian” by Alphonse Daudet

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟮: 
Class 43: Lecture/Discussion: Analyzing Fiction; Literary Device-Tone
Reading Assignment: "Why Dolphins Make Us Nervous" 
Class 44: Lecture/Discussion: Evaluating Claims; Literary Device: Point of View; Speaking and Listening: Giving a Speech; Research Paper: Parenthetical Citations and Works Cited Page
Reading Assignment: Excerpt from 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 By Anna Sewell

𝗦𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟯:
Class 45: Lecture/Discussion: What is News?; Literary Device-Exposition
Reading Assignment: “Conflicting News Reports on the Fate of the Sinking Titanic”
Class 46: Lecture/Discussion: Key Ideas and Details, Using Context Clues; Literary Device: In Medias Res; Speaking and Listening: Speech Presentations; Research Paper: Creating an Outline
Reading Assignment: “How the News Media Works”

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟰:  
Class 47: Lecture/Discussion: Is the News Media Important?; Literary Device-Oxymoron
Reading Assignment: ““Titanic Officer Swears Wreck Due to Company's Neglect”
Class 48: Lecture/Discussion: Wrapping Up the Unit; Research Paper: Writing the Introduction

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝟰: 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 
𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭-𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟮

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟱:
Class 49: Lecture/Discussion: Introduction to Poetry; Literary Device-Simile
Reading Assignment: “Identity" by Julio Noboa
Class 50: Lecture/Discussion: Analyzing Poetry; Literary Device: Metaphors; Speaking and Listening: Evaluating Classmates Research Paper; Research Paper: Writing the First Draft and Formatting 
Reading Assignment: “The Blind Men and the Elephant” By John Godfrey Saxe

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟲: 
Class 51: Lecture/Discussion: Perspectives; Literary Device-Personification
Reading Assignment: “There Will Come Soft Rains” By Sara Teasdale
Class 52: Lecture/Discussion: Sonnets; Literary Device: Voice; Speaking and Listening: Evaluating Classmates Research Paper; 
Reading Assignment: “Sonnet 43” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Page 1 of Research Paper Rough Draft Due

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟳: 
Class 53: Lecture/Discussion: Maya Angelou; Literary Device-Alliteration
Reading Assignment: “Caged Bird” By Maya Angelou
Class 54: Lecture/Discussion: Introduction to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"; Literary Device: Symbolism; Speaking and Listening: Evaluating Classmates Research Paper
Reading Assignment: Part 1 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Page 2 of Research Paper Rough Draft Due

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟴: 
Class 55: Lecture/Discussion: Ballads; Literary Device-Imagery
Reading Assignment: Part 2 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Class 56: Lecture/Discussion: Romanticism Literary Movement; Literary Device: Parallelism; Speaking and Listening: Evaluating Classmates Research Paper
Reading Assignment: Part 3 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Page 3 of Research Paper Rough Draft Due

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟵: 
Class 57: Lecture/Discussion: Mythology in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; Literary Device-Paradox
Reading Assignment: Part 4 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Class 58: Lecture/Discussion: Allusion in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; Literary Device: Rhyme; Speaking and Listening: Evaluating Classmates Research Paper 
Reading Assignment: Part 5 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Page 4 of Research Paper Rough Draft Due

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯𝟬:
Class 59: Lecture/Discussion: Themes in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; Literary Device-Hyperbole
Reading Assignment: Part 6 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Class 60: Lecture/Discussion: Metaphor in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; Literary Device: Onomatopoeia; Speaking and Listening: Preparing to Present Research Paper
Reading Assignment: Part 7 of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Complete Research Paper Rough Draft (Title Page, Five Pages of Writing, Works Cited Page) Due

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯𝟭: 
Class 61: Lecture/Discussion: Wrapping Up “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; Literary Device-Puns
Reading Assignment: "Fun with Puns"
Class 60: Lecture/Discussion: Creating Puns; Literary Device: Motif; Speaking and Listening: Research Paper Presentations
Reading Assignment: Student Selected Poetry 

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯𝟮:
Class 63: Wrapping Up and Research Paper Presentations
Class 64: Wrapping Up and Research Paper Presentations