Middle School English: A Full Semester for 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders
In this four-month full curriculum virtual semester students will get the same experiences with me as they would in a brick-and-mortar classroom. Activities will include reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and so much more.
David Ginsberg
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(161)
What's included
64 live meetings
64 in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Homework will be assigned each week. Most homework assignments will be to watch video resources on Wednesdays and to read chapters of the assigned books the other days of the week.Assessment
I will provide grades as needed to satisfy homeschool requirements. Any grades provided will be formal letter grades such as A,B,C,D or F. Just as in public school an A is the highest passing grade and an F is the lowest failing grade. Final evaluations of learning units will be project based rather than depending on written tests, this allows more creative freedom for learners to demonstrate skill mastery using a hands on approach. All learners are required to participate in classroom discussions and activities. All learners must be respectful to each other and the teacher.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
This semester long classroom experience is ideal for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who are home schooling but all learners who would benefit from this class and my instruction are certainly welcome to attend. Throughout the semester we will be reading multiple books which I have personally selected for middle school learners. These books will include Middle School The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, Holes by Louis Sachar, and Daniel’s Story by Carol Matas. Each of these books have been used as teaching tools in public schools across America. In my opinion they are all exceptional for helping middle school students to further develop their critical thinking skills. In October we will cover a unit on horror stories, we will read The Tell- Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, and we will write our own scary stories to get into the Halloween spirit. I will offer school vacations just like we would have in a public school. We will have one week off in November for Thanksgiving and two weeks off in December for Christmas and New Years. The semester will come back for the conclusion in January after the holiday break. Learning packets will be sent via Outschool message to all learners who enroll. Each week questions from the packet should be answered for the assigned chapters. Certain questions will ask for specific answers such as what did one character say to another? Other questions will ask for your opinion. Grades will be provided as needed to satisfy home schooling requirements. The first day of class will serve as an introduction. I will go over expectations and procedures. We will get to know each other, and I will also offer students an outline of what the semester will look like. We will meet every week live on Zoom. Class will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will serve as a catch-up day for any missing homework assignments and for watching videos assigned as homework. On Thursdays we will discuss the video assignments from Wednesday's homework. I will find as many free videos on YouTube as possible to offer students additional resources. YouTube has a seemingly limitless virtual library of free documentaries. An example schedule is listed below. The schedule has been broken down into month long units. Month 1 August: Middle School The Worst Years of My Life unit and activities. Month 2 September: Holes unit and activities. Month 3 October: The Tell- Tale Heart and writing scary stories unit and activities. Month 4 November: Writing activities. November Break Month 5 December: Daniel's Story unit and activities. December Break Month 6 January: Coming back from break and finishing Daniel's story.
Learning Goals
Our learning goal should be to create classroom culture and community. We should be developing our critical thinking skills while honing our reading and writing abilities. These skills will be essential for all learners to one day go on to college, the military, and or the work force.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Each book and story I have selected for our semester of learning has been used in public middle schools across America. Some are also included in the common core. These stories do include some mature themes that not all parents are comfortable with their children being exposed to. If you are not comfortable with these themes this might not be the right class for your children. If you are comfortable with your children learning about these themes, then it will be my pleasure to work with them in furthering their education.
Middle School The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson is a fairly comedic story, but it does depict a boy who lives in a dysfunctional household. His mother is in a bad marriage with an abusive husband/ stepfather and the protagonist gets in trouble at school.
Holes by Louis Sachar does explore mature and controversial issues which still exist in the American juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Some of these issues include juvenile delinquency, racism, corruption of police and correctional officers, and wrongful incarceration.
In The Tell- Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe a violent murder is described in detail by an unnamed protagonist very likely suffers from an undiagnosed psychological disorder.
Daniel’s Story by Carol Matas depicts the Holocaust in graphic details. Daniel the protagonist is a fourteen-year-old Jewish boy who is sent to a concentration camp.
In my opinion while some of the issues the authors present are mature, they are important to discuss because they do still exist in the modern day. It is my hope that by learning about these issues we can prevent them from occurring in the future thus making the world we live in better. I am a firm believer in the old saying that knowledge is power.
Supply List
All learners should have access to the required books prior to class. The books can be purchased on the internet. All learners should also bring a paper and pencil to class. All Learners should have internet access. Some video watching assignments will take place on YouTube or Hulu. Disney Plus can be used to watch the film adaptation of Holes.
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
The books we will be reading are Middle School The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, Holes by Louis Sachar, and Daniel’s Story by Carol Matas. Each of these books can be purchased on Amazon, Google, or Audible. Each learner will need a copy of thee books for this class. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe can be read for free on the internet from multiple sources. Some free audiobook versions of each of these stories also exist on YouTube. Most reading will take place outside of class.
All learners should also bring a paper and pencil to class.
Joined May, 2020
4.9
161reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have 5 + years teaching experience. I have a lifelong membership with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. At the associate’s level at Southern Maine Community College, I studied Criminal Justice and Psychology, this included learning to professionally diagnose a patient with a mental disorder. I have a bachelor's degree in Educational Studies from Grand Canyon University, and a masters degree in history also from Grand Canyon University. I also have more than 20 credits in English.Reviews
Live Group Class
$40
weekly4x per week, 16 weeks
60 min
Completed by 17 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
4-18 learners per class
