What's included
20 live meetings
10 in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Reading will be assigned twice per week. Students will spend about 30 to 60 minutes reading each time. Students will also have vocabulary words and reading questions to explore with each reading selection. These assignments could take 45 min to 1 hour and 30 minutes. This is in addition to the 30 minute meetings twice per week.Assessment
Students will receive verbal feedback during meetings and written feedback for submitted materials.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
This course is all about contemporary middle school level literature! All stories were published in 2017 or later. This means that all stories we read together will be relatable for students! Each student will need a copy of the books "Flying Lessons and Other Stories" edited by Ellen Oh and "The Door of No Return" by Kwame Alexander. We will have a very small group of students. We will meet twice per week for 30 minutes, and every student will have the opportunity to speak about what they've read. This is a fairly reading intensive course, so please make sure your student is ready to read. During each meeting, we will discuss the assigned reading and the accompanying reading questions. I will ask discussion questions, and students will have the opportunity to ask any questions they have. I will post vocabulary words, accompanying worksheets, and the title of the reading section on the first Saturday of class. After we meet on Tuesdays, I will post the necessary materials for reading and completion before Friday's meeting. After Friday's meeting, I will post the necessary materials for reading and completion before the next Tuesday's meeting. I will expect that students complete all readings and worksheets by the time we meet on Tuesdays and Fridays. I will also post optional vocabulary games. Each section of reading will have accompanying vocabulary and reading comprehension questions. Each short story will have a specific focus in a middle school English standard. While reading chapters of "The Door of No Return," students will focus on figurative language and text analysis. Week 1: "How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium" by Matt De La Peña - Focus on point of view and analyzing dialogue "The Difficult Path" by Grace Lin - Focus on the ways modern literature draws on themes, patterns of events, and character types from myths or traditional stories Week 2: "Sol Painting, Inc." by Meg Medina - Focus on identifying theme and central idea "Secret Samantha" by Tim Federle - Focus on determining the meaning of words as phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings Week 3: "The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn" by Kelly J. Baptist - Focus on citing textual evidence that most strongly supports analysis of a text "Choctaw Bigfoot, Midnight in the Mountains" by Tim Tingle - Focus on analyzing how different points of view create effects such as suspense or humor Week 4: "Main Street" by Jacqueline Woodson - Focus on analyzing how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text "Flying Lessons" by Soman Chainani - Focus on analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts Week 5: "Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents" by Kwame Alexander - Focus on analysis of the structure of texts "Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push" by Walter Dean Myers - Focus on assessing how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text Week 6: "The Door of No Return" Chapters 1 and 2 Week 7: "The Door of No Return" Chapters 3 and 4 Week 8: "The Door of No Return" Chapters 5 and 6 Week 9: "The Door of No Return" Chapter 7 Week 10: Research and Essay Writing
Learning Goals
Students will read stories that they connect with and relate to. Students will build a love of literature along with building their vocabulary, reading comprehension, text analysis skills, and understanding of figurative language. My greatest goal is for students to have fun, connect to literature, and have interesting and exciting conversations about what they read.
Syllabus
20 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
"How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court..." by Matt De La Peña
Focus on point of view and analyzing dialogue
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
"The Difficult Path" by Grace Lin
Focus on the ways modern literature draws on themes, patterns of events, and character types from myths or traditional stories
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
"Sol Painting, Inc." by Meg Medina
Focus on identifying theme and central idea
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
"Secret Samantha" by Tim Federle
Focus on determining the meaning of words as phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings
30 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
We will be reading the book "The Door of No Return" by Kwame Alexander. This book contains material that may be too much for students younger than 12 or sensitive learners. Please look into this book before signing your child up. It truly is a fantastic work of literature, but it is sad. The story involves murder, slavery, suicide, and hints at rape. If your child is younger than 12 and would like to join, please reach out to me and think through the decision carefully. You can read the following article for a little more information.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/books/review/kwame-alexander-the-door-of-no-return.html
The book "Flying Lessons and Other Stories" is rated 9+. Please see Common Sense Media for more information.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/flying-lessons-and-other-stories
I will use Kahoot and Blooket for vocabulary games. These are not required for students to complete. I will post links and game codes, so students should not need to make an account.
Supply List
Each student must have a copy of "Flying Lessons and Other Stories" edited by Ellen Oh ($8.99 on Amazon) and "The Door of No Return" by Kwame Alexander ($14.39 on Amazon). I will supply all worksheets and games.
Sources
Each student must have a copy of "Flying Lessons and Other Stories" edited by Ellen Oh ($8.99 on Amazon) and "The Door of No Return" by Kwame Alexander ($14.39 on Amazon).
Teacher expertise and credentials
Minnesota Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Master's Degree in Education from University of Missouri
I am a licensed English teacher for students in 5-12th grade. I spent 4 years in a public school classroom teaching 7th and 8th grade English.
Reviews
Live Group Course
$16
weekly or $160 for 20 classes2x per week, 10 weeks
30 min
Completed by 12 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
3-6 learners per class
Financial Assistance
Tutoring
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