Middle School English: Contemporary Literature Semester Course
Ms. Shannon Johnsen
Popular
Rising Star
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(75)
In this small-group semester course, students will explore contemporary literature including multiple short stories and a novel, all of which were published between 2017 and 2022.
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...
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.
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.
Homework Offered
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.2 - 4 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Students will receive verbal feedback during meetings and written feedback for submitted materials.Grades Offered
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.
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.
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).
Popular
Rising Star
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(75)
Hello! My name is Shannon Johnsen, and I am a licensed English teacher for students in grades 5-12. I am passionate about teaching reading and writing skills. I even think grammar is FUN! I love to discuss literature, so I look forward to hearing...
Group Class
$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
