Middle School English Language Arts Semester 2 | 6th & 7th Grade

**You do NOT have to take semester one before taking semester two!**

Want to try out the class before committing to an entire semester? Take my ELA sample class: https://outschool.com/classes/mrs-hannahs-ms-english-language-arts-sample-class-jRPCJ4ZL?usid=DAwy1sg1&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Welcome to my classroom (which my students lovingly call the "Gucciest Classroom"). My teaching philosophy is rooted in engagement, creativity, fun, and hearing students' voices more than my own. This is a semester-long course that will teach your learner the necessary skills to be prepared for high school (and beyond) in writing, reading, and speaking/listening. I am a certified and experienced ELA teacher, and I have taught in public schools, private schools, and universities. This class is focused on finding your learner's strengths, improving their weaknesses, and fostering a loving, engaging community with peers. 

Students are expected to read a book of their choosing 4 days a week for at least 15 minutes starting in week 5. They will also be expected to present a book project at the end of the semester. 

Please read the schedule below to see if this class is a good fit for you. We will work hard, but have fun creating and learning together. 
**You MUST purchase the novels for this class. We cannot read them out loud in class due to copyright laws. Pages will be assigned for homework throughout the week as well as journal prompts.**

Weeks 1-6: The Diary of Anne Frank
Writing focus: Creative Writing
Reading focus: Historical Novels
In these weeks, we will read one drama: The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank) dramatized by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. They will read designated pages at home for homework. We will look at tone, dramatic effect, plot, point of view, and more. By the end of these four weeks, we will have written: 1 narrative essay, 1 creative narrative, and several journal entries. The students will submit one "mini" creative learning project each for feedback (students will choose from a list of options for the project). 

Weeks 7-13: Flowers for Algernon
Writing focus: Argumentative Writing
Reading focus: Fiction 
Speaking listening focus: Debates
In these four weeks, we will combine argumentative writing, nonfiction reading, and fiction reading. We will make real-world connections to our short story: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys (short story--NOT novel). We will also learn how to write arguments and have effective debates. We will learn about text elements and rhetorical strategies including claims, reasons, counterclaims, central idea, summaries, logical fallacies, etc. By the end of these four weeks, we will have written: 1 argumentative essay, 2 argumentative QuickWrites, and several journal entries. We will also prepare for a debate over the course of the four weeks in small groups and have a fun debate in week 14. Students will work on a larger project over the course of these weeks. 

Week 14: 
Wrap up and present book projects. Throughout the past 13 weeks, your learner will read a book of his/her choosing. The last two sessions will be for presentations of book projects and we will play one last game together.