7th Grade English: Personal Narrative & Classic Lit
In this 14 week course, students will develop their English skills through two novel studies (students will be able to choose their novels together) where they will write one personal narrative and one literary analysis essay!
Kaitlyn Fischer: Close-Reading Specialist
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What's included
28 live meetings
21 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will be asked to complete all of their reading outside of class. If some of our writing work is unfinished after class, students will be asked to complete that work outside of class as well. But the majority of work will be completed in class.Assessment
Students will be given several formal writing assignments throughout the semester. While these are not tests, per se, they can be used as assessment pieces for homeschooling evidence, which many states and countries require. All formal writing in my class will be completed with multiple rounds of written and verbal feedback. Students will have the opportunity to work through their writing skills as a group and 1-1 with me in class!Grading
Grading - Students will have the opportunity to receive a grade in the form of their choosing.I am happy to provide a grade in the form of a percentage, letter, or both. I can also offer a formal letter for submission to state programs. I ask students throughout the semester about their needs for grading and am happy to work with parents to create a plan that meets their needs! Please note that Grading is NOT required.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
In this semester-long course, students will participate in various reading, writing, and discussion activities through a short creative writing unit, two novel studies, and a research unit. The outline below may shift as the semester goes on depending on student needs, but we will go through the units as prescribed. As a teacher and a parent, I feel it is important to make adjustments based on student needs so that students are getting the most out of their classes and so that they are developing the skills that they need to be successful. We will take typical holiday breaks according to the United States federal holidays. We will also be taking a full week's break during the spring for a "spring break" so that students can spend time with their families. *** Please note that while the course is designed with 6th and 8th-grade students in mind, I have a flexible age range. Students of varying ages are welcome if this class's curriculum, content, skills, teaching style, etc. fit their needs. I encourage all students and parents interested in my class to contact me with questions they might have! ***
Learning Goals
- Students will be able to identify the following literary elements: character and character development, genre, plot development and major plot points, symbolism, themes, and more!- Students will engage in discussions and debates with one another as we explore more than just reading comprehension but also the complex decisions the author makes and its cultural and historical connections to the time period.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)28 Lessons
over 14 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction to Semester Course
- Introduction and Welcome
- Student "Interviews" - Goals, Experiences, and Interests
- Introduction to Basic English Skills 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Introduction to Semester Course
- Prompt Writing
- Introduction to Google Drive 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Personal Narrative Writing
- Introduction to Personal Narrative
- Elements of Narrative Writing 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Personal Narrative Writing
- Planning the Personal Narrative Writing Project
- Examples of Personal Narratives 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Here are the parental guides from common sense media and a plot overview for our novel studies:
- The House on Mango Street: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-house-on-mango-street
- Brown Girl Dreaming: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/brown-girl-dreaming
Supply List
Students will need to purchase the novels and have access to the literature pieces with copyrights. Some of the work we will be working with will be creative commons work or will be out of copyright. These we can access without an issue. All work we complete (the curriculum itself) is developed by me so there is no need to purchase a copyrighted curriculum!
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined January, 2020
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965reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Colorado Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education
I have been teaching professionally for over 5 years in both Missouri and in Colorado. I have been on Outschool for two years (at the time this class will start) and can provide links to classes where I teach the concepts of this semester-long class so you can look through them and look at the reviews to see how other parents and students have reacted to my courses. I am happy to answer any questions that you have!
Classic Literature - A Novel Study for Middle School Students (A course where students choose the novels we read)
- In this course, I have taught all four of our novel options
- https://outschool.com/classes/classic-literature-a-novel-study-xkvxQwCz?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Writing a Novel (Employs the creative writing skills that we will be using in our course)
- https://outschool.com/classes/writing-a-novel-or-short-story-on-going-workshops-YTo8o2q7?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Writing Historical Fiction (Employs the creative writing skills that we will be using in our course)
- https://outschool.com/classes/writing-short-stories-historical-fiction-xTk6Rddd?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_linkReviews
Live Group Course
$29
weekly or $400 for 28 classes2x per week, 14 weeks
45 min
Completed by 21 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-13
3-6 learners per class
