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Middle School English: So the Story Goes With Film & Literature

Join anytime! Great literature and great fun! Students learn to analyze literature through film then read various genres of literature, discuss it with peers, and write short analytical pieces, getting teacher feedback.
Lemons-Aid Learning
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4.9
Number of reviews:
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What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per week
Homework
1 hour per week. Learners have a writing assignment each week.
Grading
Learners get weekly feedback on their writing.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 8
๐“๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐‚๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž: Preparation for High School Literature, Critical Thinking, & Analytical Writing

๐Ÿฟ Grab the popcorn because we use film in the first 12 lessons in this class to teach elements of literature and how to analyze, evaluate, and think critically about narratives. Hang on to that popcorn because we launch into great literature, classic pieces with rich storylines. Students apply their newly acquired analytical skills to short literature in the second half of the school year. Short stories are special. They quickly introduce us to characters, settings, conflicts, and themes that relate to our lives. Short story authors are a special breed as well, able to craft a satisfying, thought-provoking story that we can read in one sitting. Stories reflect the human experience and help us see ourselves and the world in which we live. How do authors do this? In this course, we will use classic short stories to study the author's craft, to learn to analyze literature, and to see its beauty, complexity, and most importantly, the illustration of a human experience in a theme. We will read from a variety of authors from a variety of countries and literary periods. Students will have optional homework to write about the story's theme each week. They will look at the structure, figurative language, symbolism, syntax of sentences, setting, character development, conflict, motifs, etc. to analyze how the author developed the theme. Students who submit their writing each week will get feedback from the teacher. 




๐ŸŒณ A Snapshot of Each Class - Fall
โถ After students report on their leisure reading, the instructor explicitly teaches an aspect of literary analysis or element of literature (such as exposition or dramatic irony). 
โท Students watch how the literary element is used in a short film; for example, we will look at the dramatic irony in a Pixar short. 
โธ We discuss the use of the element in the film. 
โน The teacher offers a writing template and gives directions on how to write the short literary analysis piece, analyzing how the screenwriter and director crafted the narrative. This is an optional homework assignment, and when students turn in their writing, the teacher will offer feedback. 

โ›„๏ธ  A Snapshot of Each Class - Winter & Spring
โถ After students report on their leisure reading, the instructor introduces an essential question. 
โท We have a short teacher-led discussion about the essential question, the author, and the historical context of our story. 
โธ We read a short story together in class.
โน Students answer questions to test their comprehension, and they have a short teacher-led discussion on the essential question and the theme.  
โบ Students write high-level discussion questions from "question starters" that will lead to thought-provoking discussions. 
โป Students participate in a student-led, teacher-supported Socratic Seminar on the story.
โผ The teacher offers a writing template and gives directions on how to write the short literary analysis piece, analyzing how the author developed the theme. This is an optional homework assignment, and when students turn in their writing, the teacher will offer feedback. 




๐Ÿ‹ ๐™๐™๐™š ๐™‡๐™š๐™ข๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™จ-๐˜ผ๐™ž๐™™ ๐™’๐™–๐™ฎ ๐Ÿ‹
๐‹๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐‹๐ž๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ-๐€๐ข๐, ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ, ๐š๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ž๐š๐œ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ! CLICK THROUGH TO GET A SURPRISE COUPON CODE!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JwlFnta1ZYAlNn8t2GMMA8Bb6dd0ums1IbdtpzZwuRc/edit?usp=sharing

๐˜Œ๐˜น๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ: (๐˜ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ, ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ, ๐˜ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ)
๐˜š๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜”๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ & ๐˜ˆ๐˜ค๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜บ
๐˜—๐˜ถ๐˜ฃ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ค ๐˜š๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ & ๐˜Š๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜–๐˜ฏ
๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฌ
๐˜Ž๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ค ๐˜–๐˜ณ๐˜จ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ป๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด
๐˜š๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜บ
๐˜›๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฌ--The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if it is done well. We follow best practices in this area with how we design class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, effective writing feedback (or grading) is:
โ€ข Specific, not general
โ€ข Immediate, not postponed
โ€ข Routine with a revision / feedback cycle
โ€ข Explanatory
โ€ข The right amount
โ€ข Targeted to the most critical issues
โ€ข Varied (written, audio, and video comments)
โ€ข Holding students accountable

๐ŸŽฅ To see teacher introduction videos, go to the Lemons-Aid profile page where you can view the video and also read bios. 
https://outschool.com/teachers/Karen-Lemons?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&follow=true&utm_campaign=share_leader_link


SUMMER 2024:
The Week Starting Aug 11--After Twenty Years by O. Henry
The Week Starting Aug 18--Hearts and Hands by O. Henry
The Week Starting Aug 25--The Jacket by 


๐Ÿ“† 2024 - 2025 School Year Schedule:

The Week Starting Sept 1--Summarizing Plot with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Sept 8--Summarizing Plot with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Sept 15--Analyzing Plot with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Sept 22--Analyzing Plot with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Sept 29--Motif with Jaws, Star Wars, James Bond and an animated short
The Week Starting Oct 6--Motif & Theme with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Oct 13--Motif & Theme with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Oct 20--Motif & Theme with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Oct 27--Motif & Theme with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Nov 3--Effect of Exposition on an Audience (Pixar's Opening to Finding Nemo)
The Week Starting Nov 10--Resolutions with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Nov 17-Methods of Suspense with Animated Shorts
The Week Starting Nov 24--NO CLASS
The Week Starting Dec 1--The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Week Starting Dec 8--The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
The Week Starting Dec 15--Thank you, Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Dec 22 - Jan 4--NO CLASS

The Week Starting Jan 5--The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
The Week Starting Jan 12--The Way Up to Heaven by Roald Dahl
The Week Starting Jan 19--The Lumber Room by H.H. Munro
The Week Starting Jan 26--A Ghost by Guy de Maupassant
The Week Starting Feb 2--The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The Week Starting Feb 9--The Cat That Walked by Himself by Rudyard Kipling
The Week Starting Feb 16--The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs
The Week Starting Feb 23--The Skylight Room by O. Henry
The Week Starting Mar 2--The Fisherman and His Wife by The Brothers Grimm
The Week Starting Mar 9--Dragon, Dragon by John Gardner
The Week Starting Mar 16--The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
The Week Starting Mar 23--The Star by H.G. Wells
The Week Starting Mar 30--Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
The Week Starting Apr 6--The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The Week Starting Apr 13--Examination Day by Henry Slesar
The Week Starting Apr 20--Seventh Grade--Gary Soto
The Week Starting Apr 27--The Story of Prometheus and Pandora's Box [translated] by James Baldwin
The Week Starting May 4--All Summer in a Day--Ray Bradbury
The Week Starting May 11--William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe
The Week Starting May 18--The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson
The Week Starting May 25-The Aged Mother by Matsuo Basho
The Week Starting Jun 1--The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
The Week Starting Jun 8--The Elephant's Child--Rudyard Kipling
The Week Starting Jun 15--Home by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Week Starting Jun 22--The Night the Ghost Got In by James Thurber
The Week Starting Jun 29--Monkeyman by Walter Dean Myers
The Week Starting Jul 6--Mother & Daughter by Gary Soto
The Week Starting Jul 13--The Moustache by Robert Cormier
The Week Starting Jul 20--The Wife's Story by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Week Starting July 27--After Twenty Years by O. Henry
The Week Starting Aug 3--Hearts and Hands by O. Henry
The Week Starting Aug 10--The Jacket by
Learning Goals
Improve your reading level and reading comprehension.
Learn to analyze literature.
learning goal

Other Details

External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2020
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Kimberly Parinisi
New York Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Kimberly Parinisi
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Jenn Riale
Tennessee Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Elizabeth Leavitt
Washington Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Karen Lemons
Washington Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Karen Lemons
Washington Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Karen Lemons
Missouri Teaching Certificate
Ali Marie
Tennessee Teaching Certificate in Science
Danielle Mortimore
Master's Degree in Education from Carson Newman University
Elizabeth Leavitt
Master's Degree in Education from Liberty University
Karen Lemons
Master's Degree in Education from Western Governors University
Danielle Mortimore
Bachelor's Degree from Purdue University
Becky Padgett
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Philadelphia College of Bible
Kimberly Parinisi
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Millersville University
Jenn Riale
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Liberty University
Kristen Freeman
Bachelor's Degree in English from Florida State University
Karen Lemons
Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Missouri State University
Ali Marie
Bachelor's Degree in Music from Western Connecticut State University
Blake Dahlmeyer
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from Patrick Henry College
Brian Smyth
Bachelor's Degree in Biology/Biological Sciences from Middle Tennessee State University
Danielle Mortimore
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from University of Northwestern - St. Paul
Kendra Mancuso
Mrs. Lemons has a B.A. in English/Literature and an M.Ed in Education Administration. She has a teaching and principal's license and is endorsed to teach English and History. She has many years of experience teaching in public and private schools at every level, including undergraduate and graduate students at Colorado Christian University seeking their teaching licenses. She is a teacher of teachers. 

If sensitive topics and issues pop up in student discussions, I fall back on my English literature education degree, teacher training, and years of English teaching experience. We analyze the historical context in which novels were written, the author's background and worldview, and the story's time period. Discussion is focused on what the characters believe, what the author believed, and what beliefs were central to literary periods of time, such as the romantics or even the dark romantics. Students' various ideas and opinions are respected. 

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Live Group Class
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$21

weekly
1x per week
55 min

Completed by 31 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
4-9 learners per class

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