Middle School English: So the Story Goes With Film & Literature
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
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
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐: Preparation for High School Literature, Critical Thinking, & Analytical Writing ๐ฟ 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. ๐ณ A Snapshot of Each Class - Fall โถ 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). โท 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. โธ We discuss the use of the element in the film. โน 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 โถ After students report on their leisure reading, the instructor introduces an essential question. โท We have a short teacher-led discussion about the essential question, the author, and the historical context of our story. โธ We read a short story together in class. โน Students answer questions to test their comprehension, and they have a short teacher-led discussion on the essential question and the theme. โบ Students write high-level discussion questions from "question starters" that will lead to thought-provoking discussions. โป Students participate in a student-led, teacher-supported Socratic Seminar on the story. โผ 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. ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐จ-๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ-๐๐ข๐, ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ! CLICK THROUGH TO GET A SURPRISE COUPON CODE! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JwlFnta1ZYAlNn8t2GMMA8Bb6dd0ums1IbdtpzZwuRc/edit?usp=sharing ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ: (๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ, ๐๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ฐ) ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ & ๐๐ค๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ค ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ & ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ด ๐๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ช๐ค ๐๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ป๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ--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: โข Specific, not general โข Immediate, not postponed โข Routine with a revision / feedback cycle โข Explanatory โข The right amount โข Targeted to the most critical issues โข Varied (written, audio, and video comments) โข Holding students accountable ๐ฅ 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 ๐ 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.
Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
6 teachers have teaching certificates
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
New York Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Tennessee Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Washington Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Washington Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Washington Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Missouri Teaching Certificate
Tennessee Teaching Certificate in Science
3 teachers have a Graduate degree
Master's Degree in Education from Carson Newman University
Master's Degree in Education from Liberty University
Master's Degree in Education from Western Governors University
10 teachers have a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's Degree from Purdue University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Philadelphia College of Bible
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Millersville University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Liberty University
Bachelor's Degree in English from Florida State University
Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Missouri State University
Bachelor's Degree in Music from Western Connecticut State University
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from Patrick Henry College
Bachelor's Degree in Biology/Biological Sciences from Middle Tennessee State University
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from University of Northwestern - St. Paul
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.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$21
weekly1x per week
55 min
Completed by 31 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
4-9 learners per class