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Middle School / High School English: Real World English for Future Innovators

Future Innovators! Active Learners! Engaging and Fun! Designed for tomorrow's movers and shakers, learners develop ELA skills, the bedrock of learning, in the context of engineering, business, the arts, and other real-world sectors.
Lemons-Aid Learning
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(679)
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What's included

26 live meetings
23 hrs 50 mins in-class hours
Homework
2-4 hours per week. Students can expect to have a total of 3-4 hours of homework per week, which includes 1-2 hours of project work and 2 hours of reading.
Assessment
All students receive specific feedback on their work through rubrics and traditional grades. Assessments (graded quizzes) are given on the books we read.
Letter Grade
We are intentional about putting a little pressure on students and teaching them how to handle that pressure. They will rise to the occasion with mental toughness and confidence because they will know what to do, how to do it, and can pull it off. We are building leaders who will take on the world as high achievers. Students have rubrics with clear guidelines for quality work. Teachers give feedback on students' work using the rubric, which translates to a grade. We have tried various methods of assessment throughout the years (no grades, funny words for grades, etc.), and we found that authentic evaluations with attached letter grades that are also clearly defined increase students' understanding of their learning and skill compared to an understanding, competency, or standard. Basically, all parents and students should know the answers to these questions after receiving an assessment from a teacher: 1. What is he supposed to know? 2. Does he know it? 3. How do we know? 4. What's the next step? Parents can opt out of letter grades, of course, because parents are the boss!

Class Experience

US Grade 7 - 9
Intermediate - Advanced Level
🔥 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒: Live, 1-1 Parent Conferences are included at no additional cost. Your teacher will meet with you to talk about your learner's progress. We support your homeschooling efforts! 

This course has precise units, so students can join late if spots are available. We make newbies feel welcome! :)


𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼:

🧠 inspire learners to think, create, and study hard.

👀 expose learners to different sectors in the real world.

🕹️ get students to reduce gaming time.

💪 encourage learners to do something great! 

🧐 help learners develop a curiosity that will drive lifelong learning and skill development.

💯 equip learners for state testing and their future learning journey.

🙇 maximize student learning despite the hurdles posed by ADHD.

📋 teach kids how to conquer laziness and to create new habits that lead to success.

👔 teach young scholars to dress, look, and act professionally when presenting. 

🙌 set and work to achieve high standards.





This unique English language arts course enables students to take the tech skills they have acquired to the next level. Here, we are building future business owners, STEM leaders, and entrepreneurs who are high achievers. Students build essential skills for lifelong success while studying literature, poetry, storytelling, essay writing, and speech. We cover the essentials of English language arts while sparking creativity, critical thinking, and broader skills. We want our learners to be active participants, flexing their creative muscles and getting things done! 

Students complete a comprehensive English program in the context of diverse sectors, exploring engineering, business, culinary arts, investigative journalism, and the arts. 




🚨Important  Note:
All students receive specific feedback on their work through rubrics, peer evaluations, and traditional grades. We intentionally put a little pressure on them and teach them how to handle it. They will rise to the occasion with mental toughness and confidence because they will know what to do and how to do it and can pull it off. We are building leaders who will take on the world as high achievers.






📷 SNAPSHOT OF OUR DAILY ACTIVITIES:
-To create and maintain a friendly environment, we start class by briefly getting to know each other or catching up with life. 
-Students practice a short and sweet grammar/writing mini-lesson
-We have a brief discussion of our class novel.
-The instructor explicitly teaches the day's concept or skill, which includes modeling. We often have workshop time where students can get things done and ask questions.
-Students complete their projects in class and for homework.
-Some days include student presentations.





📸 Snapshot of Student Output:
Students will: 
--present 4 major class presentations
--read 5 novels and the "The Grand Challenges for Engineering" and other texts
--complete grammar and sentence writing exercises each day
--write a mini business plan
--develop marketing through storytelling
--pitch a product
--develop a food truck concept, recipes, and a menu
--develop, record, and produce a mini-TV show
--curate a museum artifact and create an exhibit





📆 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭-3: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
Class Novel: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘺 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Students focus on engineering design and communication. Students learn the fundamentals of the engineering design process and then compare it to the writing process and the creative process. They read The Grand Challenges of Engineering by the National Academy of Engineering. The culmination involves designing, building, and presenting a model, applying the engineering design process. Students participate in a Socratic Seminar.

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟰-𝟲: 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
Class Novel: 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴: 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘺 & 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 & 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘖𝘯𝘦𝘴 by James Clear
Students generate entrepreneurial ideas and develop a business offer. They create a product prototype or service and present it. They are encouraged to do this for real!
⦿ Meeting a market need, developing a business offer
⦿ Understanding an audience/buyer with problems
⦿ Product/Service Development
⦿ Aristotle's Rhetoric
⦿ Business pitch

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟳-𝟭𝟭: 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀, & 𝗔 𝗭𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗽𝘀𝗲
Class Novel: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘡𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘴𝘦: 𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 by Lauren Wilson (*there are a few curse words in this book, but I don't assign that section for reading)
We shift now to culinary arts and hosting a TV show. Students explore language arts in the culinary world, writing and presenting menus. They develop a food truck or food cart concept and story, curate recipes, and craft a menu. Then they become a food television host on a 𝘡𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸, recording their own mini-show, cooking real food. Some students may even include bugs! 🐜
⦿ Students develop a food truck concept, recipes, blog, logo, social media posts, and a menu.
⦿ Students record and produce their own mini-show

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟭𝟮-𝟭𝟯: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Class Novel: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 by Allan Wolf
Students engage in language arts within the arts, crafting historical narratives around historical artifacts using both historical facts and creative poetry. They also curate a virtual museum exhibit, presenting their selections to the class.
⦿ curate an artifact and learn about it
⦿ create a virtual exhibit 
⦿ write poetry from the perspective of the artifact






🍋 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨-𝘼𝙞𝙙 𝙒𝙖𝙮 🍋
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬-𝐀𝐢𝐝, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬! CLICK THROUGH TO GET A SURPRISE COUPON CODE!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JwlFnta1ZYAlNn8t2GMMA8Bb6dd0ums1IbdtpzZwuRc/edit?usp=sharing

𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺
𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬
𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺
𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬--The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if done well. We follow best practices in designing class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, effective writing feedback (or grading) is:
• Specific, not general
• Immediate, not postponed
• Routine with a revision / feedback cycle
• Explanatory
• The right amount
• Targeted to the most critical issues
• Varied (written, audio, and video comments)
• Holding students accountable





👩‍🏫 YOUR TEACHER & A FREE CLASS: 
Nervous about the commitment to an entire semester? We offer a little taste in a reading comprehension class. If you take that class, we will provide a coupon for a semester ELA class worth the enrollment fee of the reading class, essentially getting the one-time class for free. 
Ages 11-12: 
https://outschool.com/classes/reading-comprehension-6-steps-to-understanding-paraphrasing-e5lcv2lF?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Ages 13-14
https://outschool.com/classes/reading-strategies-6-steps-to-understanding-paraphrasing-FtXMQBAT?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

🎥 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




💰 A Quick Note on Why Ask for Full Payment Up Front:
Outschool has a new class payment system, where parents can pay weekly for a semester class. This is helpful for the pocketbook! However, students can unenroll if their schedule changes. If a class falls below the minimum enrollment, teachers may cancel it, leaving remaining learners and their parents in the lurch for a class! We want to offer a consistent learning experience in our semester courses, so we commit to running the course all semester, and learners commit to remaining enrolled. We charge less per class in semester classes because of the upfront investment. A guaranteed semester allows us to build on content and do long-range projects and essays. It also allows us to build a special community of learners—and it’s a little hard to say goodbye at the end! We also offer ongoing middle school English classes, which are wonderful—just different. Hopefully, this helps you understand how our semester classes differ from others that offer weekly payments.
Learning Goals
Learn how to strive for excellence.
Read, research, and write for real-world applications.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Standards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
4 Units
26 Lessons
over 13 Weeks
Unit 1: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
Lesson 1:
An Introduction to the Grand Challenges of Engineering & The Boy Who Harnessed..
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
The Engineering Design Process & The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
The Science of Pulleys & Project Introduction
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Project & Presentation Planning: What is Excellence?
55 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Parents can read reviews of novels here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Students need to have a Google account. Parents can set Google accounts up for children under age 13 here: https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/kidaccountinfo?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin
Supply List
Technology: 
Learners must have access to a smartphone to record videos and do some video editing. 

Novels: 
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘺 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 by James Clear
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 by Allan Wolf
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined June, 2020
4.9
679reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
New York Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Kimberly Parinisi
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Kimberly Parinisi
Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Jenn Riale
Washington Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Karen Lemons
Washington Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Karen Lemons
Washington Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Karen Lemons
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Makenna Spry
Missouri Teaching Certificate
Ali Marie
Tennessee Teaching Certificate in Science
Danielle Mortimore
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 Psychology from Catawba College
Makenna Spry
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, who developed this course, has a B.A. in English Literature, a minor in Education, and a Master's in Education Administration. She has her teaching certificate and principal's license, and she is certified to teach English / Language Arts and History / Social Studies. She has many years of experience at the middle and high school levels. 

This particular class is a nod to when Mrs. Lemons was the English teacher at a STEM high school, where she saw the beauty of the STEM disciplines, held together by the language arts. As a business owner, she has an entrepreneurial spirit and thinks that teenagers have great ideas they can share with the world. 

Last, she is an adjunct faculty member at Colorado Christian University, supervising teacher candidates in their undergraduate and graduate programs. She is a teacher of teachers. All that being said, middle school is her jam! 

All teachers who teach this course also think middle school students are awesome! Further, they have English degrees and teaching certificates. They are qualified experts who love kids!

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Live Group Course
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$495

for 26 classes
2x per week, 13 weeks
55 min

Completed by 10 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
5-18 learners per class

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