Middle School Language Arts Mini-Course: 03

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***The Middle School Language Arts Mini-Courses are designed around a theme and can be taken in any order. Each course contains informational readings and touches on national standards. To get a more rigorous and full semester long experience, please see my Middle School Language Arts Part 1 and Part 2 courses. The readings and topics are different in the full semester classes and cover more national standards.**

Course Description:
This self-paced Language Arts course does not have any live meetings. The course is aligned to the national standards of citing text evidence, main idea, summarizing, argument writing, and collaboration and discussion. 

This course is centered around the big question, "Is conflict always bad?". The informational readings and assignments during this course will be related to the course's big question as well as each reading's big question. The readings will be used to support the national standards. Feedback will be given on each assessment that is turned in.

National Standards:
-RI.5.1, RI.6.1, RI.7.1, RI.8.1, RI.9.1 - Citing Text Evidence
-RI.5.2, RI.6.2, RI.7.2, RI.8.2, RI.9.2 - Main Idea
-RI.5.2, RI.6.2, RI.7.2, RI.8.2, RI.9.2 - Summarizing
-W.5.1, W.6.1, W.7.1, W.8.1, W.9.1 - Argument Writing
-SL.5.1, SL.6.1, SL.7.1, SL.8.1, SL.9.1 - Collaboration and Discussion

Course Format:
Each unit (week) is focused around a standard. Learners will first participate in a lesson video. Then, before reading a text, learners will build background knowledge by reflection on a real-world question. Learners will complete and assessment and discussion questions after each reading.

The teacher will be available throughout the week via Outschool to answer any questions and give feedback. 

Course Schedule (Subject to Change):
Week 1:
-Lesson: Citing Text Evidence
-Reading: “The Language of the Body”
	-Big Question: Is body language a truer form of communication than using words?
-Reading: “Teens at Work”
	-Big Question: Is it worth having a job while in school?

Week 2:
-Lesson: Main Idea
-Reading: “Young People with Hope”
	-Big Question: How are today’s young people continuing the struggle for racial justice?
-Reading: “Major League Baseball and Money”
	-Big Question: Is big-league baseball too commercial?
-Reading: “City Life for Birds”
	-Big Question: Should urban people help to protect wild birds?

Week 3:
-Lesson: Summarizing
-Reading: “Response to a Tragedy”
	-Big Question: What can we learn from communities that have faced a tragedy?
-Reading: “Wilderness Learning”
	-Big Question: Should city kids learn wilderness survival skills?
-Reading: “Fighting Sports Stereotypes”
	-Big Question: Should some sports exclude males or females, or should all sports be open to all people?

Week 4: 
-Argument Writing