Course Description:
This independent/flexible 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, "How much do our communities shape us?". 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 privately to the teacher.  

**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.**

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:
At the beginning of the week, a “List of Learning” Google Document will be posted on the Outschool classroom page. Each “List of Learning” will have steps students need to complete for the week. These steps will include a lesson video to watch that relates to the standard for the week, the reading assignments for the week, discussion questions to respond to and give feedback to other classmates, assessments to complete, a writing assignment, and possible other assignments or extension opportunities. Any work that will be turned in for grades/scores, will be in the form of a Google Document. Students will need to share the document with the teacher and other students will not have access to the document. 

It is encouraged to have the readings and assignments done by each due date so students can participate in discussions together. To give each student a more meaningful learning experience, all students need to participate in the discussion questions by responding to the questions and giving feedback to other students.

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: Main Idea
-Reading: “Help You, Help Me”
	-Big Question: Why does helping make us feel good?
-Reading: “Making Everyone Welcome”
	-Big Question: Why should communities make themselves accessible?

Week 2:
-Lesson: Citing Text Evidence
-Reading: “Mentors Make a Difference”
	-Big Question: How can adults help kids succeed?
-Reading: “Living with the Past”
	-Big Question: How does a community’s past affect people in the present?
-Reading: “Seeking Student Success”
	-Big Question: Should communities pay students to succeed?

Week 3:
-Lesson: Summarizing
-Reading: “How Teens Use Slang”
	-Big Question: How do our communities shape the way we speak and write?
-Reading: “Buying Power”
	-Big Question: How does advertising affect teens?
-Reading: “Age and Beauty”
	-Big Question:Where do we get our ideas about age and beauty?

Week 4:
-Argument Writing