Middle School Socratic Unit Study: The Secret Garden

Week 1: Recognizing the events, situations, circumstances, and basic elements that shape the story.
Week 2: Becoming one with the characters. Why it’s important for the reader to walk in the character’s shoes.
Week 3: Creating a timeline of events and situations highlighting the important moments during the story.

The Secret Garden is a wonderful novel and a positive introduction to middle school-aged children who are ready to explore the deeper meaning behind the words in a book. But lecturing isn't the way to help a child strengthen their understanding and create enjoyment. That's why I teach using the Socratic method which allows me to guide the students to formulate their own thoughts and articulate them with a group of their peers.
As for me, I love classic literature and I especially enjoy working with students to help them develop their own love of reading. (So much so that I've made a career out of it!) While my English degree, TEFL, and TESOL certifications are important, I've learned more about creating a positive learning environment from my years as a homeschool mom and classical tutor.

Before we meet for each class, you will be given the chapters that need to be read. My suggestion is to read two (2) chapters per day for four (4) days and then one (1) chapter on the last day. 

During your reading, please make a list of questions you would want to ask in class. There is also an online assessment that will be posted with questions that you will need to answer before we meet online. These questions were created to get you focused on different aspects of the story while you read. Please make sure you take the time to answer each question. 

Reading the material and completing the assignment questions before class will be a great starting point to help you answer another student’s question.

45 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 4+ hours per week outside of class.