"Murder by the Book" High School English Language Arts (Reading & Writing)
A high school English class based on contemporary murder mystery novels. This may not be traditional literary analysis, but we still hit on all of the literary elements/core standards, develop critical & creative thinking, & have more fun.
"Mr. J." (Jeremy Ballard)
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(117)
Popular
What's included
8 live meetings
6 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
*Books in this course are categorized as young adult or adult and contain mature content and themes. Novels may contain violence, strong language, drug/alcohol use, and/or mild sexual content. Mystery, murder, and plot twists. There's nothing like a good whodunnit to keep the pages turning. In this course, we will read some of the best authors at getting your blood flowing and your brain twisted in knots and "nots." We'll be reading pretty fast, about a book a week, but don't worry, it's hard to put these books down. This course may be book-club inspired, but it is still aligned with core standards, includes essay writing, and two really cool "noir" projects. We will read five novels in seven weeks, write two literary analysis essays, complete a noir photo story based on one of the first three novels, then a noir film prospectus on one of the final two novels, including a movie poster, cast list, and trailer. We will spend one class session discussing and analyzing each novel, both as a mystery and through a literary lens. An alternative take on a traditional high school English course, as we will still explore literary devices and critical thinking as we try and figure out "whodunnit." Books in this course "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" Holly Jackson "One for the Money" Janet Evanovich "City of Bones" Cassandra Clare "In the Woods" Tana French "Win" Harlan Cobin Course Outline Week 1: Course introduction Week 2: Discussion: "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" Holly Jackson Week 3: Discussion: "One for the Money" Janet Evanovich Week 4: Discussion: "City of Bones" Cassandra Clare Week 5: Photo Noir Project Presentation Week 6: Discussion: "In the Woods" Tana French Week 7: Discussion: "Win" Harlan Cobin Week 8: Final Project Presentation
Learning Goals
In this course students will…
-determine theme;
-analyze plot and its various phases;
-examine how literary elements affect plot progression, assist in character development, and convey meaning, including: motif, symbol, foreshadowing, echoing, flashback, opposition, metaphor, irony, foil, choice of language;
-understand the mono-myth (Hero’s Journey) and character archetypes;
aligned with core ELA standards
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Books in this course are categorized as young adult or adult and contain mature content and themes. Novels may contain violence, strong language, drug/alcohol use, and/or mild sexual content. While these books are about murder, they are a worse of fiction and are not overly graphic in regard to violence; however, individual perceptions may vary. If they were movies, they likely would be rated PG-13. Two of the novels are young adult and written for teens. The other three more adult. "One for the Money" is the first book in the Stephanie Plum collection. Tana French and Harlan Cobin novels are likely the most mature and most serious by nature and for a point of reference you can look to his many Netflix series based of his novels. Again, these are all fictional novels, but they are murder mysteries. It is recommended that parents familiarize themselves with the authors and content prior to enrollment.
Supply List
Students must acquire their own personal copies of the novels in paper, digital, or audio form.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
"A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" Holly Jackson
"One for the Money" Janet Evanovich
"City of Bones" Cassandra Clare
"In the Woods" Tana French
"Win" Harlan Cobin
Joined August, 2022
4.8
117reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
California Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of California Santa Barbara
I have been working in education for nearly 20 years, primarily as a high school English teacher and speech and debate coach. I am certified and experienced in both AP English Literature and Composition and AP Language and Composition. I have also taught at the middle school and primary school levels, and I have taught traditional ELA and ESL course in both the United States and China, as well as teaching online. I specialize in literary analysis and writing instruction, but I am also known for my fun and engaging projects and have an extensive background in Project Based Learning.Reviews
Live Group Class
$120
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
50 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
1-9 learners per class
