Project-Based Middle School English
A summer ELA course for middle school students. The focus of this course is on acclaimed literature and meaningful work.
Jill Harper
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(285)
What's included
20 live meetings
15 in-class hoursHomework
4+ hours per week. Students will need to read 4 complete novels during the course of this course. In addition, they will be reading several short stories. Estimated reading time depends on the student, but the average will be 2 to 3 hours a week. If students do better with audiobooks, that is completely acceptable. In addition, students will have 4 reading responses due and will be completing a creative project for each unit. Again time will vary on these, but expect an average of 2 to 3 hours a week. The 90-Second Newbery is a video project that the student will need to complete independently (with the help of family and friends) on their own time. Please be prepared to support your student through this.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
This course is divided into two themes, with each theme lasting 5 weeks. During each theme, students will read, write, and work on a creative project. 2 reading response prompts are due during each theme. For theme 1, students will write a short mystery, and for theme 2, students will make their own short film for the 90 Second Newbery film festival. This class aims to create a secure and engaging classroom where students feel safe to share their thoughts, writings, and projects with me and each other to help them grow in their analysis skills and their writing skills. Theme 1: Mysteries - For weeks 1 to 5, we will be reading Drew Leclair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury, The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie, and The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln Week 1, Meeting 1: Intro to the class, discussion of Drew Leclair Gets a Clue, reading response due Week 1, Meeting 2: Discussion of one story from The Regatta Mystery, intro to mystery elements Week 2, Meeting 1: Discussion of one story from The Regatta Mystery, Write a mystery overview Week 2, Meeting 2: Discussion of one story from The Regatta Mystery, Mystery topic due Week 3, Meeting 1: Discussion of one story from The Regatta Mystery, Planning your mystery Week 3, Meeting 2: Practical writing workshop Week 4, Meeting 1: Discussion of The Swifts, reading response due Week 4, Meeting 2: Mystery writing group work, one-on-one writing conferences Week 5, Meeting 1: Mystery writing group work, one-on-one writing conferences Week 5, Meeting 2: Student sharing, intro to next unit Theme 2: Newbery Award Winners - For weeks 6 to 10, we will be reading New Kid by Jerry Craft, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani, and a Newbery book of the student's choice. Students will create their own 90-second Newbery. Week 6, Meeting 1: Discussion of New Kid, reading response due, introduction to the 90-Second Newbery Week 6, Meeting 2: Classic film elements, sample 90-Second Newbery films, book choice finalized Week 7, Meeting 1: Overview of a script, storyboarding samples, idea brainstorming Week 7, Meeting 2: First draft script due, one-on-one script conference Week 8, Meeting 1: Planning your filming day by day, final script due, filmmaking review Week 8, Meeting 2: Discussion of The Night Diary, Project check-in, introduction to editing and music Week 9, Meeting 1: Project check-in, post-production overview Week 9, Meeting 2: Project check-in, discussion of everyone's Newbery book Week 10, Meeting 1: Final edits and tweaks, one-on-one conferences if needed Week 10, Meeting 2: In-class film festival
Learning Goals
Students will grow as readers and writers while learning to make connections with the books they read. Students will demonstrate their critical analysis skills through reading responses and class discussions and complete creative projects that showcase their understanding of the major themes in the course.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
All books are middle-grade level with the exception of the Agatha Christie short stories. Please read reviews or pre-read if you have concerns.
Supply List
Drew Leclair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln New Kid by Jerry Craft The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani And a Newbery Medal or Newbery Honor Book of the student’s choice.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Jill Harper
4.9
285reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree from University of California Santa Barbara
I am passionate about books and have been running book clubs and ELA classes for homeschoolers for over ten years. My classes are a great way to prepare for upper level analysis and teach students how to articulate their thoughts about what they have read. Reviews
Live Group Class
$300
for 20 classes2x per week, 10 weeks
45 min
Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-12
3-10 learners per class
