Certificated K-12 English Language Arts, Test Prep, and Reading Specialist

Creative Writing Prompts, Tried and true writing tips

Miss Sue MA MLIS

Refund within 24 hours of payment until your next meeting or lesson access begins.

Standard

English

By the end of the year gain a deeper understanding of how these novels not only reflect the struggles of their time but also provide timeless insights into the journey of growing up, no matter when or where you live. 13-16 yrs, 8-11th grade

By reading and discussing  "coming-of-age" novels, poems, a graphic novel, and social-scientific accounts of development, you will engage in self-reflection and write your own original poems and narratives focused on similary issues.

Coming-of-age novels, or bildungsroman, explore the journey from childhood to adulthood, often focusing on themes of self-discovery, identity, and navigating societal expectations. Through these stories, you can learn about universal truths, common struggles, and the complexities of growing up: social expectations, loss of innocence, self-discovery, friendship and relationships, moral and ethical development, and dealing with adversity.
Read Chapters 1-7: Huck's Escape
Blue Grass music

9-3-25
Unit 1: The Coming-of-Age Novel

Social commentary; Twain’s view of America at the time of the action
Read Chapters 8-18: Down the River 

9-4
Unit 1: Huckleberry Finn

Exploring themes of freedom, racism, identity, and the relationship between civilization and nature. 
Read Chapters 19-33 The King and the Duke

9-10
Unit 1: Huckleberry Finn

Character: Tom Sawyer as a Foil
Analyze how Twain uses Tom to contrast and highlight Huck’s traits.
Craft: Twain’s Use of Humor
How does Twain use irony and satire to entertain the reader and make his points.
Read Chapters 34-end of book: Jim's Rescue
The controversy about the ending

9-11-25
Unit 1: Huckleberry Finn 

The River as a main character 
Thematic Element Presentation
RL2: Analyze theme development
SL5: Use of digital media

Twain uses different elements (people, places, objects, actions, etc.) in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to help create larger meaning.  For example, the river is important in the characters’ daily lives, but it also has larger symbolic meanings. Create a presentation on how Twain uses one thematic element.
Discuss the banning and censorship of Huckleberry Finn

9-16-25
Unit 1: Using Media to Depict Symbolism 

Focus on the graphic novel: two-part graphic memoir in which the great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Iran, a country plagued by political upheaval and vast contradictions between public and private life.

9-17-25
Unit 2: Coming of Age in a Revolution (Iran) The Complete Persepolis

Identity and Belonging:
Marji grapples with her identity as a young Iranian woman, navigating the changing social and political landscape of her country. 
Political Upheaval and War:
Vividly portrays the impact of the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War on ordinary people, highlighting the human cost of conflict and political instability. 
Education and Freedom:
Marji's parents emphasize the importance of education as a means of empowerment and freedom, but it is not always safe or reliable

9-23-25
Unit 2: The Complete Persepolis

Rebellion and Resistance:
Marji's defiance against the regime's restrictions and her own mother's authority, as well as her desire to participate in the revolution, demonstrate her growing sense of agency and her struggle for freedom. 
Cultural Suppression:
The story explores the ways in which the regime attempts to control and suppress Iranian culture, particularly women's roles in society. 

Assignments: 
Image Analysis
Quotation Race: Who Said it? 



9-24-25
Unit 2: The Complete Persepolis

Marji's relationships with her parents, siblings, and other family members, as well as her friends, are crucial to her coming-of-age journey, providing both support and challenges. 
Writing assignment:
1. Do you think that Persepolis is complicit with the Western media in fixating on the veil?  Or does Satrapi’s novel complicate and challenge that trend?  How might Satrapi’s novel complicate the construction of Islamic women as passive victims? 
2. The Immigrant Experience

9-30-25
Unit 2: The Complete Persepolis Final Writing Assignment 

10-1-25
Unit 3: Poetry Unit: Poems on Identity

Figurative Lanaguage in Poetry
Homework Packet #1

10-8
Unit 3: Poetry Unit: Poems on Identity

Poems on Cultural Identity
Homework Packet #2

10-9
Unit 3: Poetry Unit: Poems on Identity

Poems on Ethical Dilemmas
Homework Packet #3
Writing assignment

10-15
Unit 3: Poetry Unit: Poems on Identity

10-16
Unit 3: Poetry Unit: Poems on Identity

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Intro to Shakespeare; Globe Theatre; Prologue to Romeo and Juliet

10-22
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Act 1



10-23
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Act II


10-29
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Act III

10-30
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Act IV

11-5
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Act V

11-6
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 
Quick Write: Juliet's Voice
Memorization: Choice of monologue

11-12
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

11-13
Unit 4: Love & Duty: Teenage Romance and Generational Conflict

Intro to The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt, a coming-of-age novel following Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader in 1967-68, as he navigates school, family, and the Vietnam War, finding growth and understanding through Shakespeare and his teacher, Mrs. Baker. The novel explores Holling's journey of self-discovery and growth as he grapples with his family's expectations, the Vietnam War, and his identity. 

11-19
Unit 5: The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt

Elements of the Novel: Character, Setting, plot graphic exposition


1. Locating descriptive words/phrases 
2. Listing synonyms/homophones 
3. Identifying/creating alliteration
4. Use of capitals and punctuation 

Setting Activities
Summarize the details of a setting


11-20
Unit 5: The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt

Elements of the Novel: Plot rising action
Holling's exploration of Shakespeare's plays becomes a source of both challenge and inspiration, helping him to understand himself and the world around him. 

5. Identifying syllables 
6. Identify personification. 
8. Listing compound words
9. Identifying parts of speech
10. Identify and create similes 
11. Identification of root words

11-26
Unit 5: The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt

Thanksgiving 11-27

Elements of the Novel: Conflict, Climax Resolution, Theme

11-27
Thanksgiving Off

12-3
Unit 6: A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

12-4
Unit 6: A Christmas Carol

12-10
Unit 6: A Christmas Carol 

12-11
Unit 6: A Christmas Carol

12-17
Unit 6: A Christmas Carol 

12-18
Unit 6: A Christmas Carol

Focus:  In this novel, things are often not what they seem.  Discuss how the theme of "expectations" is illustrated by and through the major characters in this book.  How are Pip's expectations different from and similar to those of Joe Gargery, Miss Havisham, Estella, and Magwitch?  How do the expectations that the major characters in this book have for themselves and for others evolve as the text progresses?  How do these expectations help forward the plot?
Read 115 p/wk Approx rdg time 15 hrs

1-8
Unit 7: Great Expectations

Focus: Literary Elements in Great Expectations
Alternate ending
Bildungsroman
Dark humor
Foreshadowing
Imagery
Metaphor
Parallelism
Personification
Suspense
Symbolism
Read 115 pages per week

1-14
Unit 7: Great Expectations

Today's teenagers, much like Pip in "Great Expectations," navigate pressures from peers, parents, and societal expectations, seeking independence and self-discovery, often grappling with anxieties about the future and their place in the world. 
Focus: Themes relevant to teenagers 
Discussion: Social class and ambitions, identity 
Read 115 pages per week

Read 115 pages per week

1-15
Unit 7: Great Expectations

1-21
Unit 7: Great Expectations

1-22
Unit 7 Great Expectations

1-28
Unit 7 Great Expectations

1-29
Unit 7:  Great Expectations

2-4
Unit 7: Great Expectations

Unit 8
2-11  Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
5 hours to read

Unit 8
2-12 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Unit 8
2-18 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Unit 8 
2-19 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Unit 9
2-25 The Outsiders

Unit 9
2-26 The Outsiders 

Unit 9
3-4 The Outsiders

"Nothing Gold Can Stay"
Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Unit 9
3-5 The Outsiders

Compare/contrast book and film; discussion

Unit 9
3-11 The Outsiders

Compare/contrast book and film; Discussion

Unit 9
3-12  The Outsiders

Read and discuss: The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition
by Anne Frank , Otto M. Frank, et al. | Feb 3, 1997

Unit 10
3-18 Coming of Age During Wartime

Unit 10
3-19 Coming of Age During Wartime

Historical Documentary of the Holocaust 
60 Minutes "Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family?"


Unit 10 
3-25 Coming of Age During Wartime

Poem: "I Never Saw Another Butterfly 
Music: "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" Lori Laitman Maureen McKay, soprano and Gary Louie, saxophone

Unit 10
3-26 Coming of Age During Wartime

Stage production
The Diary of Anne Frank-Cranford High School November 2018

Unit 10
4-1 Coming of Age During Wartime

Stage production
Critique/ discussion  between students 

Unit 10
4-2 Coming of Age During Wartime


Generation COVID: Coming of Age Paused
The pandemic signaled a loss of  rites of passage into adulthood. Schools were closed,  didn’t see friends, attend senior prom or have a traditional graduation ceremony. Excitement at finishing school and going to college diminished.

Unit 11
4-8  Coming of Age During a Pandemic

Generation COVID: Coming of Age Paused
Scientific and sociological journal articles
Swans For Relief:  no longer able to work due to COVID-19, 32 dancers from 14 countries have come together while in their homes  in a virtual performance of LE CYGNE  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LokXl1V3G-0


Unit 11
4-9  Coming of Age During a Pandemic

The first four books of Homer's The Odyssey, known as the Telemachy, focus on Telemachus's coming of age as he prepares to take on his father's role and protect his home. 
In summary, the first book of the Odyssey establishes the foundation for Telemachus' coming-of-age journey by showing his initial struggles, his encounter with Athena, and his first steps toward becoming a confident young man.


Unit 12 
4-15 The Telemachy  Book 1

Coming of age of Telemachus
IBook 2 of The Odyssey showcases Telemachus's journey from a boy unsure of himself to a young man taking charge of his destiny, driven by a desire to honor his father and reclaim his inheritance. 

Unit 12 
4-16 The Telemachy  Book 2

Book 3 acts as a crucial stepping stone in Telemachus's coming-of-age journey. He gains valuable knowledge about his father, witnesses Greek customs and hospitality, and starts developing the social and leadership skills necessary to become a worthy successor. He returns home a changed individual, more confident and prepared to face the challenges ahead. 

Unit 12
4-22 The Telemachy Book 3

In summary, Book 4 of The Odyssey is a crucial step in Telemachus's coming-of-age story. He gains valuable knowledge about his father, develops social skills, contrasts proper hospitality with the suitors' behavior, and faces the growing threat from those who seek to usurp his inheritance. 

Unit 12
4-23 The Telemachy  Book 4

Background : The Salem Witch Trials 
Puritanism, McCarthyism
Allegory

Unit 13
4-29 The Crucible

Character Development, themes, literary devices 
The Essay

Unit 13
4-30 The Crucible

National Theatre at Home
Watch The Crucible

Unit 13
5-6 The Crucible

Unit 13
5-7 The Crucible

Unit 13
5-13 The Crucible 

Coming of age of Scout and Jem
Great Depression and the Jim Crow era (1930s). This historical context significantly impacts the story, reflecting the economic hardship and racial tensions of the time. The novel explores themes of racial injustice, prejudice, and the loss of innocence through the eyes of the young protagonist, Scout Finch. 

Unit 14
5-14 Introduction to To Kill a Mockingbird

Read, watch clips of the black and white movie, discuss

Unit 14 Introduction to To Kill a Mockingbird

Read, watch clips of the black and white movie, discuss
Promise to finish reading the book over the summer :)

Unit 14 Introduction to To Kill a Mockingbird 

Read Classic Coming-Of-Age Literature : Full Year ELA Curriculum for Homeschool

In this ELA class High School students will explore literature through film.

Literature on Film

Courtney Runchey

In this 10 week literature study, learners will expand their understanding of literature as well as writing. 

Holes: Literature Study and Writing

Wild and Unstructured Learning

This is a 36-week course that discusses and analyzes classic and modern literature.

High School English Literature 3

Sarah Wood

In this 6 week course, students will meet with the teacher to select class literature novels to read and discuss through Socratic Seminars.

Classic Literature: Novel Study

Kaitlyn Fischer: A Guided Reading Teacher

Literature can be wonderful, but it can also be tricky. I am here to help! Each 30-minute tutorial session enables you to find answers to all your questions about literature, essay writing, and grammar.

1-on-1 English Tutor: Literature and Writing (30 Min.)

Literature with Professor Rachel

An overview of the main periods of American (USA) literature. The literary analysis of a body of representative works with engaging discussions and content rich presentations.

Survey of American Literature

We Connect Academy

This class will focus on introducing students to the concept of English literature. This class will emphasize western literature from the Classical period to Post Modern period. Students will be exposed to preeminent authors in each period.

Introduction to Western Literature (Rennaissance to Realism)

Mr. Mason

An ongoing course in which we discuss literature: how to read effectively for meaning.

One on One Literature Discussions With Mr. Hodge

Mr. Hodge

An overview of the main periods of British literature & The literary analysis of a body of representative works with engaging discussions and content rich presentations.

Survey of British Literature- Ongoing

In this 9 week online class, students will study a total of 16 short stories from classic literature, discussing their themes, details, structure, and individual elements. 

High School Literature - Short Stories

Nicole Hundley

1-on-1 English Tutor: Literature and Writing (1 Hr.)

In this class students will meet oncer per week for an extensive literature and writing study.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio Literature Study

In this 10 week course, learners will have an in depth literature study and writing workshop. 

Bud Not Buddy: Literature Study and Writing

In this interactive 6-week literature study, students will explore Warriors: Into the Wild through engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and fun games that bring the story to life. 

Warriors: Into the Wild Literature Study

An engaging semester course of literary analysis and critical thinking that will prepare high school learners for college-level literature and university study. #academic

High School English: Read Literature Like a Professor

Kendra Fletcher

 In this 32 week  course, students will travel the world by surveying the many myths, legends and classical literature each corner of the globe offers. This class will discuss a sampling of these stories and legends.

World Literature, Legends and Myths

Charity Cortez

Test Prep

Through targeted reading comprehension lessons, customized test strategies, essay writing practice, and repeated review, your student becomes the hero of their journey, gaining confidence and skills to succeed in private school admissions.

SSAT, ISEE, HSPT  10-Week Test Prep Reading Comprehension  and Verbal Reasoning

Are you worried your 8-11th grader is missing the deeper layers of literature? Students develop critical thinking by exploring vocabulary, character, setting, point of view, and irony through timeless stories. Foundation for SSAT,SAT, AP. 

Short Story Classics: Prepare for SSAT and SAT and Get Credit While Doing It!

Focused, practical support in a positive, encouraging environment. Through guided practice and engaging examples students learn how to identify main ideas, analyze tone and structure, avoid common traps. Watch their confidence grow.

The SAT Reading Remix: Skills That Stick! 
Build Confidence, Boost SAT Scores

You want your student to succeed in Language Arts, but navigating homeschooling while ensuring academic standards are met can feel overwhelming. You’re not alone. I’m here to help and bring 20+ years of experience teaching 9th English.

Accelerated 9th-10Th Grades 14-16 Years ELA 1st Semester Full Curriculum Credit

Quickly identifying what each grammar question is testing leaves time to return to more complex Reading Comprehension. The Writing/Language Test is predictable. Learn what to anticipate. Parts of speech, punctuation, subject/verb agreement.

Grammar for the Win: SAT Questions Guaranteed to be Tested

Class designed to expose students to the most common “hard” vocabulary words replayed by the College Board. Get a grip on synonyms and antonyms, sentence completions,  prefixes and roots, and participate in cumulative reviews. Start early.

SAT Vocabulary: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Coding & Tech

This class helps teens understand real cell phone risks—including scams, screen addiction, anxiety, and sleep disruption—and gives them practical tools to stay safe, balanced, and in control. Open, respectful discussion is encouraged.

Smartphone Smarts: Staying Safe, Strong, and in Control | per Information Master

Kids build confidence while training their dogs, snapping fun pet pics, and sharing their progress in a safe class blog. This 3-week camp blends hands-on dog work with creative writing and social interaction using Padlet! 

Paws, Clicks & Posts: A 3-Week Dog Training & Blogging Camp for Kids

Summer is a time for fun, but for many, it can also mean learning loss—especially in reading. This engaging, structured reading camp helps students stay on track, build confidence, and develop a love for reading before the next school year.

Read One Book Cover to Cover: Discuss and Get Your Questions Answered. That's It

Unlock the power of grammar with a fun, visual approach to sentence diagramming! Students will go beyond simply identifying parts of speech to truly understanding sentence structure, making learning more meaningful and lasting. 

Sentence Diagramming - A Visual Approach to Grammar

You want your student to succeed in Language Arts, but navigating homeschooling while ensuring academic standards are met can feel overwhelming. You’re not alone.  I’m here to help and bring 20+ years of experience teaching 9th English.

Accelerated 9th-10Th Grades 14-16 Years ELA 2nd Semester Full Curriculum Credit

In this immersive course, you'll delve into the historical context of these timeless works, gaining a deeper understanding of their cultural significance and enduring impact.  Uncover the secrets of the past through literature!

World Literature Part 1 I AP English Literature I Full Year Curriculum

Brandy Dahlen Yun and BE Education

Unravel the mysteries and intrigues of the modern age as we delve into the literary masterpieces that shaped an era.  This immersive course will bring history to life, transporting you to a time of knights, chivalry, and epic tales.

World Literature Part 2 I AP English Literature I Full Year Curriculum

Join us on a journey through the captivating world of British literature!  From the enigmatic tales of the Middle Ages to the groundbreaking works of the 18th century, we'll explore the stories, poems, and plays that have shaped our world.

British Literature Part 1 I AP English Literature I Full Year Curriculum 

This 15-week course delves into the dynamic evolution of literary masterpieces that shaped an era. Uncover hidden gems, engage with iconic figures, and witness the birth of literary movements that continue to inspire. 

Read Classic Coming-Of-Age Literature : Full Year ELA Curriculum for Homeschool

Miss Sue MA MLIS

Live Group Class

54

About

Learn

Teach

Support

Financial Assistance

Outschool International

Get The App

Homeschool Resources

Tutoring

More to Explore

Classes by Age

Classes by Grade