Secondary English: A Full Semester for 7th, 8th, and 9th Graders
In this full curriculum virtual semester students will get the same experiences with me as they would in a brick-and-mortar classroom. Activities will include reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and so much more.
David Ginsberg
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(161)
What's included
60 live meetings
60 in-class hoursHomework
Homework will be assigned each week. Most homework assignments will be to watch video resources and to read chapters of the assigned books.Assessment
I will provide grades as needed to satisfy homeschool requirements. Any grades provided will be formal letter grades such as A,B,C,D or F. Just as in public school an A is the highest passing grade, and an F is the lowest failing grade. Final evaluations of learning units will be project based rather than depending on written tests, this allows more creative freedom for learners to demonstrate skill mastery using a hands-on approach. All learners are required to participate in classroom discussions and activities. All learners must be respectful to each other and the teacher.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 7 - 9
This semester long classroom experience is ideal for secondary English students who are home schooling but all learners who would benefit from this class and my instruction are certainly welcome to attend. Throughout the semester we will be reading multiple books which I have personally selected for middle school learners. These books will include Jaws by Peter Benchley, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and the No Fear graphic novel adaptation of Hamlet by William Shakespeare Each of these books have been used as teaching tools in public schools across America. In my opinion they are all exceptional for helping middle school and high school students to further develop their critical thinking skills. I will offer school vacations just like we would have in a public school. We will have one week off in November for Thanksgiving and two weeks off in December for Christmas/ New Years. The semester will come back for the conclusion in late January. Learning packets will be sent via Outschool message to all learners who enroll. Each week questions from the packet should be answered for the assigned chapters. Certain questions will ask for specific answers such as what did one character say to another? Other questions will ask for your opinion. Grades will be provided as needed to satisfy home schooling requirements. The first day of class will serve as an introduction. I will go over expectations and procedures. We will get to know each other, and I will also offer students an outline of what the semester will look like. We will meet every week live on Zoom. Class will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays. Weekends will serve as catch-up days for any missing homework assignments and for watching videos assigned as homework. On Mondays we will discuss the video assignments from the weekend's homework. I will find as many free videos on YouTube as possible to offer students additional resources. YouTube has a seemingly limitless virtual library of free documentaries. An example schedule is listed below. The schedule has been broken down into month long units. Month 1 August: Jaws unit and activities. Week 1: Jaws packet questions and video assignment. Week 2: Jaws packet questions and video assignment. Week 3: Jaws packet questions and video assignment. Week 4: Jaws packet questions and video assignment. Month 2 September: Lord of the Flies unit and activities. Week 1: Lord of the Flies packet questions and video assignment. Week 2: Lord of the Flies packet questions and video assignment. Week 3: Lord of the Flies packet questions and video assignment. Week 4: Lord of the Flies packet questions and video assignment. Month 3 October: Writing activities. Week 1: Writing activities and video assignment. Week 2: Writing activities and video assignment. Week 3: Writing activities and video assignment. Week 4: Writing activities and video assignment. November Break Month 4 December: Hamlet unit and activities. Week 1: Hamlet packet questions and video assignment. Week 2: Hamlet packet questions and video assignment. Christmas/ New Years Break Week 3: Return from Christmas/ New Years Break, Hamlet packet questions and video assignment. Week 4: Finishing Hamlet packet questions and video assignment.
Learning Goals
Our learning goal should be to create classroom culture and community. We should be developing our critical thinking skills while honing our reading and writing abilities. These skills will be essential for all learners to one day go on to college, the military, and or the work force.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Each book and story I have selected for our semester of learning has been used in public middle schools across America. Some are also included in the common core. These stories do include some mature themes that not all parents are comfortable with their children being exposed to. If you are not comfortable with these themes this might not be the right class for your children. If you are comfortable with your children learning about these themes, then it will be my pleasure to work with them in furthering their education.
Jaws by Peter Benchley includes chapters involving a shark eating people alive, there is implied nudity on the beach, there are references to sex, and some characters abuse drugs.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding demonstrates a viewpoint that humanity is innately evil. The book involves children stranded on an island to resort to violence for survival. Several children are killed in this book.
The No Fear graphic novel adaptation of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a retelling of the classic tale about a prince who is haunted by the ghost of his father. Hamlet demonstrates a young man’s decent into madness. Hamlet involves extremely violent scenes involving characters being impaled, the protagonist also suffers from extreme grief and mental illness.
In my opinion while some of the issues the authors present are mature, they are important to discuss because they do still exist in the modern day. It is my hope that by learning about these issues we can prevent them from occurring in the future thus making the world we live in better. I am a firm believer in the old saying that knowledge is power.
Supply List
All learners should also bring a paper and pencil to class. All learners should have access to the required books prior to class. The books can be purchased on the internet. All learners should also bring a paper and pencil to class. All Learners should have internet access. Some video watching assignments will take place on YouTube, Disney Plus, or Hulu.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined May, 2020
4.9
161reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have 5 + years teaching experience. I have a lifelong membership with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. At the associate’s level at Southern Maine Community College, I studied Criminal Justice and Psychology, this included learning to professionally diagnose a patient with a mental disorder. I have a bachelor's degree in Educational Studies from Grand Canyon University, and a masters degree in history also from Grand Canyon University. I also have more than 20 credits in English.Reviews
Live Group Class
$32
weekly or $640 for 60 classes3x per week, 20 weeks
60 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
2-18 learners per class
