Summer Book Club for Avid Readers: Historical Fiction

In this class we will read and engage in student-led discussions about a new book each week. This class will give learners a chance to discuss quality literature over the summer, diving deep into character development, plot, and more.

265 total reviews for this teacher

New class

50 minutes

per class

Once per week

over 5 weeks

12-16

year olds

3-10

learners per class

per learner - per class

How does a “Multi-Day” course work?

Meets multiple times at scheduled times

Live video chats, recorded and monitored for safety and quality

Discussions via classroom forum and private messages with the teacher

Great for engaging projects and interacting with diverse classmates from other states and countries

How Outschool Works

Available Times

Pacific Time

Tue Jun 21

Jun 21 - Jul 19 (5 weeks)

Tuesdays
7:30pm - 8:20pm

5 learners enrolled

Enroll

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Description

Class Experience

Does your learner love curling up with a good book on the beach or in a hammock in their spare time?  Or are they a little more reluctant to choose reading voluntarily, and you want a way to spark that love of reading in them during a school break?  This class will independently read a contemporary work of young adult historical fiction each week, and then come together to discuss it during class time.  This is an excellent opportunity to keep your child reading for fun, in a way that is...

This class is taught in English.

Students will grow in their ability to engage in quality literary discussions with peers, as well as to informally analyze literature.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in English, and held a Professional Teaching Certificate in Florida to teach English in grades 6-12.  I taught middle school and high school Language Arts in public schools in Florida, and for the past several years I have taught comprehensive Middle School Language Arts classes to homeschoolers.  I have several years of experience teaching contemporary novels, including historical fiction, and dealing with the inherent complex issues that arise with these topics.  As we discuss challenging topics in this class, we will affirm the value of all humanity, regardless of country of origin, religion, economic status, gender, etc.

The homework for each week will to read the novel to be discussed in the next class.

The following books will be needed for this class.  You may purchase them from amazon, thrift books, abebooks, or any other retailer, or borrow them from your local library.  Listening to the audiobook version is also acceptable. 

BOOK LIST
"The Left-Handed Fate" by Kate Milford
"Heart of a Samurai" by Margi Preus
"A Night Divided" by Jennifer A. Neilsen
"The Red Pencil" by Andrea David Pinkney

There is no formal assessment in this class, but students will be informally assessed during class to ensure that everyone is engaged in the discussion (either verbally or thoughtfully) and adjustments can be made as necessary.

50 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 2 - 4 hours per week outside of class.

The selections for this class are all commonly found on reading lists for learners ages 12-16.  Because each family is different as to what is appropriate for their learners, please read this section. 

"A Night Divided" takes place during the building of the Berlin Wall and a family's efforts to escape East Germany.  There is some violence, including a character dying toward the end as he attempts to escape.  The violence is not graphic.  A more complete summary can be found here: https://www.supersummary.com/a-night-divided/summary/

"The Red Pencil" is a novel in verse that chronicles a girl's life in the Darfur region of Sudan.  She witnesses her father's murder from a distance, and she, her sister, mother, and other villagers are forced to flee their home to a refugee camp.  The violence is not graphic, but it is obvious and greatly affects the main character and everyone in the novel.  A more complete summary can be found here: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-red-pencil/#gsc.tab=0

I will not be explicitly teaching about the Berlin Wall, Sudanese genocide, or other historical content in this class, but am prepared to deal with any questions that arise in our student-led discussions. As we discuss these novels in class, we will affirm the value of all humanity, regardless of country of origin, religion, economic status, gender, etc.  If you have questions, please don't hesitate to message me.

Teacher

Martha Jackson

Pursuing Progress Over Perfection

265 total reviews

284 completed classes

About Me

Hi!  My name is Martha Jackson. I mainly teach writing and literature, and I absolutely love it.

My classes focus on breaking down complex ideas into bite-size pieces, giving students concrete tools to grow in specific areas (conducting research,...