Summer Slide Student Selects Book Club
In this summer slide book club we meet each week to discuss, analyze, and share related writing based on intersectional middle grade texts selected by students.
Malikai Bass M.A
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5.0
Number of reviews:(329)
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What's included
9 live meetings
6 hrs 45 mins in-class hoursHomework
Students will be expected to read the assigned reading approximately 100 pages a week and complete at least one writing prompt. Grammar and spelling review lessons are provided and encouraged.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 8
This class goes a step beyond your average book club and is designed to support neurodivergent learners. The texts are chosen with high concepts and interest but with easier language. Texts chosen are available on platforms with dyslexia-friendly options including audiobooks. The course is taught by a neurodivergent educator. Additionally, each unit is designed to include positive representations of disabled/neurodiverse characters. Students will have a variety of writing prompts to choose from as well as mini grammar-spelling review lessons each week to reinforce learning from the school year. In this special summer edition, students will read three books which they researched and voted on: Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore, The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler by Karen Pokas, and Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods by Catherynne M. Valente. Week 1: Introduction! We will do a variety of pre-reading activities for the Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler including building backgorund knowledge of the scientific phenomena involved in the book and discuss reading analysis strategies. Week 2: Students will read the first half of the text and come together to do a trivia quiz, discuss the text, and share their related writing. Week 3: Students will finish reading the first text and come together for trivia, discussion, and share writing. We will also introduce our next text: Hollow of the Fireflies. Week 4: Students will finish the first third of the text of the Hollow of the Fireflies and come together to do a trivia quiz, discuss the text, and share their related writing. We will also build background knowledge on the real environmental and community issues discussed in the book. Week 5: Students will read the second third of the Hollow of the Fireflies and come together to do a trivia quiz, discuss the text, and share their related writing. We will also build background knowledge on the real environmental and community issues discussed in the book. Week 6: Students will finish Hollow of the Fireflies. We will also introduce our final text Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods. Week 7: Students will read the first third of Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods and come together to do a trivia quiz, discuss the text, and share their related writing. We will discuss how fantasy authors can write about real issues in new ways to help people think in new ways. Week 8: Students will read the first third of Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods and come together to do a trivia quiz, discuss the text, and share their related writing. We will discuss the rich figurative language, metaphors, and allegories in the text. Week 9: Students will finish the last text and celebrate a summer of great books!
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Holler of the Fireflies deals with several mature themes suitable for middle school readers including racism, systematic injustice, the opoid crisis, water crises within the United States, and police brutality resulting in death or injury.
The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler addresses antisemitism and bullying.
Osmo Unkown and The Secrets of the Universe involves the death of humanoid fantastic creatures and prejudice within a fantasy system which mirrors real world prejudice.
Parents are encouraged to use common sense media or reach out to the teacher for more information.
Learners will use nearpod during class, there is no account required.
Supply List
Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore, The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler by Karen Pokas, and Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods by Catherynne M. Valente.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore, The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler by Karen Pokas, and Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods by Catherynne M. Valente.
Joined April, 2021
5.0
329reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a queer autistic, adhd, and disabled educator who has specialized in creating a learning environment which centers neurodiversity and encourages positive self-identity and acceptance.
I began reading at the age of three and have averaged multiple books a week since. Fantasy has always been a genre of choice for me.
I have a honor's in discipline in English from East Tennessee State University where my focus was on middle grades and young adult literature. I was a peer tutor for four years teaching college level English including preparing students to take the GRE for an additional two years. I have been teaching online book clubs for two years online and last year my average student who took standardized pre-post tests (The NWEA MAP Growth exam) improved their reading placement by two grade levels.
I completed my undergraduate thesis on the subject of middle grades literature and won local and state wide awards including having the honor of presenting at a statewide conference for outstanding undergraduate research. In this thesis, I critically analyzed middle grades literature for representations of complex issues related to neurodivergency and disability across genres. I also completed graduate level coursework in disability studies including studying under an active lawyer for the United Nations working on disability rights policy.
Relevant Coursework:
Read 3100 Teach Read for K-6. This course is exceptionally relevant to this course as it provided a foundation in the science of reading approach which provides explicit, direct, and accurate phonics based instruction to support all readers. This is utilized in this course despite the difference in age ranges through optional spelling activities to support learners who may have lagging skills in reading and spelling.
Read 3200: Teaching Writing and Language Arts. This course provided frameworks and strategies for teaching writing in motivating ways to students and for understanding the development pathways of writing and language arts.
Eng 3118: Honor's Lit Focus. In this focus I explored representations of American History, focusing on the complex history of California, through a variety of literature for adolescents. This class also modeled engaging ways of teaching literature for this age group and dealing with complex subject matter.
English 4077: Literature For Adolescents This class focused on the teaching, critical analysis, and exploration of literature for middle school students. It explored methods of education and dealing with complex subject matter as well as strategies for evaluating texts both academically and developmentally. Reviews
Live Group Class
$135
for 9 classes1x per week, 9 weeks
45 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
3-6 learners per class
