Each week we will begin class with new vocabulary words and assignment discussion.  Then we will move into discussion from the chapters read, as well as assess reading comprehension.  We will have a time of questions and discussions regarding many aspects of the characters and events in this story.  Students will be encouraged to participate in active discussion in class.  
Throughout our book study there will be short, simple assignments (not for grade) that we will discuss in the following class.  This includes a pre-meeting assignment that will involve students doing a quick and brief research and jotting down some notes.  We will also play a game at the end of all/several classes.  Students are welcome to download Kahoot if they have a device, but having a device is NOT a requirement to participate in the games.   After each class a report will be sent to parents describing that day's class events, new concepts, student interest and behavior, as well as any info or assignments for the next class.   

Before our first meeting/Week 1:  Student should have completed reading chpt 1-3.  Author discussion.  We will begin discussion with the information students found in their pre-meeting research (provided in the enrolled learners section).  Then we will begin with some vocabulary words from these chapters before moving on to character profiles and setting.  Discussion questions about the story will help assess comprehension.  We will also learn what "point of view" means and in which the story is written.  Billy is a unique young man living in a different time.  We will begin looking at his life when having hounds was merely a dream.  Billy learns that dreams require patience, determination, and hard work.

Week 2:  Students should have completed reading chapters 4-6.  We will begin with new vocabulary words from these chapters.  We will then discuss more about Billy and the events surrounding his acquiring his dogs.  
 
Week 3:  Students should have completed reading chapters 7-9. We will begin by learning and using some new vocabulary words from these chapters then move on to discuss part of the story's plot, including the complications that emerge for the main characters to solve.  We will also learn a little more about Billy's grandfather in this section.  This is an exciting section because we will see Billy training his dogs to track coons and witness his first hunt.  A "simile" is a way to compare 2 unlike things using words of comparison.  Again, we will look into some character traits and how they are changing through the story.  Throughout the story you will also see Billy pray and ask his father if God has helped him.  How does his dad respond?  Does his family support Billy or is does it seem he's on his own?

Week 4:  Students should have completed reading chapters 10-13.  We will begin by learning and matching some new vocabulary words from these chapters.   In these chapters we will learn what Billy does with all of his coon hides, as well as learning more about the traits of the dogs in relation to Billy and each other.  We will discuss "irony" and style of Wilson Rawls style of writing.  What statements were made and what happens as a result?  What is the mood of the story, especially when discussing the "ghost coon?"  Again and again we find Billy praying for help with his dogs.  We also meet the Pritchards and learn about Billy's run-in with them.

Week 5:  Students should have completed reading chapters 14-18.  Once again, we will begin with new vocabulary words from these chapters.  Billy's grandfather becomes a bigger part of the story.  We will see events unfold leading up the Billy's hunting dog competition, and what happens as a result.  A metaphor, like a a simile, is another way of comparing things.  But it does not use comparative words such as "like" or "as."  We will discuss some of the metaphors in this section.  As we close this section we will learn about how Billy is feeling and what he feels when he looks back at the last few years. What things have you been given that make you happy?  We will briefly discuss "poetic justice" and look at an example.  

Weeks 6:   Students should have completed reading remaining chapters .  We will, for the last time, begin with some new vocabulary words from these chapters.  Then we will dive into some questions and discussion about Billy, the dogs, and the lion, and the dog's loyalty to one another.  We will discuss the legend of the red fern and what good, if any, came out of the tragic event that took place.  We will close by learning about the words, "flashback" and "theme," and discuss the theme(s) of this book.  By the end of a story, characters usually change.  And we will see how.  The characters in the story seem to pray a number of times.  What does this say about the author and his belief in the power of prayer?