This is a flexible class. During this 10-week course, we will read Katherine Applegate's "Wishtree". Not all students or learners thrive in a group, round-table discussion setting, so this class will provide an environment for students who excel as independent readers. There will be no live video discussions of this novel. Students will be given the opportunity to read at their own pace but expected to complete reading assignments within the given time frame.

Each week, students will be given assigned chapters to read:
Week 1 - 2: Chapters 1 - 9
Week 2 - 4: Chapters 10 - 18
Week 5 -6: Chapters 19 - 30
Week 7 - 8: Chapters 31 - 42
Week 9 - 10; Chapters 42 -51

Students are required to take notes using graphic organizers that will be provided. These graphic organizer will assist with applying the following English Literature concepts:
Character Analysis
Theme Analysis
Symbol Analysis
Students will be required to submit their notes and completed graphic organizers for comments and feedback.

Also, students will be given  weekly worksheets (fill-in-blank, true or false, comprehension questions) for assessment of reading. A short writing assignment will be assigned. The assignment gives students the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions about a topic based on the reading. To support student interaction, a discussion question will be posted to the classroom based on the assigned reading. Students will be required to respond to the question. In addition, classmates are expected to comment on students' responses to create a classroom discussion. 

Also, this class will support  comprehension skills and vocabulary awareness. One of the main rewards of reading is an increase in vocabulary. A strong vocabulary base will assist with reading comprehension. Each day, a vocabulary word from the novel will be posted in the classroom. Students will be challenged to use the word in an appropriate grade-level or above sentence using more than five words. Also, students will increase their vocabulary word base by participating in assignments from a vocabulary website that gives students the opportunity to learn and practice difficult and unfamiliar words from the novel.  Students will be required to log in  regularly to complete assignments within the assigned time frame. In addition, students will be expected to participate in a weekly "Vocabulary Jam" from the website. Students will compete in teams to see which team can answer the most questions correctly. 
Additionally, students will be required to participate in the online quiz game Kahoot to challenge each other to see who can answer the most correct questions based on their reading.

At the end of 10 weeks, student will be able to intellectually and confidently discuss the characters, the themes, and the many symbolism of "Wishtree". Also, students will have a larger, stronger vocabulary base.