This class focuses on reading and writing based on "Anne of Avonlea." While it might be more enjoyable if the student has already read "Anne of Green Gables" and taken the accompanying class, this class can be taken without reading the previous book or taking the previous class. 

Before each class, students should complete the reading assignment. It will be 4-6 chapters. With the exception of our first class, where we will introduce ourselves, we will start each class with the students sharing their story based on the reading and the theme from the previous lesson. Students will discuss whether they feel like the changed elements did or did not change the overall storyline. Students should expect to spend 20-25 minutes doing this at the beginning of class. 

We will then discuss the reading for the class. Students should be ready to discuss what happened in the reading for class as well as how the theme for the class applies to the reading. We will spend roughly 20-25 minutes talking about what the students read and the theme for that class. 

For the final portion of the class, we will talk about their assignment for the next class, discussing the elements that the students will need to change for the next class. During this time, students will be able to ask any questions about the material for the next class. 

Students will be expected to do rewrites of the story between classes based on the theme for the class. While students can do rewrites of as much as the whole reading for the class or as little as one scene, one to two scenes should be sufficient and allow enough time for everyone to share their rewrites. 

Class One: Chapters 1-6 

Students will begin this class by introducing themselves. We will then discuss the reading for the class. These chapters include some personality clashes with her new neighbor, Mr. Harrison. We will talk about how Anne's interactions with her neighbor shaped her future interactions. We will discuss how things might have gone differently if either character had reacted differently to these interactions. For next week's writing assignment, students will rewrite a portion of the story where one or both of these characters react differently. This may include reactions for the good or for the bad. 

Class Two: Chapters 7-11

In these chapters, we will be discussing the new additions to Anne and Marilla's family.  These chapters will be easier to discuss if the students are at least somewhat familiar with the first book in the series. If students are familiar with the first book, we will be comparing Anne's early days at Green Gables to Dora and Davy's early days at Green Gables. We will also discuss how Anne's own troubles when she first came to Green Gables may have shaped how she interacted with the twins initially. If students are not familiar with the first book, we will be focusing more on whether students feel that Anne is sympathetic to the twins' troubles.  For the writing assignment for the next class, students should do a rewrite where Anne had a different upbringing and did not sympathize with the twins' troubles.

Class Three: Chapters 12-16

These chapters include some glimpses into Anne's time as a schoolteacher as well as her interactions with the twins and with her friends. At this time, Anne is about 16-17 years old. We will be discussing how Anne might have reacted differently if she were significantly older or younger than she is in the story. Students might want to consider if Anne would have joined in with Davy if she'd been younger. If she was older, would she have handled things with the classroom differently? For the writing assignment, students will make Anne either significantly older or younger than she is in the story. I would suggest at least an 8-10-year age difference. 

Class Four: Chapters 17-20

In these chapters, we encounter a few accidents, some of them mostly Anne's fault. In some cases, other people are to blame. In class, we will be discussing some of these incidents and how these accidents are or are not affected by the time period of the story. For the writing assignment, students should change the time period of the story. They can move it to a time before the early 1900s or to a later time period, including now or even in the future. 

Class Five: Chapters 21-25

In these chapters, Anne meets some new people and makes some new friends. In class, we will discuss these characters and how they shape this part of the story. Students will discuss their feelings concerning these characters. We will also discuss what genre the students feel the story is. Is it coming-of-age? Romance? Adventure? For the writing assignment, students should change the genre of the story. This may include making it science fiction, tragedy, mystery, or suspense. Another option would be to make part of the story into a screenplay, poem, or song.  

Class Six: Chapters 26-30

For the final class, we will be discussing the book as a whole with an emphasis on the final five chapters. These final chapters have death, marriage, and other huge changes in life. We will talk about how misunderstandings and grudges led to delayed friendships and relationships throughout the book. We will talk about what students liked about the book, what they didn't like, and what surprised them about the story. While we will not read the stories in class, students may want to rewrite a scene from this part of the book as though those misunderstandings never happened.