This is a flex schedule course and does not have weekly meetings.  Although there aren’t live classes, students will have the opportunity for teacher support. Students will receive and be responsible for watching prerecorded videos, reviewing handouts, and completing activities and assignments. Email is an alternative option to receive responses in a timely manner.  This course is similar to a live class,  but is an alternative means for learners who cannot participate in the scheduled live classes due to scheduling conflicts, comfort level or unfamiliarity with the live version of the class. 

The selection of short stories in this class are designed to encourage students to develop reading skills through comprehension of events and to integrate History and Language Arts. To ensure this is taking place, there will be posts on the classroom page to keep communication open. Students will be expected to engage with the teacher and classmates through guided discussions. Ongoing feedback for learners and responses to questions or concerns will also ensure there is active communication between teacher and students. The environment will have the feel of a live class, but allowing for flexibility while having interaction with peers and the teacher. This course will also offer a sense of community so we can each learn from each other's observations, thinking, and experiences.

Students will:
-understand and review biographical information about a variety of authors and the time period they lived
-identify the emotions revealed in work
-read short stories and be able to summarize basic elements (plot, characters, setting, perspective)
-define the meaning of words in the story
-comprehend the story's events through critical thinking questions
-share ideas and participate in classroom discussions or debates

This class will consist of optional online meetings, guided discussion board questions, interactive games (ex. Quizizz, Kahoot, Nearpod, etc), practice worksheets and other materials, notes, and assessments to show learning.

The tentative schedule for this course is:
Week 1: Historical events that were taking place between 1940's-1950's and preparing to read two short stories written during the decades 1960-1980.  

Week 2 and 3: The Swimmer (1964) by John Cheever
This story has a "feel" about the mid-century American sensibility, and particularly the mid-century American suburbs.
In 1964 when this story was published, it was at time of great prosperity for middle- and upper-class Americans. Having survived World War II, which ended in 1945, and the Korean War, which took place in the 1950s, many Americans were enjoying the wealth and affluence of the postwar era.

Week 3 and 4: The Lesson (1972) by Toni Cade Bambara
The story is about a trip initiated by a well-educated woman named Miss Moore who has taken it upon herself to expose the unappreciative children of the neighborhood to the world outside of their oppressed community.
During the 1950's, The Civil Rights Movement was taking place.  African Americans began taking a more active stance to end discrimination in the United States. The 1952 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka successfully challenged segregation in public schools. 


Although meetings are available to assist students, students should try to complete most work independently.  They should be self- disciplined and motivated.  Students will be expected to watch videos, complete homework, complete quizzes, and ask/answer questions that are posted in the classroom.