Reading literature and writing are the things that middle school students LOVE, right?  
With daily practice and continuous reinforcement students will find confidence in English Language Arts, and maybe even learn to love reading and writing! 
Only 50 minutes, 4 times per week, this is an interactive class, student participation is integral to student success.  

******Students are expected to have their cameras on, and to participate verbally.******

>>>>>>>>Classes with fewer than 4 students enrolled MAY be cancelled.<<<<<<<<<

Each day will include journal writing while students log in (designed to take 5 to 7 minutes).  Next is a quick grammar activity that takes about 10 minutes.  Then we delve into the lesson for that day.  Short stories, poetry and even short novels will be read during and outside of class, students will be encouraged to write in response to the reading and complete written assignments connected to the literature, and learners will interact with one another in groups and online games. The lessons and activities of the week will be centered around the literature.  Assignments throughout the week will build upon one another.   

Structure of the class and content covered may change based upon the needs of the learners. 

Each week is unique and does not require prior knowledge from previous classes.   However, students are expected to have basic knowledge of parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions), as well as basic punctuation, capitalization and spelling conventions.  Learners will also need to have a minimum reading level equivalent to 4th grade, be able to write complete sentences and paragraphs in response to prompts and for assignments, and be mature enough to interact with other learners in the class.  

Younger learners who are advanced may be considered for the class, but if it is not a good fit the teacher may suggest a transfer to another section or withdrawal of the learner.  

October 10 - 16      Chiron, the Wisest Centaur by Madeleine L'Engle
October 17 - 23      Charles by Shirley Jackson
October 24 - 3       Seventh Grade by Gary Soto
Oct 31 - Nov 6        Annabelle Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
November 7-13       Big Finish by Erin Michelle Jendras
November 14-20    Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll      
Nov. 28 - Dec 4      Raymond’s Run by Toni Cade Bambara
December 5-11       Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan
December 12-18    The Long Night by Steve Vance
January 2 - 8          A Present for Mrs. Robertson by Meg Medina
January 9 - 15        The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind by Ray Bradbury
January 16 - 22      One Friday Morning by Langston Hughes
January 23 - 29      Learning About the Holocaust by Michael A. Signal
Jan. 30 - Feb 5       The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
February 6 - 12      Michael Jordan: A Profile in Failure by Jeff Stibel 
February 13 - 19     A Rough and Rugged Road by Libby Wilson
February 20 - 26    Louis Armstrong by Jessica
Feb. 27 - March 5   Simone Biles by Marty Kaminsky
March 6 - 12           "The Worst Birthday" by J.K. Rowling
March 13 - 19          Stray by Cynthia Ryland
March 20 - 26        Joan of Arc: France's Young Tragic Hero by David White
March 27 - April 2  Laura's Key by Anne-Marie Reidy
April 3 - 9               Daisy Low Grows the Girl Scouts by Natasha Wing
April 10 - 16            The Jacket by Gary Soto
April 17 - 23            To a Daughter Leaving Home by Linda Pastran
April 24 - 30           The Story of the Lazy Boy: A Kachari Folktale, Compiled by Rev. Sidney Endle
May 1 - 7                 The Third Wish by Joan Aiken
May 8 - 14              The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
May 15 - 21             Adolf Hitler by Jessica McBirney
May 22 - 28           Shakespeare: Who was the Bard? by Mia Hodorovich


May 29 - June 4    The Fisherman and his Wife by The Brothers Grimm
June 5 - 11             Button Button by Richard Matheson
June 12 - 18           The Four Dragons by Unknown
June 19 - 25          Mercury's Sandals by Rose Edwards
June 26 - July 2    Recognition by Victor Lavalle
July 10 - 16            Cinderella by Charles Perrault
July 17 - 23            Old Games, New Territory by Khat Patrong
July 24 - 30           Down the Rabbit Hole by Lewis Carroll
July 31  - Aug 6     The Ravine by Graham Salisbury 
August 7 - 13         The White Umbrella by Gish Jen
August 14 - 20      Us and Them by David Sedaris
August 21 - 27       The War of the Wall by Toni Cade Bambara
Aug 28 - Sept  3   The Veldt by Ray Bradbury 


**********PLEASE READ*************
Outschool has recently changed its policy regarding class cancellations. We know how disappointing canceled classes can be for learners, so we too are amending our policy.  In the past we have waited for late enrollees, of which we have had MANY!  Unfortunately we can no longer do that. 

Instead we will evaluate class enrollment for ongoing classes on teach Sunday at 5pm Eastern.  IF enrollment falls below 3 students, we will push the class back a week.  When other sections are available students will have the option to transfer to another class.  Full refunds will be provided for learners who cannot attend the newly scheduled class time. Partial refunds for missed classes are NOT available. If a student must miss class, the recording is available to view at their convenience. All other refunds will be provided as per the Outschool Limited Refund policy (see below).  If for any reason the class does not meet your expectation, you have the confidence of knowing that Outschool has a Happiness Guarantee and will provide a refund upon request via their Customer Support. 

Transfer requests within 24 hours of a scheduled class will NOT be approved.  At that point it is too late to reschedule the class, and it is unfair to other families who may have enrolled thinking there were multiple learners enrolled. Instead students will be encouraged to watch the video of the class.
 
Thank you for understanding, and for your loyalty.