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Course Description:
This self paced, flexible language arts course does not have any live meetings. The course is aligned to the national standards of citing text evidence, main idea, summarizing, argument writing, and collaboration and discussion. 

This course is centered around the big question, "What is important to know?". The informational readings and assignments during this course will be related to the course’s big question as well as each reading's big question. The readings will be used to support the national standards. Feedback will be given on each assessment that is turned in privately to the teacher.  

**The Middle School Language Arts Mini-Courses are designed around a theme and can be taken in any order. Each course contains informational readings and touches on national standards. To get a more rigorous and full semester long experience, please see my Middle School Language Arts Part 1 and Part 2 courses.  The readings and topics are different in the full semester classes and cover more national standards.**

National Standards:
-RI.5.1, RI.6.1, RI.7.1, RI.8.1, RI.9.1 - Citing Text Evidence
-RI.5.2, RI.6.2, RI.7.2, RI.8.2, RI.9.2 - Main Idea
-RI.5.2, RI.6.2, RI.7.2, RI.8.2, RI.9.2 - Summarizing
-W.5.1, W.6.1, W.7.1, W.8.1, W.9.1 - Argument Writing
-SL.5.1, SL.6.1, SL.7.1, SL.8.1, SL.9.1 - Collaboration and Discussion

Course Format:
At the beginning of the week, a “List of Learning” Google Docs will be posted on the Outschool classroom page. Each “List of Learning” will have steps students need to complete for the week. These steps will include a lesson video to watch that relates to the standard for the week, the reading assignments for the week, discussion questions to respond to and give feedback to other classmates, assessments to complete, a writing assignment, and possible other assignments or extension opportunities. Any work that will be turned in for grades/scores, will be in the form of a Google Doc. Students will need to share the document with the teacher and other students will not have access to the document. 

It is encouraged to have the readings and assignments done by each due date so students can participate in discussions and activities together. To give each student a more meaningful learning experience, all students need to participate in the discussion questions by responding to the questions and giving feedback to other students. Students will also have the opportunity to work on extension activities such as scavenger hunts, creating artwork and finding things in the real world to relate back to the readings.

The teacher will be available throughout the week via Outschool to answer any questions and give feedback. 

Course Schedule (Subject to Change):
Week 1:
-Lesson: Citing Text Evidence
-Reading: “The Language of the Body”
	-Big Question: Is body language a truer form of communication than using words?
-Reading: “Teens at Work”
	-Big Question: Is it worth having a job while in school?

Week 2:
-Lesson: Main Idea
-Reading: “Young People with Hope”
	-Big Question: How are today’s young people continuing the struggle for racial justice?
-Reading: “Major League Baseball and Money”
	-Big Question: Is big-league baseball too commercial?
-Reading: “City Life for Birds”
	-Big Question: Should urban people help to protect wild birds?

Week 3:
-Lesson: Summarizing
-Reading: “Response to a Tragedy”
	-Big Question: What can we learn from communities that have faced a tragedy?
-Reading: “Wilderness Learning”
	-Big Question: Should city kids learn wilderness survival skills?
-Reading: “Fighting Sports Stereotypes”
	-Big Question: Should some sports exclude males or females, or should all sports be open to all people?

Week 4: 
-Argument Writing