This advanced English class caters to middle schoolers aged 11-13, offering an in-depth journey through literature with play readings, poetry analysis, grammar refinement, and critical thinking exercises in verbal reasoning, tailored to foster advanced language skills and comprehension.

This class meets 3 times per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Week 1: Feb 13th - Feb 15th

Tuesday (Feb 13th):
Class Activity: Introduction to Verbal Reasoning
Explanation of verbal reasoning concepts and sample questions.
Practice exercises to develop critical thinking skills.

Wednesday (Feb 14th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Introduction to Shakespeare and his works.
Reading and analysis of a one-page extract from "Romeo and Juliet"
Discussion on themes, characters, and language techniques.

Thursday (Feb 15th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Introduction to poetry analysis techniques.
Reading and analysis of a poem :"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
Discussion on imagery, figurative language, and deeper meanings in the poem.

Week 2: Feb 20th - Feb 22nd
Tuesday (Feb 20th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Review of grammar concepts such as parts of speech, sentence structure, and punctuation.
Practice exercises focusing on sentence construction and editing.

Wednesday (Feb 21st):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Continued practice with verbal reasoning exercises.
Emphasis on logic, deduction, and problem-solving skills.

Thursday (Feb 22nd):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Overview of the play Macbeth
Reading and analysis of a scene from "Macbeth".
Comparing and contrasting themes and literary devices with previous extracts.

Week 3: Feb 27th - Feb 29th
Tuesday (Feb 27th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Continued exploration of poetry analysis techniques.
Reading and analysis of "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman
Discussion on symbolism, structure, and the poet's message.

Wednesday (Feb 28th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Focus on more advanced grammar concepts such as subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, and complex sentence construction.
Practice exercises to reinforce understanding.

Thursday (Feb 29th):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Further practice with verbal reasoning exercises, including analogies, verbal classification, and logical deductions.

Week 4: Mar 5th - Mar 7th
Tuesday (Mar 5th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Overview of Hamlet
Reading and analysis of a scene from "Hamlet".
Discussion on character development, dramatic tension, and Shakespearean language.

Wednesday (Mar 6th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Reading and analysis of  Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare.
Discussion on rhyme scheme, meter, and poetic devices.

Thursday (Mar 7th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Review and reinforcement of previous grammar concepts.
Introduction to literary devices such as simile, metaphor, and personification.

Week 9: March 12th - March 14th
Tuesday (Mar 12th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Reading and analysis of a scene from "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
Discussion on humor, character interactions, and Shakespearean language.

Wednesday (Mar 13th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Further exploration of poetry analysis with a focus on Haikus.
Reading and analysis of Haiku examples 
Discussion on structure, rhythm, and thematic elements.

Thursday (Mar 14th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Review and reinforcement of literary devices.
Practice exercises incorporating literary analysis into writing, crafting descriptive paragraphs using similes and metaphors).

SPRING BREAK - No classes March 19th - 21st

Week 10: Mar 26th - Mar 28th 
Tuesday (Mar 26th):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Review and practice of various verbal reasoning question types.
Emphasis on strategies for approaching different types of questions effectively.

Wednesday (Mar 27th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Reading and analysis of a scene from "Twelfth Night".
Discussion on themes of identity, disguise, and mistaken identity in the play.

Thursday (Mar 28th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Analysis of a longer poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.
Discussion on narrative structure, symbolism, and mood in poetry.

Week 11: April 2nd - April 4th
Tuesday (April 2nd):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Focus on advanced language arts skills such as rhetorical devices, sentence variety, and tone.
Practice exercises to enhance writing fluency and style.


Wednesday (April 3rd):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Continued practice with verbal reasoning exercises, focusing on inference, deduction, and critical thinking.
Review of strategies for tackling challenging verbal reasoning questions.

Thursday (April 4th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Overview, reading and analysis of a scene from "Othello".
Discussion on themes of jealousy, manipulation, and tragedy in the play.

Week 12: April 9th - April 11th
Tuesday (April 9th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Analysis of a contemporary poem from a diverse poet Harlem" (also known as "Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes.
Discussion on the poet's voice, social commentary, and the power of resilience.

Wednesday (April 10th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Review and reinforcement of grammar rules related to sentence structure and punctuation.
Practice exercises to improve editing and proofreading skills.

Thursday (April 11th):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Further practice with verbal reasoning exercises, including advanced analogies and logical deductions.
Application of problem-solving strategies to real-life scenarios.

Week 13: April 16th - April 18th
Tuesday (April 16th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Overview, reading and analysis of a scene from "King Lear".
Discussion on themes of power, madness, and familial relationships.

Wednesday (April 17th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Analysis of a classic poem from a different literary era "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot.
Discussion on modernist themes, imagery, and symbolism.

Thursday (April 18th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Introduction to advanced writing techniques such as irony, satire, and allegory.
Practice exercises incorporating these techniques into creative writing.

Week 14: April 23rd - April 25th
Tuesday (April 23rd):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Review and practice of various verbal reasoning question types.

Wednesday (April 24th):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Overview, reading and analysis of a scene from "As You Like It".
Discussion on themes of love, identity, and pastoral life in the play.

Thursday (April 25th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the Thing with Feathers."
Discuss cultural context, identity, and themes.

Week 15: April 30th - May 2nd
Tuesday (April 30th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Focus on advanced language arts skills such as parallelism, diction, and syntax.
Practice exercises to enhance precision and clarity in writing.

Wednesday (May 1st):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Continued practice with verbal reasoning exercises, focusing on inference, deduction, and critical thinking.
Review of strategies for tackling challenging verbal reasoning questions.

Thursday (May 2nd):
Class Activity: Reading Comprehension - Shakespearean Extract
Overview, reading and analysis of a scene from "The Tempest".
Discussion on themes of power, colonization, and forgiveness in the play.

Week 16: May 7th - May 9th
Tuesday (May 7th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Analysis of a contemporary poem from a diverse poet  "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.
Discussion on the poet's perspective, symbolism, and the human condition.

Wednesday (May 8th):
Class Activity: Grammar and Language Arts Skills
Review and reinforcement of grammar rules related to sentence structure and punctuation.
Practice exercises to improve editing and proofreading skills.

Thursday (May 9th):
Class Activity: Verbal Reasoning Practice
Further practice with verbal reasoning exercises focused on word problems.

Week 17: May 14th - May 16th
Tuesday (May 14th):
Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
Analysis of a contemporary poem from a diverse poet “The Tyger" by William Blake 
Discussion on the analysis of symbolism, imagery, and philosophical themes.

Wednesday (May 15th):
Class Activity: Grammar Review
Focus on punctuation rules, specifically commas and semicolons.
Explanation of when to use commas to separate items in a series, set off introductory phrases, and separate independent clauses in compound sentences.
Practice exercises to reinforce comma usage.

Thursday (May 16th):
Class Activity: Comprehensive Skills Review
Comprehensive review of all skills learned throughout the semester, including verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, poetry analysis, and grammar/language arts.