In this 16-week self-paced class (asynchronous), students will do the first half of English Language Arts Through Literature utilizing Moving Beyond the Page where we will analyze fiction and write papers/essays on related topics. If students are taking the class for an academic grade, they should plan on spending several hours a week on the class for the lessons, homework, projects, and reading. 

This class can be used as a core English/Literature/Language Arts/ELA course for 7th or 8th grade (US standards). For non US-students, please contact me and I can send you the standards to see if it will suit your high school/secondary school year 7, 8, or 9 student's needs.  

There are NO live meetings for this course. Multiple posts will be made to the classroom each week which will include: video lessons on the text and language arts/grammar lessons, discussion questions on the reading, homework post which will include the reading and worksheet/writing/creative project assignment, and question/answer posts regarding language arts, vocabulary, and grammar. 

This class uses the Moving Beyond the Page Language Arts curriculum. As such learners will use literature to learn language arts, develop their critical thinking and creativity skills, and use the 6+1 traits of writing approach (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions, Presentations). A Summary of Skills will be provided when you enroll that tells you which state and national (US) standards that each unit covers for your own planning and any documentation requirements that you need to submit to your local authorities.  

The Pearl Unit - 4 weeks
What happens when a simple, honest family man finds wealth beyond imagination? You may be surprised how the discovery changes his life forever. Set in La Paz, Mexico at the turn of the 20th century, this compelling novella teaches valuable life lessons about the consequences of greed and what brings true happiness. Practice identifying and using a variety of prepositional, verbal, and appositive phrases. Write your own parable to teach a universal lesson.

A Girl Named Disaster Unit - 4 weeks
Through the eyes of a young teenage girl, experience an African tribe that is struggling to hold on to its cultural traditions. For her own safety, the girl is forced to leave her family, and she begins a journey of survival that will ultimately open her eyes to a world she could never have imagined. Explore the writing process, practice editing sentences, and develop your own personal narrative writing piece.

The Hobbit Unit - 4 weeks
Can even the smallest of creatures go up against the likes of elves, goblins, dragons, and kings, and affect or alter the direction of an entire world? This classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien follows the adventures of the diminutive Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, as he is swept up in an adventure to save Middle Earth from destruction. This story reveals the importance of friendship, perseverance, and hope, while immersing you in a fantastical, action-packed, and magical world. This unit will provide you with the opportunity to learn about the author and the unique creatures he created. During this process, you will study new vocabulary, sentence construction and grammar, and literary terms and techniques. You will also learn about the characteristics typical of fantasy novels and quest stories. For the final project, you will practice using your own voice to respond to literature. This will involve constructing an argument, supported by evidence, that defends your understanding or interpretation of the novel and how it reflects or comments on life.

A Single Shard Unit - 4 weeks
Life in ancient Korea is full of hardship and hunger for an orphan boy named Tree-ear. While he is given a job helping an artisan potter, according to tradition he is not permitted to create the pottery he so longs to make. When visitors from the royal palace come to town, Tree-ear has an opportunity to change his life forever. Practice identifying and using pronouns and antecedents in writing. Develop a comparison and contrast essay that explores relationships between characters in the book.