This a 15-week semester-long full curriculum English Language Arts course that further develops students’ reading, analysis, and writing skills while exploring the question “What creates criminality?” A fitting option for students who are homeschooled or need a supplement to their school studies. This is a Freshman or English One level course. While this is labeled "2nd Semester," taking the first semester is not mandatory.

Be aware that the course meets 3 times a week and 1-2 hours of homework is expected between each class meeting. The homework is typically reading and analysis that will aid class discussions, as well as work on students’ projects. The homework allows students to independently practice their skills as they further develop those skills during our collaborative class meetings.

Our course is divided into four units. At the end of each unit, students will demonstrate their understanding with a project that captures the concepts learned throughout the unit and course.

Unit One engages students in reading and analyzing Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Students will become familiar with using context clues, thesis statements, lead-ins, transitions, and outlining an essay. By the end of the unit, students will utilize the mentioned concepts to write and submit a character analysis that examines the criteria that spurs Macbeth or Lady Macbeth’s criminality.

Unit Two introduces students to a variety of criminology theories. Students will further develop their research and writing skills as they analyze the stories of real life people who have been faced with criminal charges. By the end of the unit, students will write and present an analytical essay that applies 2-3 criminology theories to explain the underlying motives and circumstances the guided the behaviors of their chosen real life criminal.

Unit Three challenges students to question if laws are inherently right through the reading and analysis of Nothing But the Truth by Avi and a variety of resistance poems. Students will become familiar with point of view, connotation vs denotation, colons, semi colons, passive vs active voice, and coordinating conjunctions. By the end of the unit, students will write and present an expository essay that explains the arguments of groups on either side of a chosen historical issue.

Unit Four provides students an understanding of how they can affect laws. Students will read and discuss Thank You for Voting Young Readers’ Edition: The Past, Present, and Future of Voting by Erin Geiger Smith as they become familiar with components of local government, campaign websites, propositions, voter guides, and caucuses. By the end of the unit, students will create and present a campaign website for a fictional mayoral candidate. Note: This unit only covers American politics.

Students should be prepared to participate in class and engage with texts at grade level. I am here to aid students as they develop, but that can only happen if students are prepared to read our texts with moderate to minimal assistance.

Three books must be purchased/rented for this course: Macbeth by William Shakespeare (purchased/rented by first day), Nothing But the Truth by Avi (purchased/rented by Week 7), and Thank You for Voting Young Readers’ Edition: The Past, Present, and Future of Voting by Erin Geiger Smith (purchased/rented by Week 12). If there are any questions or issues about purchasing or renting these books, please reach out. Either physical or digital copies are acceptable.

Weekly Breakdown

Unit One: Character Analysis

Week 1 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; background information; context clues
- Context clues revisited; Begin reading Macbeth; Discussion. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; character worksheets; continue reading; discussion. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 2 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; analyzing an analysis; thesis statement. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; lead-ins; incorporating quotes. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; reading; discussion; topic sentences. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 3 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; outlining; reading; discussion. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; writing a sample; transitions. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; conclusion paragraph; reading; discussion. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 4 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; character selection; outlining
- Work day
- Making connections; unit wrap-up

Unit Two: Analytical Essay

Week 5 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; criminology theories
- Criminology theories; sample cases. Homework: Begin research
- John Brown; criminal building; thesis statement. Homework: Continue research

Week 6 (3 meetings)
- Edward Snowden; outlining. Homework: Work on paper
- Work day
- Presentations; unit wrap-up

Unit Three: Expository Essay

Week 7 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; discussion; poem analysis
- Background knowledge; point of view; begin reading Nothing but the Truth; discussion. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; connotation vs denotation; poem analysis. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 8 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; poem analysis; unjust laws; reading; discussion. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; poem writing; poem analysis. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; Colons; Semi colons; passive vs active voice. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 9 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; Analyze sample essays. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; outlining; begin research. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; class essay; continue research

Week 10 (3 meetings)
- Poem Analysis; Poem writing; dependent vs independent clauses.
- Hooks; thesis statement; citations; coordinating conjunctions.
- Coordinating conjunctions continued; topic sentences; closing paragraph

Week 11 (3 meetings)
- Works cited; slide show creation
- Work day
- Presentations; unit wrap-up

Unit Four: Campaign Website
 Week 12 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; people of the local government; begin reading Thank You for Voting. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; Kahoot creation; analyzing campaign websites. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; Kahoot creation; candidate guide. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 13 (3 meetings)
- Kahoot; discussion; kahoot creation; propositions; voter guide. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; kahoot creation; analyzing and writing propositions. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; kahoot creation; voting on propositions. Homework: Continue assigned reading

Week 14 (3 meetings)
- Kahoot; discussion; kahoot creation; caucus. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; Kahoot creation; begin project. Homework: Continue assigned reading
- Discussion; kahoot creation; building a website.

Week 15 (3 meetings)
- Kahoot; effects of local government; continue project
- Peer check; city council meeting.
- Presentations; course wrap-up