Students who are entering Junior Boarding School and are interested in reading and literature
Grades 6-8
One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)
Class Introduction
Students will learn how family expectations and religious values influence one’s personal identity. Students will also focus on how historical, social, and cultural context influence a text’s narrative, emphasizing how literary devices help to control theme(s). Since reading and writing are inextricably linked, students will learn to actively read text at both the literal and inferential levels.
Topics will be utilized by the novel in this class.
Learning Goals
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Develop research skills and presentation skills
- Develop grammar and punctuation skills
- Develop an understanding of major literary terms
- Develop vocabulary through context clues
- Develop writing skills through analytic writing (Toulmin Method of Claim, Evidence, and Warrant)
- Develop editing and revision skills to add unity and cogency to one’s writing
Course Content
Texts:
“The Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Elizabeth George Speare
Feedback
Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class, regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email.
Schedule
1 class per week, 2 hours per class, 10 classes in total