Literature and Composition 6/7

(1 customer review)

From: $79.00 / month for 8 months

Grades:  6th–7th

Live Class:  Tue 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET

Dates:  Aug 21–May 3

Price:  $549

Instructor:  Natania Cook

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Course Description

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Reading, writing, and talking, oh my! Whether an avid or reluctant reader, students will certainly find this one-year, literature-based, complete English class engaging and fun. As we embark upon a grand literary adventure together, we will make numerous stops along the way to explore fantasies, mysteries, biographies, science-fiction, and more.

Students will practice and perfect their skills in spelling, reading comprehension, literary analysis, grammar, writing, vocabulary, listening, speaking, and critical thinking. Additionally, students will acquire the skill of annotation to help them slow down and think about what they are reading. Discussion is another essential component of this class and is conducted through Socratic seminars, an organized discussion where students seek a deeper understanding of complex ideas by asking questions.

Direct instruction in writing is taught by starting with the basic elements of a sentence and proper paragraph construction, and culminating with the creation of multi-paragraph essays. Conducting research, developing a thesis statement, summarizing a variety of texts, and responding to a given prompt are some of the composition skills practiced throughout the year. The variety of literature and informational texts read in this class serve as models to improve writing skills. Students will mature in their ability to write through practicing expository, narrative, descriptive, creative, and persuasive writing.

Students will read eight books as well as several short stories, articles, and poems. All Internet links to short stories, articles, and poems will be provided by the instructor. Books, however, must be purchased in advance and brought to class as needed. Because an important component of this class is learning how to provide textual evidence when writing about or discussing literature, it is helpful for all students to acquire the same editions of each book. Please refer to the ISBN numbers in the Required Texts tab above when ordering.

Who should enroll?

Students in grades 6-7 are welcome to enroll.

Technology Requirements

  • High speed, broadband Internet
  • Headset and microphone (for live sessions)
  • Streaming video capabilities to watch recorded lectures
  • Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are extremely helpful. If using a different word processing program, documents should be saved or exported as a pdf in order to submit them on Canvas.

Evaluation and Feedback

Asking students to demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter is an integral part of the learning process. Both formal and informal assessments will be administered in this course. Spelling, grammar, and vocabulary quizzes will be administered periodically. Comprehension of literature will be assessed through live class and online discussions and written responses such as journal entries and essays.

After concluding each literature unit, students will be assessed through a variety of methods including essays and major exams. Students will also be asked to apply and demonstrate their ability to analyze literature by completing special, creative projects, or oral presentations.

Providing consistent feedback is imperative for student growth and success especially with writing. For this reason, I provide a detailed critique of each major writing assignment as well as general comments on all other assignments. In addition, I schedule individual writing conferences periodically throughout the year where students and I meet one-on-one to address their specific writing needs.

Communication

Communication is an essential component of any educational endeavor. With that in mind, I encourage all of my students to contact me whenever they need assistance with an assignment, and I make it a priority to promptly respond to student inquiries. I also send a weekly “wrap-up” email outlining the learning objectives accomplished in class as well as reminders about upcoming assignments.

Beyond email correspondence, I have set aside an additional hour each week to assist students with writing, grammar, and literary skills. To participate in this extra learning opportunity, students need to register separately. See Language Arts Lab 6/7 for details and to register.

Parental inquiries are  welcomed and encouraged as parental involvement is essential to student success. To best serve parents, I have established “office hours” on Friday mornings from 9:00–11:00 AM (ET) for responding to emails and phone calls. I consider it a great privilege to be able to walk alongside parents and assist them in educating their children.

Required Texts

 

The following books can be acquired through Amazon.

Fantasy/Adventure Fiction

  • The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois, ISBN 0-14-032097-0

Fantasy Fiction

  • The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, ISBN 10: 0394820371

Mystery & Letter Writing

  • From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, ISBN 10: 0689711816

Nonfiction Autobiography

  • Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16 Fighter Pilot Captain Scott O’Grady, ISBN 13: 978-0440413134

Science Fiction

  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, ISBN 10: 0312367546

Realistic Fiction/ Survival

  • Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, ISBN 10: 141693647

Historical Fiction

  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, ISBN 10: 0439813786

Biography

  • Students will choose a biographical book about a famous inventor to read independently. They will use it to present an oral book report to the class.

1 review for Literature and Composition 6/7

  1. Erin Jessen (verified owner)

    Mrs. Cook has been an amazing lit/comp teacher for my dyslexic middle-schooler. She has helped him to learn and grow as a writer, patiently fostering a positive attitude in him while challenging him to push forward. He is technically below grade level in writing due to his learning disability, but Mrs. Cook is excellent at providing positive feedback with a manageable amount of correction so he doesn’t feel discouraged. We did sign up for the writing labs so that he would have a little extra assistance from her each week, and it definitely made a difference for him. Mrs. Cook worked with us on accommodations/technology and, again, never singled him out or conveyed any disapproval of his efforts. We are signed up for the next level and he is excited to be in her class again in 2022-23!

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Instructor Bio

Natania Cook

One of Natania Cook’s favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:8 that admonishes Christians to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. To her, beautiful literature provides the perfect fodder for deep thinking and worthy discussion. Natania believes that books provide a “safe place” for adults and children alike to wrestle with the tough situations of life and to pause and ponder what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. It is her privilege to be able to assist Aim Academy parents in their efforts to nurture and develop deep thinkers who ponder and aspire to excellence.

Prior to becoming a homeschool mother of four, Natania’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge led her to earn a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas Woman’s University and a BS degree in Education with a specialization in English from Baylor University. She is certified to teach English and English as a Second Language in grades 1-12 and Reading for grades 6-12. With over twenty years of teaching experience, Natania has served in both public and private school settings as well as in various homeschool forums where she has taught multiple grade levels and ages.

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Contact: ncook[at]aimacademy.online

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