Description
? Grab the popcorn because we use film in the first 12 lessons in this class to teach elements of literature and how to analyze, evaluate, and think critically about narratives. Hang on to that popcorn because we launch into great literature, classic pieces with rich storylines. Students apply their newly acquired analytical skills to short literature in the second half of the school year. Short stories are special. They quickly introduce us to characters, settings, conflicts, and themes that relate to our lives. Short story authors are a special breed as well, able to craft a satisfying, thought-provoking story that we can read in one sitting. Stories reflect the human experience and help us see ourselves and the world in which we live. How do authors do this? In this course, we will use classic short stories to study the author’s craft, to learn to analyze literature, and to see its beauty, complexity, and most importantly, the illustration of a human experience in a theme. We will read from a variety of authors from a variety of countries and literary periods. Students will have optional homework to write about the story’s theme each week. They will look at the structure, figurative language, symbolism, syntax of sentences, setting, character development, conflict, motifs, etc. to analyze how the author developed the theme. Students who submit their writing each week will get feedback from the teacher.
? A Snapshot of Each Class – Fall
❶ After students report on their leisure reading, the instructor explicitly teaches an aspect of literary analysis or element of literature (such as exposition or dramatic irony).
❷ Students watch how the literary element is used in a short film; for example, we will look at the dramatic irony in a Pixar short.
❸ We discuss the use of the element in the film.
❹ The teacher offers a writing template and gives directions on how to write the short literary analysis piece, analyzing how the screenwriter and director crafted the narrative. This is an optional homework assignment, and when students turn in their writing, the teacher will offer feedback.
⛄️ A Snapshot of Each Class – Winter & Spring
❶ After students report on their leisure reading, the instructor introduces an essential question.
❷ We have a short teacher-led discussion about the essential question, the author, and the historical context of our story.
❸ We read a short story together in class.
❹ Students answer questions to test their comprehension, and they have a short teacher-led discussion on the essential question and the theme.
❺ Students write high-level discussion questions from “question starters” that will lead to thought-provoking discussions.
❻ Students participate in a student-led, teacher-supported Socratic Seminar on the story.
❼ The teacher offers a writing template and gives directions on how to write the short literary analysis piece, analyzing how the author developed the theme. This is an optional homework assignment, and when students turn in their writing, the teacher will offer feedback.
? To see teacher introduction videos, go to the Lemons-Aid profile page where you can view the video and also read bios.
https://outschool.com/teachers/Karen-Lemons?usid=0BAnv5zn&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&follow=true&utm_campaign=share_leader_link
? 2024 – 20254 School Year Schedule (Meets once per week. Content subject to change):
The Month of September: Summarizing & Analyzing Plot with Animated Shorts
The Month of October: Motif & Theme with Animated Shorts
The Month of November: Effect of Exposition on an Audience, Resolutions with Animated Shorts
The Month of December: Methods of Suspense with Animated Shorts & The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Christmas Break is two weeks
The Week Starting Jan 5–The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
The Week Starting Jan 12–Thank you, Ma’am by Langston Hughes
The Week Starting Jan 19–The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
The Week Starting Jan 26–The Way Up to Heaven by Roald Dahl
The Week Starting Feb 2–The Lumber Room by H.H. Munro
The Week Starting Feb 9–A Ghost by Guy de Maupassant
The Week Starting Feb 16–The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The Week Starting Feb 23–The Cat That Walked by Himself by Rudyard Kipling
The Week Starting Mar 2–The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs
The Week Starting Mar 9–The Skylight Room by O. Henry
The Week Starting Mar 16–The Fisherman and His Wife by The Brothers Grimm
The Week Starting Mar 23–Dragon, Dragon by John Gardner
The Week Starting Mar 30–The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
The Week Starting Apr 6–The Star by H.G. Wells
The Week Starting Apr 13–Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
The Week Starting Apr 20–The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The Week Starting Apr 27–Examination Day by Henry Slesar
The Week Starting May 4–Seventh Grade–Gary Soto
The Week Starting May 11–The Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
The Week Starting May 18–All Summer in a Day–Ray Bradbury
The Week Starting May 25–William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe
The Week Starting Jun 1–The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson
The Week Starting Jun 8–One Summer Night by Ambrose Bierce AND The Aged Mother by Matsuo Basho
The Week Starting Jun 15–The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
The Week Starting Jun 22–The Elephant’s Child–Rudyard Kipling
The Week Starting Jun 29–Home by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Week Starting Jul 6–The Night the Ghost Got In by James Thurber
The Week Starting Jul 13–Monkeyman by Walter Dean Myers
The Week Starting Jul 20–Mother & Daughter by Gary Soto
The Week Starting Jul 27–The Moustache by Robert Cormier
The Week Starting Aug 3–The Hanging Stranger by Philip K. Dick
The Week Starting Aug 10–After Twenty Years by O. Henry
The Week Starting Aug 17–Hearts and Hands by O. Henry
The Week Starting Aug 24–The Jacket by
To learn more about the advantages of including classic literature in middle school, feel free to explore more by reading here.
Get to know Mrs. Lemons and our teachers a little more.
