*LIVE* American Short Story: Composition & Literature Unit 1 (Ages 12-17)
5 Weeks - Meets Live for 45 Minutes on Tuesdays 11:00 am EST (Jan 30 - Feb 27)
Course Summary
American Short Story: Composition & Literature Level: This is an early/intermediate level English course that covers a variety of classic American literature. Students in 8th-12th grade have successfully completed this course, as each student's level of proficiency is different
General Content: This unit will touch upon various pieces of American literature from the Early American, Romantic, and Realism periods. Subsequent units will delve into Realism, Naturalism, Modernism, and Contemporary Literature. During Unit 1, students will determine how the time period influences writers, understand literary devices and locate them in the text, analyze text, synthesize ideas, complete active reading, develop supportive arguments, write extended responses, complete question/answer assignments, practice proper grammar, and write paragraph responses. Classroom interaction is expected via verbal responses, Narpod answers, and/or chat communication. Homework times will vary. Students have reported 2-5 hours per week. Feel free to contact me to determine whether this class will meet your needs.
Lesson 1: "Rip Van Winkle"
-Discuss classroom, homework, sentence, & writing expectations
-Complete an overview of literary time periods
-Discuss elements of the Early American/Colonial Period
-Read and analyze a sample of literature from the Early Colonial Period (Phillis Wheatley)
-Introduce the Washington Irving
-Define and identify satire and irony
-Review a basic paragraph outline & discover how to write a strong topic sentence
Lesson 2: “The Notary of Perigueux” & “Paul Revere’s Ride”
-Locate elements of satire in “Rip Van Winkle”
-Complete satirical response writing
-Review the historical context of America in the mid-1800s
-Discuss elements of Romanticism
-Review rhyming patterns, writing styles in poetry, and how to read poetry
-Identify the differences between phrases and clauses
-Complete in-depth exploration of the 1st proof in a body paragraph
-Analyze and synthesize short texts
Lesson 3: “A Retrieved Reformation”
-Review the historical context of America in the late 1800s
-Introduce and discuss elements of Realism
-Discuss author O. Henry
-Identify the narrator’s role & point of view
-Reinforce comma usage rules
-Discuss how to close out the ideas in a basic paragraph
-Complete realism response writing using the basic paragraph format
Lesson 4: "After Twenty Years"
-Discuss how to present a theme from the text
-Read a text and identify the theme presented
-Discuss possible theme topics in “A Retrieved Reformation”
-Consider how O. Henry’s writing adds to the discussion about these important issues
-Reinforce more comma usage rules
- Review how to write an essay introduction and review samples of exemplar & non-exemplar introductions
Lesson 5: "The Gift of the Magi"
-Reinforce more comma usage rules
-Identify problematic thesis statements
-Complete sentence edits
-Review how to write an essay conclusion and review samples of exemplar & non-exemplar conclusions
-Discuss how to set up MLA formatting
-Review the 5 paragraph essay elements.
-Practice writing a thesis and restated thesis statements
Course Curriculum
Course Pricing
Valerie Stone
About Me
My husband and I live near Cincinnati, Ohio with our three children: two have graduated and one is starting college credit plus classes. I have been homeschooling our children for 17 years. We enjoy spending time together as a family, playing sports, games, and watching movies.
My Qualifications and Experience
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati, I worked as a social worker for Child Protective Services for 6 years before retiring to be a mom (the greatest job in the world). I started teaching four-day-a-week pre-k classes when my oldest child was 5 years old. Over the past 17 years, I have taught a variety of classes to homeschool students, including English composition and literature. During that time, I developed a passion for teaching literature, grammar, and writing, and I have been teaching high school level composition and literature classes for over 7 years.
What is Different About Me
I have homeschooled three children with different learning abilities: a son on the autism spectrum, a son with ADHD, and a daughter who finds everything easy to learn. Throughout the homeschool journey, I have used a variety of methods to help each child achieve the same level of knowledge and success. I have been that mom who had to figure out a new way to reach my child. I have been that teacher with multiple different ability levels in the same classroom. I will work to help every student reach their potential.
My Philosophy
I love seeing students grow in their abilities and confidence. I believe in students growing from “where they are.” Every student has unique gifts and abilities, and I encourage them to improve from whatever level they start at. Each assignment is aimed at opening up new ways of thinking and “unlocking the block.” I grade based on completed requested elements, adding small suggestions for improvement. My mission is to help all students grow in ability and interest ranging from the one that cries over writing a sentence to the one that writes 3 pages too much on a 5 paragraph essay.
