Literature and Writing for Middle School 
Teacher: Nancy Kaser
 $365 per semester (2 semester course)
Four identical classes offered Tuesdays - 8: 45 - 10:15, 10:30 - 12:00, 12:45 - 2:15, 2:30 - 4:00

Junior high students will be exposed to engaging classical works of literature from several different genres, while emphasizing the development of excellent writing skills. In an engaging and fast-paced environment, essay writing, vocabulary assignments, group projects, memorization exercises, and oral presentations will prepare students to excel in English through high school and beyond.

​Unit 1- Historical Fiction - True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
  • Descriptive paragraph writing 
Unit 2 – Dystopian Literature – The Giver by Lois Lowry
  • Outlining and paragraph development
  • Dialogue and punctuation review
Unit 3 – Fairy Tales – various works
  • Elements of a story 
  • Write an original tale 
Unit 4- Realistic Fiction –Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
  • Opinion essay writing 
Unit 5- Historical Poetry –Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
  • Formal five-paragraph research essay on immigration and culture 
Unit 6 – Historical Fiction – Moon Over Manifest Clare Vanderpool 
  • Oral heritage presentation
Unit 7- Poetry- various selections
  • Writing various forms of poetry
  • Includes annual poetry recital
Unit 8- Science Fiction – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L’Engle
  • Short answer essay 
Unit 9 – Mystery – The Westing Game
  • Formal letter writing
  • Email etiquette

Class Materials:
A copy of the following books needs to be provided by student:

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle 
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

All other materials wil be provided by the instructor. Many items will need to downloaded and printed at home for htis course, so students should have a good supply of ink and paper.