Middle School Literature 1 (Live and Self-Paced options)

Middle School Literature 1 is a literature course organized by units in the genres of short story, poetry, drama, non-fiction, and novel and is designed for students in grade six. All our middle school level literature courses focus on reading a wide variety of literature that will challenge and engage students of all abilities. Students will learn literary terminology and critical reading and analysis skills that will prepare them for literary study at the high school level. See course book list below.

This class meets on Tuesdays at 3 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

Note: Space is limited. Be sure to enroll early to secure your spot.

Student Expectations for Live Classes: 

• Weekly reading and comprehension quiz
• Weekly discussion post
• Two papers, one per semester
• One creative project
• Students can expect to spend two to three hours per week outside of class on assignments. 

About Self-Paced Classes:

• Students have access to recorded lectures on each reading assignment.
• Students have access to weekly reading pacing guides and auto-graded quizzes.
• Although we recommend following the syllabus in order, students are free to choose what to read and when.
• Self-Paced classes do not include live class sessions or teacher support. 
• All recordings will be available from September 2 through the end of the following August.

Book List

There are many options for acquiring these books. You can purchase them from a local or online retailer. You can check them out of the library. For most, you can download electronic versions or access them online and read them on your computer screen. In addition to the books below, we will be reading a variety of short stories, poems, essays, and articles which will be provided to students in digital form and therefore do not need to be purchased.

If a particular edition or translation is listed, it is important to acquire that version. If no specifics are included, any version will work.

The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien

Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls

The Miracle Worker, by William Gibson

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (This will be provided digitally.)

R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Capek (This will be provided digitally.)

Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White

A Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank (There are several different versions of this book. The one we will be reading is the most popular one. It was edited by Anne’s Father. Normally, if it has the title A Diary of a Young Girl, you’ve got the right one. Don’t get the one called The Diary of Anne Frank: The Critical Edition.)