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Introduction to Literature & Composition | 24-25

Blue Tent Introduction to Literature & Composition

This online Introduction to Literature & Composition course is designed for advanced 8th graders (13+) and early high school homeschoolers..

 

There are no live meetings, but expect an active class. Text-based conversations take place in weekly discussion forums where students share and compare their opinions and writing with their classmates. Ongoing discussions help students better understand the class reading, and peer modeling helps bolster writing skills as a community.

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Class Details

  • Introduction to Literature & Composition | Asynchronous full-year class

  • Tuition & Resources:

  • Instructor: Anna Grace Freebersyser

  • Dates: August 19, 2024 to May 4, 2025

  • Grade level: 8th and up​ (13+)

    • ​This class is for advanced 8th graders (and up) who have had prior practice writing five-paragraph essays and who have at least some familiarity with MLA formatting and citations (expertise is not expected).

  • ​Class size: 25

  • See our FAQ for:

    • age/grade guidelines, prerequisites, and class fit recommendations

    • a complete list of days, times, and breaks

    • a list of CA charter schools where this course is a-g approved

  • Format:

    • Students share an interactive online classroom.

    • This is an asynchronous (text-based) class. While there are no live meetings, it is not self-paced. There is student/student and student/teacher interaction throughout each week.

  • Average weekly time estimate: 6-9 hours

 

Foundational Elements

Intro to Lit is designed for students who enjoy reading and writing and who have a sincere desire to improve their skillfulness. They may be confident in their abilities, or may feel that they need more work on brainstorming, outlining, and getting thoughts down on paper. They will work on all of those things during the year in an incremental parts-to-whole approach.

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  • Every week, students will be engaged in reading and in some sort of writing.

  • Students will complete short weekly assignments and will converse in both teacher-led and peer-led discussion forums. They will be actively discuss their reading to help improve proficiency in informal writing and literary analysis.  

  • In addition to writing exercises, four different types of essays will be written during the year--each relating in some way to the assigned reading.

  • With the help of the instructor, students will work incrementally to plan, collect supporting evidence, create thesis statements and topic sentences, outline, and write their essays.

    • Students will receive feedback and assistance at each step of their essay writing.

    • Each final essay will receive detailed instructor feedback.

    • Students will then polish their papers after receiving both instructor and peer suggestions, and resubmit for a final, improved grade.

  • Students should be at least familiar with MLA prior to entering the class. They will refine, reinforce, and ultimately nail MLA formatting, citations, and works cited pages during the year..

  • Grammar and vocabulary practice will be woven into the year in a small, purposeful way.​

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Join other enthusiastic students, and enjoy growing as a reader and a writer alongside class-friends!

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