Language Arts: Term 1 Super Pack

 
Purchase a discounted term (16 weeks) of classes! This includes:
 
The Fortress: Foundations of Writing (8 weeks)
The question of building a foundation of writing requires us to have a definition of the very idea of writing, and writing is the act of building. Building a thought, a view, a belief, and manifesting it in one of thousands of ways: a sentence, a paragraph, an essay, a story, a song. In this course, students explore pillars of writing, including fairytales and the compare-contrast essay. With careful guidance and thoughtful examination, students discover how to mold writing into concise, specific, powerful paragraphs, and build upon their work to make a statement and prove a point. They begin to look beyond the foundation of writing when they contrast written fairytales with visual ones, noting the messages and character creation choices. What makes a story a story? And, once you find out, do you have the tools to tell us? 
 
During this eight-week course, students will be involved in writing a basic 500+ word narrative essay, a 750+ word compare-contrast essay, and a 1,000+ word fairytale of their choice. 
 
Required Materials: Fairytale reading material will be provided (PDF or Gutenberg Project). Students must have access to Disney’s The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast (2017).
 
Descriptive Writing and Human Expression: Narratives and Poetry (8 weeks)
People do not read because they love the sight of black and white or the smell of ink (though some may): they read because words attempt to embody experience and emotion. We dive into a story to experience something new and exciting–something beyond the world of our current understanding. Students experience the excitement of not only diving into others’ worlds but of creating their own. Through careful observation and exploration, students discover how to relay their experiences colorfully, both in narrative and poetic forms. Students travel along the sands of time to discover how these forms have emerged and transformed through thousands of years, and choose one poem of millions to examine in detail. Through their explorations of others’ works and communicative choices, students determine how they can connect with others, and not only through the written word. 
 
During this eight-week excursion, students will be involved in poetry exploration and analysis, narrative writing, and reflective work. This includes a 700+ word poetry analysis essay and a 500+ word narrative piece.
 
Day and Time: Mondays, 12:45 - 1:45 PM ET
Bundle Duration: 16 Weeks
Dates: September 16, 2024 - January 27, 2025
No class November 25, December 16, 23, 30 
Recommended for: Ages 13+ / Grades 8-9
Teacher: TTK Faculty
 
See more language arts classes: thethinkingkid.org/language-arts
See more classes for ages 13+ / grades 8-9: thethinkingkid.org/grades-8-9