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Literature

Tuition: $35 per monht; $25/year which includes the price of the Wordly Wise Workbook.

 

Supplies common to all Literature classes:

  • Loose Leaf Paper
  • 2 pink, yellow, or orange highlighters
  • Three-ring hardback binder two or three inches thick
  • 4 red grading pens
  • One set of five tab dividers labeled.

       a. Syllabus

                    b. Current work

                    c. Graded Work

                    d. Wordly wise 

                    e  Wordly wise tests

 

NOTE: Students are to keep all graded assignments in their binders for future reference

                 

          Textbooks for these classes are available at : Textbook Exchange Warehouse, 6701 N Bryant Ave., Oklahoma city Oklahoma 73121; 405-478-2434.  .

        ** Don’t pre-purchase the novels as Mrs. Erwin tailors these classes to the interests and previous reading experience of the students. The books listed below are probable but not definite books for the 2011-2012 school term.

         

6th and 7th grade Literature.Mrs. Kim Erwin

 

• Offered yearly  

Students in this course will be introduced to the various genres of literature—short stories, poetry, non-fiction, drama, and novels from a Christian worldview. There will be writing assignments in the form of short essays, and creative writing from the setting and era of the reading assignments.  In addition, students will expand their vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar skills.  These activities will focus on preparation for the language and reading skills sections found on standardized tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, SAT and ACT.  Students will study several novels and biographies.  Mrs. Erwin has access to purchasing these paperback books at a reduced rate, so she will order them for the entire class as needed. You need not purchase a new copy if you already own a particular novel to be studied.  Mrs. Erwin does encourage students to underline and make notes in the margins for class discussions.

 

 

Text: Purchase Prentice Hall  Literature Bronze textbook available at     Textbook Exchange for $14.

 

                       Possible books include:

 

·       The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin  

·       Amos Fortune Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

·       The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

·       The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

·       The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly

·       Poetry Unit

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8th and 9th grade literature: Mrs. Erwin

• Offered yearly

 

Students in this course will delve deeper into the literary genres—short stories, poetry, non-fiction, drama, and the novel from a Christian worldview. Students will work to develop higher-level thinking and reading comprehension skills. They will continue to expand vocabulary skills and incorporate spelling, punctuation, and grammar skills into composition exercises. There will be writing assignments in the form of multiple-paragraph essays, and creative writing from the setting and era of the reading assignments.  These activities will focus on preparation for the language and reading skills sections found on standardized tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, SAT and ACT. Students will also study several novels and an autobiography. Mrs. Erwin has access to purchasing these paperback books at a reduced rate, so she will order them for the entire class as needed. You need not purchase a new copy if you already own a particular novel to be studied.  Mrs. Erwin does encourage students to underline and make notes in the margins for class discussions. 

*Purchase  Prentice Hall Literature Silver  textbook at Textbook Exchange for $14.

 

Possible books include:

 

·       Summer of the Monkeys  by Wilson Rawls

·       The Hobbit by  J.R.R. Tolkien

·       The Ruins of Gorlon by John Flanagan

·       The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

·       Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

·       Carry On Mr. Bowditch  by Jean Lee Latham

·       The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

·       Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

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British Literature: 10th-12th graders Mrs Kim Erwin

 Offered every other year. offered year 2011-2012

Students in this course will survey British Literature from the Anglo-Saxon Period to the twentieth century.  They will learn to understand, analyze, critique, discuss, and write about British poetry, essays, short stories, drama, and novels.  Successful students in this course must have at least a 9th grade reading level. There will be writing assignments in the form of multiple-paragraph essays, and creative writing from the setting and era of the reading assignments.  These activities will focus on preparation for the language and reading skills sections found on standardized tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, SAT and ACT. Students will also study several novels.  Mrs. Erwin has access to purchasing these paperback books at a reduced rate, so she will order them for the entire class as needed. You need not purchase a new copy if you already own a particular novel to be studied.  Mrs. Erwin does encourage students to underline and make notes in the margins for class discussions.

 

*Purchase Prentice Hall British Literature  textbook at Textbook Exchange for $16.

 

Possible books include:

 

·       A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

·       Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

·       Beowulf  by Anonymous

·       Canterbury Tales  by Geoffrey Chaucer

·       A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens

·       Cyrano  de Bergerac by Edmund Rostand

·       A Shakespeare Play ( We will read the play Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park selects for the Spring Student Workshop and Matinee)

·       Poetry Unit

 

 

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Modern Literature: A Novel Approach, for 10-12 graders: 

Offered yearly

 

This course will be a unit study approach based on novels and an autobiography. Students will work to develop higher-level thinking and reading comprehension skills. They will continue to expand vocabulary skills and incorporate spelling, punctuation, and grammar skills into composition exercises, including essays from the setting and era of the reading assignments. These activities will focus on preparation for the language and reading skills sections found on standardized tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, SAT and ACT.  Students will use a vocabulary book that will be included in the materials fee.

 

Mrs. Erwin has access to purchasing these paperback books at a reduced rate, so she will order them for the entire class as needed. You need not purchase a new copy if you already own a particular novel to be studied.  Mrs. Erwin does encourage, but not require, students to underline and make notes in the margins for class discussions.

 

Possible books include:

 

·       Night by Elie Wiesel

·       The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall

·       Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

·       Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

·       A Shakespeare Play ( We will read the play Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park selects for the Spring Student Workshop and Matinee)

·       A Poetry Unit ( Mrs. Erwin supplies these books)

 _______________________________________________________________________

 

 

American Literature for 10-12 graders:   

American Literature is offered every other year.  The next time it is offered will be 2012-2013

 

 

 

 ENGLISH COMPOSITION

 

Writing and Grammar I for grades 6-8:  Mrs. Andrea Mitchell (330-6106) amitchellclass@cox.net

·       Offered yearly

·       Tuition:  $35 per month; $15 year material fee covers handouts

       Text TBA

The purpose of this class is to teach students the fundamentals of grammar and

writing.

 During the course of the year, students will learn grammar skills, writing skills,

and vocabulary skills in a low-key environment.

 Students will learn the process of writing and will build writing skills beginning from the basic building block of sentences, on to paragraphs, and on through different genres of writing.

 

Over the course of the year, students will create a portfolio of original completed

writing works to include descriptive writing, story writing, news/informative writing as

well as other writing forms including poetry in a variety of styles.

3 Ring Binder (2” or 1 ˝” prefered)

5 Tab Dividers

Notebook Paper

Pen/Pencil plus 1 highlighter and one color ‘correcting’ pen or marker (not blue or black or red)

***************************************************************************

Writing and Grammar II for grades 9-12:  Mrs. Andrea Mitchell (330-6106) amitchellclass@cox.net

·       Offered yearly

·       Tuition:  $35 per month; $15 year material fee covers handouts

This class will reinforce and further refine much of what is covered in Writing and

Grammar l, but in greater depth and at grade-level appropriateness.

 

 Students will learn the grammar skills necessary for writing development and increased

sophistication of vocabulary.

 

 Writing basics of process, sentence structure, and paragraphs construction will be reviewed. There is a greater emphasis on writing quality and maturity in WAG ll, and students will produce a wide variety of writing works.

 ln addition, students will learn how to evaluate writing and emphasis will be placed on revising and editing writing in order to produce more sophisticated, mature

works.

Students will build a portfolio of original completed writing works to include academic

essay writing (descriptive essay, argumentative essay, cause and effect essay, compare

and contrast essay, evaluation essay, etc.) and creative writing (which may include

story, fable, poetry and other forms of creative writing).

3 Ring Binder (2” or 1 ˝” prefered)

5 Tab Dividers

Notebook Paper

Pen/Pencil plus 1 highlighter and one color ‘correcting’ pen or marker (not blue or black or red)

Text:  TBA

 ********************************************************************************

 

Prep for College English for grades 10-12:  Mrs. Andrea Mitchell (330-6106) amitchellclass@cox.net

·       Offered yearly

·       Tuition:  $35 per month; $15 year material fee covers handouts

A primary goal of Prep for College English is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the various disciplines of writing utilized in academic settings.  During the course of the year they will receive instruction on how to compose effective paragraphs, build effective argument, and construct organized, structured writing.  They will be required to complete a variety of short writing assignments as well as a 5-7 page research paper (toward the middle/end of the year).  In the process, they will learn how to create an effective thesis statement for academic writing.  Students will also learn the grammar skills assessed by the ACT and other standardized tests for college bound students.  Students will take three sample ACT tests (English/Reading/Writing portion only):  one assessment test at the start of the year, one progress test at the middle of the year, and a final evaluation test at the end of the year.  The ACT will not be part of the student’s grade.  These tests will be administered in class and are given solely for self-evaluation and test taking experience.  Studies show that standardized test scores rise with an increase in familiarization and it is a goal of this class to maximize student scores in these areas.

Text:  Research Paper Writing Text (TBD); Barron’s ACT English, Reading, and Writing Workbook

(I will have a limited number of pre-purchased book sets available for purchase at Fall Orientation.  Otherwise, you may request the booklist from me and purchase on your own.)

3 Ring Binder (2” or 1 ˝” prefered)

5 Tab Dividers

Notebook Paper

Pen/Pencil plus 1 highlighter and one color ‘correcting’ pen or marker (not blue or black or red)

 

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EXCEL: Excellence in Home Education 
Meeting at Heritage Baptist Church
14317 N. Council Road 
Oklahoma City, OK  73142
405-317-0600 (Jené Olsson, Excel Administrator)
 
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 720253
Oklahoma City, OK 73172-0253