Course Overview:
Maybe change would not be hard if we knew where it was all going. This course is not about telling fortunes, but it is about seeing how people and ideas have changed. It is also about discovering which ideas have lasting value for each student.
Books, poems, and songs are filled with stories about people discovering the world around them and the world inside them. Authors share their reflections about how people respond to changes and challenges. In this course, students encounter the many faces of change. They are also challenged to define and describe their own place in a changing world.
The purpose of this course is to give students the tools to understand and express who they are and where they want to go. By the end of the course, each student’s portfolio of writings will provide a descriptive self-portrait of a young adult growing up.
Note: This course is not designed for ELL (English Language Learners) students. ELL students may enroll in this course ONLY if they have adequate mentor support at their home school and are able to fulfill all course requirements.
Prerequisites:
Required Materials:
You will need the following items to complete this course:
- Disk space on your computer as well as external device to back up your files (flash drive, external hard drive, CD–Rom, etc.)
- Word processing and presentation software
- Research materials which are typically found online or at public and school libraries
All students select one novel below:
Reading materials are optional. Students may choose to read a novel from the list or a short story linked within the course.
- Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
- The Outsiders by SE Hinton
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
or one short story below:
- "Cupid and Psyche" by Apuleius
- "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
- "The Golden Touch" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane
Advanced students select one additional novel below:
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Call of the Wild by Jack London
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Free Downloads:
- Adobe Flash Player
- Java
- Windows Media Player
- Apple iTunes
Syllabus:
Segment I:
Module 1: Life Changing Innovation
- 01.00 Module One Pretest and Checklist.
- 01.01 Connections.
- 01.02 What Is Theme?
- 01.03 Moving a Story Forward.
- 01.04 How Theme Develops.
- 01.05 Evaluate Mediums.
- 01.06 Context Clues.
- 01.07 Mature Writing.
- 01.08 Implicit or Explicit Meaning.
- 01.09 Find Main Idea.
- 01.10 Write a Summary.
- 01.11 Module One Review and Discussion-Based Assessment.
- 01.12 Module One Exam.
Module 2: Social Invention
- 02.00 Module Two Checklist.
- 02.01 Check Your Sources.
- 02.02 Choose Your Words.
- 02.03 Close Look at Organization .
- 02.04 Gather and Organize.
- 02.05 Cite Your Sources.
- 02.06 Focus on the Introduction.
- 02.07 Connect Your Ideas.
- 02.08 Support Your Ideas.
- 02.09 Syntax and Voice.
- 02.10 An Excellent Ending.
- 02.11 Module Two Review and Discussion-Based Assessment.
- 02.12 Ready to Publish.
Module 3: Imagine Other Worlds
- 03.00 Module Three Checklist.
- 03.01 Whose Truth?
- 03.02 Planning Your Narrative.
- 03.03 Get Verbal.
- 03.04 The Beginning.
- 03.05 Something to Say.
- 03.06 Your Narrative Voice.
- 03.07 Transition Time.
- 03.08 Resolve and Reflect.
- 03.09 Module Three Review and Discussion-Based Assessment.
- 03.10 Imagine It Even Better.
- 03.11 Segment One Exam Part One.
- 03.11 Segment One Exam Part Two.
- 03.11 Segment One Advanced Exam Part One.
- 03.11 Segment One Advanced Exam Part Two.
Segment II:
Module 4: Living Innovation
- 04.00 Module Four Pretest and Checklist.
- 04.01 What a View!
- 04.02 What Do You See?
- 04.03 Write It Right.
- 04.04 Make It Memorable.
- 04.05 Thinking About Theme.
- 04.06 Ask the Ancients.
- 04.07 Dig Into Poetry.
- 04.08 Have Your Say.
- 04.09 Module Four Review and Discussion Based Assessment.
- 04.10 Module Four Exam.
Module 5: Imagine the Future
- 05.00 Module Five Pretest and Checklist.
- 05.01 Imagine the Journey.
- 05.02 Time for Tone.
- 05.03 What’s Your Problem?.
- 05.04 An Engaging Perspective.
- 05.05 The Turning Point.
- 05.06 Symbolism: What Are You Implying?
- 05.07 Journey’s End.
- 05.08 Moody Verbs.
- 05.09 Make Your Pitch.
- 05.10 Module Five Review and Discussion-Based Assessment.
- 05.11 Module Five Exam.
Module 6: Technological Invention
- 06.00 Module Six Checklist.
- 06.01 Changing Perspectives.
- 06.02 Know All the Players.
- 06.03 Respect Your Audience.
- 06.04 Start an Argument.
- 06.05 Words of Support.
- 06.06 Make Your Argument.
- 06.07 Emphasize Your Argument.
- 06.08 Prove Your Point.
- 06.09 Module Six Review and Discussion-Based Assessment.
- 06.10 Stand Out From the Crowd!
- 06.11 Segment Two Exam Part One.
- 06.11 Segment Two Exam Part Two.
- 06.11 Segment Two Advanced Exam Part One.
- 06.11 Segment Two Advanced Exam Part Two.
