While none of these classes are currently open for registration, I would be happy to talk with you about scheduling one or more classes for 4-10 students. Just email me at Bridget@BridgeToSuccessEducation.com
Upper Elementary Course Offerings:
Poetry Study & Biography Writing (online or in person)
This is a 12-week course in which we will study various forms of poetry using the novel Love that Dog by Sharon Creech and answer the question, “What makes a poem a poem?” We will also write poetry inspired by famous poets such as Robert Frost, Walter Dean Myers, and Valerie Worth, among others. In the second half of the course, we will study informational essays, and learn how to write a 3-paragraph informational essay about a poet of the student’s choosing. We will also work on spelling, so that this class may fulfill the Language Arts requirement. The course will culminate in a poetry café, in which we impress families with our amazing poetry- and essay-writing skills!
Language Arts Through Novel Study (online or in person)
This is a 12-week course in which we will improve language arts skills including analysis of literature, vocabulary, spelling, and paragraph development. We will use two award-winning children’s novels as the basis for our learning.
| Novel: | Author: | Major Themes: |
| Shiloh | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | Honesty, trust, right vs. wrong |
| Maniac Magee | Jerry Spinelli | Friendship, family, racism |
The English Colonies of North America (in person)
In this 12-week course, we will learn about the 3 earliest English colonies on North America (Roanoke, Jamestown, Plymouth), as well as the formation of the 13 Colonies. We will study the ways the colonies differed from one another, and how their people worked together to help their communities thrive. This class contains both history and geography components. This course will have several hands-on activities, including making and trying foods that would have been made in the 1700s, and playing games that Colonial children played.
Road to the American Revolution (in person)
This is a 12-week course that will begin with the French and Indian War and follow the events that led to the Revolutionary War, concluding with the 2nd Continental Congress and Declaration of Independence. We will study the people and events that led to the creation of the United States of America. The students will participate in multi-sensory activities and activities that require them to view historical events from different perspectives. This class will contain both history and geography components.
Upper Elementary/Middle School/High School Course Offerings:
IEW – Writing Courses (online or in person)
Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) Structure and Style is a method of giving students a solid foundation in various types of writing. Students learn to think by asking questions of themselves and of the text they are using. IEW lessons help students develop competence, independence, and creativity in both fiction and nonfiction writing. Through a systematic approach, IEW teaches students to express themselves in a varied and enjoyable way. Structure includes putting a paragraph/essay together coherently, and style includes elements that “dress up” or make the writing more interesting to the reader. The units in IEW writing courses for grades 3-5 and 6-8 are:
1. Note Making and Key Word Outlines (KWO)
2. Writing from Notes/KWO
3. Retelling Narrative Stories (Character/Setting/Plot Elements)
4. Summarizing a Reference (Nonfiction)
5. Writing from Pictures
6. Summarizing Multiple References (Nonfiction)
7. Inventive Writing (also called Narrative Writing)
8. Formal Essay Model (Brings together facts & opinion)
9. Formal Critique (Literature & Opinion)
The two theme books I have used are Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales Writing Lessons and U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons. I am open to teaching from any of the IEW books, as well as any level of IEW.