Description
English I: Discovery Course Description
This English I: Discovery course is the discovery of comprehensive study of the basics of grammar, vocabulary, poetics, literary analysis, and composition. Using the series of materials from Royal Fireworks Press by Michael Clay Thompson, students will begin their grammatical studies and begin working toward formal, academic writing. A bit of a detour from the traditional approach, this course will do an intensive grammar study for most of the year where we will learn to do in-depth 4-level grammar analysis (parts of speech, parts of sentence, phrases, and clauses); then, we’ll apply and reinforce that grammar knowledge for the duration of the school year through the vocabulary, literature, and composition exercises. The literature component offers lesson of setting, authorial purpose, character development, conflict, symbolism, meter, and figurative language. Employing a whole-books methodology and drawing from short stories, poetry, and novels, students are challenged with reading comprehension discussions, composition assignments, teacher feedback, and peer dialogue.
This is the first in a series of four class levels:
Grade Levels
- This course is designed for lower middle schoolers (6th-7th grade), but a 5th grader could find success here.
Prerequisites
No prerequisite courses required, but a student should come in knowing the following basic skills:
- nouns, verbs, and adjectives
- how to write a complete sentence
- reading at a 6th grade level
English I: Discovery Curriculum
Visit https://www.royalfireworkspress.com/ to view Michael Clay Thompson’s Grammar Island, Building Language, The Music of the Hemispheres, Practice Island, and Sentence Island (video about MCT’s books). Novels include Holes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Where the Red Fern Grows, A Wrinkle in Time, and Summer of the Monkeys. ISBN numbers for the novels don’t matter.
English I: Discovery Course Outline
FALL SEMESTER
Week 1
- Introduction and Overview
- Begin Grammar Boot Camp: Nouns
- Poetics: Introduction
- Finding Nouns Quiz
- Watch School House Rock “Nouns” video.
Week 2
- Grammar Boot Camp: Pronouns
- Finding Pronouns Quiz
- Poetry: Overview of the year
- Read Holes chapters 1-12.
- Take Holes Quiz 1.
Week 3
- Grammar Boot Camp: Adjectives (Part 1)
- Poetry: Sounds in Language
- Read Holes chapters 13-26.
- Take Holes Quiz 2.
Week 4
- Grammar Boot Camp: Adjectives (Part 2)
- Poetry: Vowel and Consonant Sounds
- Read Holes chapters 27-37.
- Take Holes Quiz 3.
Week 5
- Grammar Boot Camp: Verbs (Part 1)
- Poetry: Hard and Soft Sounds
- Read Holes chapters 38-50.
- Take Holes Quiz 4.
Week 6
- Grammar Boot Camp: Verbs (Part 2)
- Poetry: Sounds Review
- Writing assignment: What is the most important aspect of friendship?
Week 7
- Grammar Boot Camp: Adverbs
- Poetry: Finding Sounds in Poetry
- Read Because of Winn Dixie chapters 1-8.
- Take Because of Winn Dixie Quiz 1.
Week 8
- Grammar Boot Camp: Conjunctions
- Poetry: Onomatopoeia
- Read Because of Winn Dixie chapters 9-18.
- Take Because of Winn Dixie Quiz 2.
Week 9
- Grammar Boot Camp: Prepositions
- Poetry: Stress and Syllables
- Read Because of Winn Dixie chapters 19-28.
- Take Because of Winn Dixie Quiz 3.
Week 10
- Grammar Boot Camp: Interjections
- Poetry: Patterns of Stress
- Read pages 7-56 of Sentence Island.
- In-Class Practice Island Sentences 1, 2, & 3
- Homework: Practice Island Sentences 4, 5, & 6
- Writing Assignment
Week 11
- Grammar Boot Camp: Parts of the Sentence (Subject & Predicate)
- Poetry: Practicing with Stress
- Discuss Chapter 1 of Sentence Island
- Are These Sentences? Quiz (page 55 of Sentence Island)
- In-Class Practice Island Sentences 7, 8, & 9
- Homework: Practice Island Sentences 10, 11, & 12
- Read Summer of the Monkeys chapters 1-5.
- Take Summer of the Monkeys Quiz 1.
Week 12
- Grammar Boot Camp: Parts of the Sentence (Direct & Indirect Objects)
- Poetry: Rhyme
- In-Class Practice Island Sentences 13 & 14
- Homework: Practice Island Sentences 15, 16, & 17
- Read Summer of the Monkeys chapters 6-10.
- Take Summer of the Monkeys Quiz 2.
Week 13
- Grammar Boot Camp: Parts of the Sentence (Subject Complements)
- Poetry: Rhyme (continued)
- Read pages 57-108 of Sentence Island.
- In-Class Practice Island Sentences 18 & 19
- Homework: Practice Island Sentences 20, 21, & 22
- Read Summer of the Monkeys chapters 11-14.
- Take Summer of the Monkeys Quiz 3.
Week 14
- Grammar Boot Camp Review: Parts of Speech
- Poetry: Alliteration
- Discuss Chapter 2 of Sentence Island.
- Correct Pronouns Quiz (page 107 of Sentence Island)
- In-Class Practice Island Sentences 23 & 24
- Homework: Practice Island Sentences 25, 26, & 27
- Read Summer of the Monkeys chapters 15-19 (end).
- Take Summer of the Monkeys Quiz 4.
Week 15
- Grammar Boot Camp Review: Parts of Speech & Sentence
- Poetry: Review of First Semester
- In-Class Practice Island Sentences 28 & 29
- Homework: Practice Island Sentences 30, 31, & 32
SPRING SEMESTER
Week 16
- Grammar Boot Camp: Phrases
- Poetry: Meter
- Read pages 109-146 of Sentence Island.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Quiz 1
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 33 & 34
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 35, 36, & 37
Week 17
- Grammar Boot Camp: Phrases (continued)
- Poetry: Meter (continued)
- Discuss Chapter 3 of Sentence Island.
- All Mud Has Learned Quiz 1
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Quiz 2
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 38 & 39
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 40, 41, & 42
Week 18
- Grammar Boot Camp: Phrases Review
- Poetry: Meter (continued)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Quiz 3
- Read pages 3-40 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 43 & 44
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 45, 46, & 47
Week 19
- Grammar Boot Camp: Clauses
- Poetry: Meter (continued)
- Read pages 147-188 of Sentence Island.
- Discuss upcoming vocabulary lessons
- Read pages 41-48 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 48 & 49
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 50, 51, & 52
Week 20
- Poetry: Meter (continued)
- Discuss Chapter 4 of Sentence Island.
- All Mud has Learned Quiz 2
- Read Where the Red Fern Grows chapters 1-8.
- Where the Red Fern Grows Quiz 1
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson I
- Read pages 49-56 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 53 & 54
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 55, 56, & 57
Week 21
- Poetry: Stanzas (continued)
- Read Where the Red Fern Grows chapters 9-14.
- Where the Red Fern Grows Quiz 2
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson II
- Read pages 57-64 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 58 & 59
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 60, 61, & 62
Week 22
- Poetry: Stanzas (continued)
- Read Where the Red Fern Grows chapters 15-20.
- Where the Red Fern Grows Quiz 3
- Read pages 189-226 of Sentence Island.
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson III
- Read pages 65-73 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 63 & 64
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 65, 66, & 67
Week 23
- Poetry: Continued Review
- A Wrinkle in Time Quiz 1
- Discuss Chapter 5 of Sentence Island.
- All Mud Has Learned Quiz 3
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson IV
- Read pages 74-85 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 68
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 69, 70, & 71
Week 24
- Poetry: Figures of Speech
- A Wrinkle in Time Quiz 2
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson V and review I-IV
- Take Stem Review Quiz
- Read pages 86-93 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentence 72
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 73, 74, & 75
Week 25
- Poetry: Figures of Speech (continued)
- A Wrinkle in Time Quiz 3
- Read pages 227-256 of Sentence Island.
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson VI
- Read pages 94-101 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 76
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 77, 78, & 79
Week 26
- Poetry: Figures of Speech (continued)
- Discuss Chapter 6 of Sentence Island.
- All Mud Has Learned Quiz 4
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson VII
- Read pages 102-109 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentence 80
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 81, 82, & 83
Week 27
- Poetry: Reviewing everything we’ve learned.
- Read “Mowgli’s Brothers.”
- The Jungle Book Quiz 1
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson VIII
- Read pages 110-117 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentence 84
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 85, 86, & 87
Week 28
- Poetry: Continued review.
- Read “Hunting Song of the Seeonee Pack” and “Kaa’s Hunting.”
- The Jungle Book Quiz 2
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson XI
- Read pages 118-125 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentence 88
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 89, 90, & 91
Week 29
- Poetry: Studying for comprehensive test.
- Read “Tiger! Tiger!” and “Mowgli’s Song.”
- The Jungle Book Quiz 3
- Discuss vocabulary Stem Lesson X
- Review pages 126-127 and read page 128 of Building Language.
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 92 & 93
- Homework: Practice Town Sentences 94, 95, & 96
Week 30
- Poetry: Studying for comprehensive test.
- Overall review of Stem Lessons I-X
- In-Class Practice Town Sentences 97, 98, & 99
- Wrap-up
- Poetry comprehensive test
- Vocabulary comprehensive test
- Homework: Practice Town Sentence 100
Estimated Workload
- 4-5 hours per week of reading, studying, and homework completion
