Description
English IV: Mastery Course Description
This class is approved by the NCAA.
English IV: Mastery is a continuation of English III and is the final level of comprehensive English offered at MyFunScience. This course is more challenging than English III in terms of learning more vocabulary each week and writing more cohesive essays with research elements.
Mrs. Bontrager will ensure that students are well-prepared to perform these essays, but students are expected to handle the larger workload. This course is easily counted as a high school English credit in any state or country but is achievable for diligent 8th grade students as well.
Students are ready for this class if they can do the following things:
- Label all eight parts of speech (mostly)
- Can find the subject and verb in a sentence
- Can recognize compound and complex sentences
- Has experience with finding and labeling phrases in a sentence (prepositional, infinitive, gerund, participial, and appositive)
- Can write a basic five-paragraph essay
- Can memorize 25 new vocabulary words each week
- Can read on at least an 8th grade reading level
Grade Levels
- 7th – 12th grade
Prerequisites
- English III recommended but not required
Curriculum
- Visit www.royalfireworkspress.com to view Michael Clay Thompson’s Magic Lens I; Word Within the Word I; 4Practice workbook (video about MCT’s books).
- Novels include Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson, Wild Boy: The Savage of Aveyron by Mary Losure, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.
English IV Course Outline
FALL SEMESTER
Week 1
- Introduction and Overview
- Begin Grammar Boot Camp: Nouns
- Poetics: Introduction
- Vocabulary: Lesson 1
- Complete the 4Practice sentences 3 and 4 assessment
- Complete List #1 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #2
- Complete the Name the Nouns Quiz
Week 2
- Grammar Boot Camp: Pronouns and Adjectives
- Complete Pronoun and Adjective Quizzes
- Poetics: “Sounds of the Voice”
- Vocabulary: Lesson 2
- Complete List #2 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #3
- Complete 4Practice sentences 6 and 7 assessments
Week 3
- Grammar Boot Camp: Verbs (part 1)
- Poetics: “Patterns of Sound” –Rhyme
- Vocabulary: Lesson 3
- Literature: Treasure Island Introduction
- Complete List #3 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #4
- Complete 4Practice sentences 9 and 10 assessments
- Read chapters 1-12 of Treasure Island
Week 4
- Grammar Boot Camp: Verbs (part 2)
- Poetics: “Patterns of Sound” –Advanced Rhyme
- Vocabulary: Lesson 4
- Literature: Treasure Island discussion
- Complete List #4 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #5
- Complete 4Practice sentences 12 and 13 assessments
- Complete Verbs assessment for practice
- Complete Noun, Adjective, and Verb Quiz
- Read chapters 13-27 of Treasure Island
Week 5
- Grammar Boot Camp: Adverbs, Conjunctions, Prepositions, and Interjections
- Poetics: None
- Vocabulary: Lesson 5
- Literature: Treasure Island discussion
- Complete List #5 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #6
- Complete 4Practice sentences 15 and 16 assessments
- Complete Adverb, Preposition, and Conjunctions assessment
- Read chapters 28-34 of Treasure Island
Week 6
- Grammar Boot Camp: Parts of Sentences
- Poetics: Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance
- Vocabulary: Lesson 6
- Literature/Composition: Write Paraphrase Paragraph with “Octopus Article”
- Complete List #6 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #7
- Complete 4Practice sentences 18 and 19
- Complete One-Level Analysis pages 73-75 assessment
- Complete Treasure Island end-of-book assessment
Week 7
- Grammar Boot Camp: Parts of Sentences
- Poetics: Review
- Vocabulary: Lesson 7
- Literature: “The Minister’s Black Veil”
- Complete List #7 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #8
- Complete One-Level Analysis pages 76-77 assessment
- Paraphrase Paragraph due
Week 8
- Grammar Boot Camp: Phrases
- Vocabulary: Lesson 8
- Literature/Composition: Symbolism Paragraph
- Complete List #8 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #9
- Complete Two-Level Analysis pages 107-111 assessment
Week 9
- Grammar Boot Camp: Phrases
- Vocabulary: Lesson 9
- Literature: Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron introduction
- Complete List #9 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #10
- Complete Two-Level Analysis pages 112-113 assessment
- Read chapters 1-6 of Wild Boy
- Symbolism Paragraph due
Week 10
- Grammar: Clauses
- Vocabulary: Lesson 10
- Literature: Wild Boy discussion
- Complete List #10 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #11
- Complete Three-Level Analysis pages 141-145 assessment
- Read chapters 7-12 of Wild Boy
Week 11
- Grammar: Review Clauses
- Poetics: Meter (part 1)
- Vocabulary: Lesson 11
- Literature: Wild Boy discussion
- Complete List #11 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #12
- Complete Three-Level Analysis pages 146-147 assessment
- Read chapters 13-Afterword of Wild Boy
Week 12
- Grammar: Practice Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Meter (part 2)
- Vocabulary: Lesson 12
- Composition: Academic Paper 1—Overview and Expectations
- Literature: A Christmas Carol introduction
- Complete List #12 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #13
- Complete 4Practice sentences 40-42 assessments
- Read chapters 1-2 of A Christmas Carol
Week 13
- Grammar: Practice Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Meter (part 3)
- Vocabulary: Lesson 13
- Composition: Submit Thesis and Sentence Skeleton for Academic Paper 1
- Literature: A Christmas Carol discussion
- Complete List #13 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #14
- Complete 4Practice sentences 43-45 assessments
- Read chapters 3-4 of A Christmas Carol
Week 14
- Grammar: Practice Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Meter Lab (prepare to share)
- Vocabulary: Lesson 14
- Composition: Work on Academic Paper 1
- Literature: A Christmas Carol discussion
- Complete List #14 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #15
- Complete 4Practice sentences 46-48 assessments
- Read chapters 5 of A Christmas Carol
Week 15
- Grammar: Practice Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Complete Meter Lab Assessment
- Vocabulary: Lesson 15
- Composition: Submit Academic Paper 1
- Literature: A Christmas Carol narrator and point of view
- Complete List #15 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #16
- Complete 4Practice sentences 49-51 assessments
- A Christmas Carol end-of-book assessment
SPRING SEMESTER
Week 16
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis Review; Grammar Analysis 2 and 5
- Poetics: Stanza Forms (part 1)
- Vocabulary: Lesson 16
- Composition: Academic Paper 2—Research-based Writing
- Literature: The Hobbit chapters I-VII (1-7)
- Complete List #16 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #17
- Complete 4Practice sentences 52-54 assessments
Week 17
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis Review; Grammar Analysis 9
- Poetics: Stanza Forms (part 2)
- Vocabulary: Lesson 17
- Composition: Academic Paper 2—Research-based Writing
- Literature: The Hobbit chapters VIII-XII (8-12)
- Complete List #17 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #18
- Complete 4Practice sentences 55-57 assessments
Week 18
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis; Grammar Analysis 11
- Vocabulary: Lesson 18
- Composition: Academic Paper 2—Research-based Writing
- Literature: The Hobbit chapters XIII-XIX (13-19)
- Complete List #18 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #19
- Complete 4Practice sentences 58-60 assessments
Week 19
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Stanza Forms
- Vocabulary: Lesson 19
- Composition: Academic Paper 2—Thesis and Sentence Skeleton due
- Literature: The Hobbit end-of-book assessment
- Complete List #19 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #20
- Complete 4Practice sentences 61-63 assessments
Week 20
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Stanza Forms
- Vocabulary: Lesson 20
- Composition: Academic Paper 2—Submit paper
- Literature: To Kill a Mockingbird chapters 1-10
- Complete List #20 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #21
- Complete 4Practice sentences 64-66 assessments
Week 21
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis; Grammar Analysis 26
- Poetics: Stanza Forms
- Vocabulary: Lesson 21
- Composition: Academic Paper 3—Character Study
- Literature: To Kill a Mockingbird chapters 11-17
- Complete List #21 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #22
- Complete 4Practice sentences 67-69 assessments
Week 22
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis; Grammar Analysis 33
- Poetics: Stanza Forms
- Vocabulary: Lesson 22
- Composition: Academic Paper 3—Character Study
- Literature: To Kill a Mockingbird chapters 18-31
- Complete List #22 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #23
- Complete 4Practice sentences 70-72 assessments
Week 23
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Figures of Speech
- Vocabulary: Lesson 23
- Composition: Academic Paper 3—Thesis and Sentence Skeleton due
- Literature: To Kill a Mockingbird end-of-book assessment
- Complete List #23 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #24
- Complete 4Practice sentences 73-75 assessments
Week 24
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis; Grammar Analysis 49
- Poetics: Figures of Speech
- Vocabulary: Lesson 24
- Composition: Academic Paper 3—Character Study
- Literature: Jurassic Park
- Complete List #24 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #25
- Complete 4Practice sentences 76-78 assessments
Week 25
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Figures of Speech
- Vocabulary: Lesson 25
- Composition: Academic Paper 3—Submit paper
- Literature: Jurassic Park
- Complete List #25 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #26
- Complete 4Practice sentences 79-81 assessments
Week 26
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis; Grammar Analysis 62
- Poetics: Figures of Speech
- Vocabulary: Lesson 26
- Composition: Academic Paper 4—Scientific Examination
- Literature: Jurassic Park
- Complete List #26 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #27
- Complete 4Practice sentences 82-84 assessments
Week 27
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Review
- Vocabulary: Lesson 27
- Literature: Pygmalion acts I-II
- Complete List #27 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #28
- Complete 4Practice sentences 85-87 assessments
Week 28
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis; Grammar Analysis 82
- Poetics: Review
- Vocabulary: Lesson 28
- Literature: Pygmalion acts II-III
- Complete List #28 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #29
- Complete 4Practice sentences 88-90 assessments
Week 29
- Grammar: Four-Level Analysis
- Poetics: Posttest Review
- Vocabulary: Lesson 29
- Literature: Pygmalion acts IV-V
- Complete List #29 assessment
- Study vocabulary list #30
- Complete 4 Practice sentences 91-93 assessments
Week 30
- Vocabulary: Lesson 30
- Literature: Pygmalion end-of-book assessment
- Complete List #30 assessment
- Wrap-up
Estimated Workload
- 5 hours of studying, reading, and homework completion
Testimonials / Reviews
My son Alex started the MCT Language Arts curriculum back in middle school and while the text is wonderfully unique for an English program, the teachers at Big River are what brought the books to life for him in a way that I could not have at home. Jana taught him Level 4 and this past year we decided to start him in his high school literature courses with Wendi because of the instruction at Big River he was ready to comprehend World Lit and write on a high school level. The instructors at Big River helped him to grow as a writer & challenged him to think outside the text. This is important because I almost quite homeschooling my son over English! I’m grateful also for the grace the teachers at Big River show when “life happens” and you need to make up an assignment or extend due to emergencies. Alex is excited to take American Lit next year with Wendi and I’m looking forward with anticipation to the papers he will imagine to write!
Hello Mrs. Bontrager, I wish so much that you could watch Eli during your class. He has his headphones on across the room and is just so into your class and so unaware of anyone else in the room and is interacting just like he was actually in a classroom. At one point today he was shouting and jumping up and down and I was like what happened? I guess he finally got a mystery question or something like that but he had been trying for so long to get one and he finally did and he had his own little party about it. He also was so bound and determined to catch you in a mistake today and get 5 more points he was glued to everything you were posting and then when he missed the chance you would have thought his team lost the Superbowl by the sounds coming out of that room.
Virtual learning has gotten such a bad rap because of the way public schools did it that I constantly hear how unmotivated their child is due to virtual learning and how it doesn’t work for them and I am constantly defending my choice to use virtual learning. If only people could see how your class works and how my child love, love, loves his virtual classroom and he is probably 1000 times more focused because he doesn’t have public classroom distractions like announcements or other children’s actions going on around him they would be as excited about it as I am. Anyways – just wanted to share. Have a great day.
