Language Arts Level 2
Academic Year Language Arts
The Level 2 course introduces students to problem-solving within language arts, while having AoPS-style fun along the way! Each week, students engage with complex texts, implement targeted writing tools, expand their vocabulary, and deepen their reading comprehension skills. Through class readings, discussions, and writing activities, students develop confidence in their ability to independently navigate the complexities of language, which will serve them in future courses across the academic spectrum.
Thematically, the course is divided into four quarters.
The first quarter introduces the concepts of visual literacy, reading comprehension, and the writing process through graphic novels and comic books.
The second quarter focuses on the comprehensive analysis of poetry through the examination of themes, structures, and language selection.
The third quarter uses short-story narrative structure to introduce the basics of computational thinking.
The final quarter centers literary analysis through the exploration and manipulation of the classic fairy tale structure.
In each quarter, students read, write, and receive feedback for their work within the designated genre.
What happens in class?
While each lesson introduces new concepts, every meeting will provide students with the opportunity to:
- learn a new writing skill
- apply that writing skill in challenging writing activities
- learn and apply new vocabulary words
- analyze and discuss in-class readings
Homework
Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours on homework every week by completing weekly reading assignments and packets at home. Homework includes a combination of reading comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, and writing assignments. The following week, the teacher will briefly check homework for completeness and hand out an answer key. Parents and students should use the answer key at home to check whether the student completed the homework correctly.
Teacher Feedback
Students will receive direct oral and written feedback from their teacher during class, especially during writing time. This in-person feedback is key in helping students revise and improve their writing. At the end of each quarter, students will submit a final draft of a piece of writing and receive evaluative written feedback from their teacher.
Exams
Students will take an exam during class at the end of each quarter, weeks: 9, 18, 27, and 36. Each exam will assess students on the reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary covered that quarter.
Course Texts
- Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle
- Hello Ruby
- The Hamster Princess
Schedule in 2022-23
All times Central.
