Courses

This course is designed to help students strengthen their middle school–level skills in reading and interpreting literature. As students build confidence in comprehension and analysis, they will also create short original fiction, applying the same literary techniques and storytelling strategies they study in their reading.

In this unit, students will explore central ideas within texts by learning how to summarize their reading and logically support it with textual evidence. By the end of the unit, students will be able to identify key information in a passage, determine the central idea, and create original stories that reflect a clear main idea and incorporate at least four pieces of supporting evidence.

Introduce your lesson with an optional, short summary. You can edit this excerpt in lesson settings.

Making an inference means discovering what a text implies, not just what it states outright. In this unit, students learn how to draw logical conclusions, support them with clear and concise evidence, and explain their reasoning with confidence. From guided activities to reading projects to examining their own writing, students practice uncovering deeper meaning—one thoughtful inference at a time.

In this unit, students learn how to strengthen their creative writing by practicing the craft of showing, not telling. Through targeted mini-lessons and guided writing projects, students explore how writers use vivid details, sensory language, and purposeful evidence to help readers make inferences without stating ideas outright. Students apply these skills in a series of short paragraphs and an original story, developing their ability to write with subtlety, clarity, and intention.

In this unit, students deepen their understanding of themes by examining how characters’ actions and qualities develop the message of a text. They will practice analyzing the connection between characters and themes, using textual evidence to explain how characters advance a story’s lesson. Students will then apply this understanding to original stories that intentionally develop their own themes. By the end of the unit, students will be able to interpret and craft themes confidently.

In this unit, students deepen their understanding of themes by exploring how characters’ actions, choices, and qualities reveal and develop the central message of a text. They will practice analyzing the connection between characters and themes, using textual evidence to explain how characters advance a story’s lesson. Students will then apply this understanding to original stories that intentionally develop their own themes through character behavior and growth.

This course teaches students to craft compelling arguments by building claims, addressing counterarguments, integrating evidence, and writing clear analysis and conclusions. In the second half, students shift to creative writing, exploring character development, conflict, and point of view, ultimately bringing everything together in a final master project.

Students learn to craft debatable claims supported by reasoning and evidence. They practice distinguishing facts from arguable statements and backing up ideas with textual proof. Starting with everyday topics and moving to short stories, students learn to write a claim with two reasons, support each with evidence, and explain how the pieces form a clear argument.

This course helps middle school students build strong grammar and mechanics skills while discovering how clear, polished writing can support creative expression. As students develop confidence with language conventions, they apply these skills to crafting original personal narratives, learning how effective grammar enhances their storytelling.

In this unit, students learn to identify nouns, pronouns, and adjectives and use them correctly in sentences. They practice spotting these parts of speech in short texts, apply them in their own writing, and develop an understanding of pronoun–antecedent agreement. By the end, students can avoid pronoun-number errors and write clear, grammatically accurate sentences.

This project-based writing course helps middle and high school students plan and draft an original long-form story. Students set a personalized word-count goal and build their novels step by step—developing characters, shaping plot, creating conflict, crafting dialogue, and bringing scenes to life. With steady guidance, they gain the skills and confidence to complete a substantial, original work.

In this unit, students explore different long-form writing project options—from short stories to full novels—and choose a realistic word-count goal based on their interests, writing pace, and available time. Using familiar book examples for comparison, they learn how length shapes a reader’s experience and set a personalized writing target that will guide their progress throughout the course.

This course builds confident speakers through practice in speech structure, tone, and body language. Students explore a range of speaking styles—from storytelling to debating—and create a polished audio portfolio showcasing their growth.

Students learn to structure speeches with openings, main points, and summaries while minimizing filler words and speaking with confidence. They practice personal introductions and toasts, focusing on tone, eye contact, and conversational delivery. By recording and refining their speeches, students gain foundational public speaking skills and the confidence to engage any audience.