2024-2025 School Year
Literature Analysis GVL
Mondays only OR Wednesdays only
Course Description
This class has two primary goals: to introduce the basic concepts of literary analysis and to introduce students to classic works they might not be ready to read on their own, but can enjoy with the support and guidance provided by an engaging teacher and class.
Students will learn ways to approach and appreciate challenging literature and will practice the skills of close literary analysis. They will analyze and respond to literature through discussion, written assignments, projects, presentations, tests, and a variety of fun, hands-on activities.
This reading material is at an upper middle school level. In choosing this class, parents should consider the amount of reading required by students’ other subjects and the level of parental support and involvement each individual student will need in order to understand and enjoy reading at this level. Books can be read and/or listened to for auditory support. Please read UHC Middle School Literature for 7th/8th Grade for further details.
*Note: This course satisfies required literature and vocabulary instruction, but please note that this is not a complete English Language Arts course for the student. The teaching parent will need to add the other components of a middle school ELA course: grammar and composition.
To be successful in this class:
Students should be able to follow an assignment calendar for assignments, read an average of 50-75 pages per week, participate in teacher-facilitated class discussions, and follow directions to participate in a variety of assignments that may include creative writing (no formal essays), projects, test/quizzes, and presentations on the works studied.
Parents must be prepared to monitor and support the student’s reading and guide him or her in following the teacher’s instructions to complete essays, projects, and other assignments.
**Summer Reading Homework: Click on this link for the summer booklist and be ready to share the title, author, your opinion of the book and give a brief synopsis. Due at the first class**
Grades: 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Fees: $180 per year
Sections Offered: 1st Hour, 2nd Hour, 3rd Hour (Mondays) - Simpson 3rd and 4th Hour (Mondays) - Greeley 3rd and 4th Hour (Wednesdays) - Greeley
Required Materials
Purchase an unabridged copy of each of the following books:
- The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, ISBN 978-0547928227, (Lexile score 1000)
- Agatha Christie short stories- compare and contrast unit focusing on Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. ISBN 0062074423
- The Secret Garden by Francess Hodgson Burnett, ISBN 978-9386538994, (Lexile score 920)
- The Giver by Lois Lowry, ISBN 9780544336261, (Lexile score 760)
- Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, ISBN 0486411192
RECOMMENDED MATERIALS:
- Blue Book of Grammar- you can purchase a hardcopy. You will only need to purchase this book once, and your student will use it as a reference for all UHC Literature classes.
This class uses two separate book lists on a two-year rotation, so students can take it in seventh grade, eighth grade, or both without repeating books. Students are welcome to use audio and electronic versions for reading at home, but paper editions of the books are required in class. No e-readers permitted in class.
The specific editions suggested are recommended, not required, but any edition substituted must be unabridged. After the ISBN for each book (except for drama and poetry, which are rated differently) you can find the Lexile score, which is an estimate of the reading level for each book. You can learn more about Lexile scoring, what it means, and how to use it here.
2024-25 Booklist
- Summer Reading Homework: Click on this link for the summer booklist and be ready to share the title, author, your opinion of the book and give a brief synopsis. Due at the first class
- The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, ISBN 978-0547928227, (Lexile score 1000)
- Agatha Christie short stories- compare and contrast unit focusing on Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. ISBN 0062074423
- The Secret Garden by Francess Hodgson Burnett, ISBN 978-9386538994, (Lexile score 920)
- The Giver by Lois Lowry, ISBN 9780544336261, (Lexile score 760)
- Nonfiction: selected works by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Helen Keller (teacher will provide) as well as current event news articles approved by the teacher and parent.
- Poetry: selected works by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Langston Hughes, and others (teacher will provide)
- Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, ISBN 0486411192
2025-2026 Booklist (subject to change):
- Summer Reading Homework: Click on this link for the summer booklist and be ready to share the title, author, your opinion of the book and give a brief synopsis. Due at the first class
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, ISBN 0375756825; (Lexile measure 570)
- Short stories: “The Diamond Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry (teacher will provide)
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle ISBN 1497483646 (Lexile measure 1010)
- Poetry: selected works by Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and others (teacher will provide)
- Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, ISBN-13 : 978-0553213133 (Lexile measure 970)
- Nonfiction: selected works by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and others (teacher will provide)
- Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, ISBN 9781593081393 (Lexile measure 560 )
- Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, ISBN 0486478068
Credit Option:
8th Grade students enrolled in IEW 3 in addition to this class may pursue an English 1 high school credit with the completion of additional HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL reading assignments. 8th Graders pursuing this option must be academically mature with teaching parents developing, teaching, and implementing additional high school level course work.
NOTE: High school credit for eighth graders is contingent on the approval of the your accountability association and detailed documentation of coursework. See suggested guidelines.
1st Hour, 2nd Hour, 3rd Hour (Mondays) - Simpson
Meet Claudia Simpson
Education: I received my Bachelor of Science degree from Anderson University and a Master of Arts from Furman University in Greenville, SC.
Teaching experience: I began my teaching career in 1994 as a classroom teacher in middle school English language arts. I also taught social studies, economics, US history, world history, and study skills. After receiving National Board Certification in Early Adolescent English Language Arts, I taught Literature-based Instruction in middle school. I attended Anderson School District Five Principal’s Academy in 2001-2002 and served in curriculum administration until 2007. After retiring from public school, I continued tutoring students from elementary age through high school until 2022.
Homeschool experience: My own daughter was homeschooled by me from 1983-1991.
Certifications: My undergraduate certification was K-8 Elementary Education. I was National Board Certified in Early Adolescent English Language Arts in 2000. My Master’s degree is in educational administration and school supervision.
UHC Courses Taught: I’ve enjoyed substitute teaching a variety of classes and grade levels for UHC during the 2023-24 school year, 7th & 8th grade literature
Began teaching at UHC in 2024
3rd and 4th Hour (Mondays) - Greeley 3rd and 4th Hour (Wednesdays) - Greeley
Meet Dara Greeley
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Bob Jones University
- Bachelor’s degree in Special Education K-12 from Bob Jones University
Certifications: certified to teach in South Carolina
Teaching experience:
- Heritage Elementary School, TR, SC, Sevier Middle School, Greenville SC,
- Homeschooling my youngest of four since 2020
UHC courses taught:
- Literature Analysis
Began teaching at UHC in 2022