Class Overview
Made With You in Mind
This is a writing discovery class! One of the reasons we read is to learn from the greats. We use reading to grow teens as writers by putting strong "writerly skills" into their toolbox.
In this class, students will:
- Internalize the Mechanics: Through copywork and dictation of selected passages, students absorb the sophisticated grammar, punctuation, and syntactical patterns used by master authors.
- Master Literary Analysis: Using our signature Think Piece Questions, students investigate subtext, theme, and character motivation.
- Connect with Ideas: Students dive into cultural and historical context in order to share what was impactful for them and "connect the dots" as they analyze the book through a modern lens.
Feb 15 - Mar 19, 2027
Book Choice:
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
Former slave, impassioned abolitionist, brilliant writer, newspaper editor and eloquent orator whose speeches fired the abolitionist cause, Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) led an astounding life. Physical abuse, deprivation and tragedy plagued his early years, yet through sheer force of character he was able to overcome these obstacles to become a leading spokesman for his people. In this, the first and most frequently read of his three autobiographies, Douglass provides graphic descriptions of his childhood and horrifying experiences as a slave as well as a harrowing record of his dramatic escape to the North and eventual freedom. Published in 1845 to quell doubts about his origins — since few slaves of that period could write — the Narrative is admired today for its extraordinary passion, sensitive and vivid descriptions and storytelling power. It belongs in the library of anyone interested in African-American history and the life of one of the country's most courageous and influential champions of civil rights.
Reading Schedule: To stay in sync with the class, students should have read at least the first third of the novel by the end of Week One.
A Note on Content: At Brave Writer, we select a wide range of literature that addresses a variety of perspectives. We use these works as teaching tools to foster understanding and growth. Please be aware that you may experience strong reactions to challenging content; we encourage parents to pre-read and prepare for these important discussions!
How does a reader response course work?
This course will follow a four-week schedule where students read and write on their own. The instructor comes in to provide thorough feedback on the final post.
Students can expect:
- Freedom to read, write, and post on their schedule (within the confines of the course dates).
- Limited instructor response. Students move through material on their own until the final week. At that point, they'll receive detailed reader feedback from a trained writing coach.
We've scaffolding the learning so a student flies mostly solo, with that instructor support right when students need it—at the end!
Spin and Spiral
This class includes information from the Boomerang manual written to accompany this novel. Each manual visits and revisits terms and skills related to writing mechanics and literary analysis. Here is an overview from the book under study. We will address some or all of these topics in class. Families can download a PDF of the complete manual (provided in class) to work through topics not covered in class.
