English

Advanced Composition is a writing course for college preparation. Students will cover the basics of several essay types that may include: personal narrative, definition essay, comparison essay, cause-effect essay, and persuasive argumentation. Additionally, Advanced Composition students will write an impromptu essay (required by SAT, ACT, and many dual credit entry tests).
Students will be introduced to and will practice several pre-writing strategies to help discern what to write in Advanced Composition. Grades 10th to 12th

American Literature is a survey of American Literature covering various authors and literary movements. Beginning with Puritan pastor Jonathan Edwards and ending with the writings of John Steinbeck, students in this class will explore a variety of time periods and movements in American Literature. The main focus of American Literature is analyzing the works for theme, symbolism, plot, and characterization. This class stretches students’ abilities to think critically and analyze literature. Grades 9th to 12th

This course is the study of several works that have been banned by various agencies or groups at some point in time. We will explore these works to discover what messages they have for our culture. We will cover some mature topics, but our main focus will always be to point students to their relationship with Christ. Students will engage in active discussion. Topics will include Cancel Culture, Literary Analysis, Literary Devices, Author Perspective, and More. Weekly discussion questions will be emailed so families can discuss at home.

English I is the first of a series of four comprehensive English classes which includes all of the following: grammar, poetry, literature, writing, and vocabulary. It is designed for late elementary schoolers and early middle schoolers. Prerequisite skills for this class include (1) the ability to recognize the basic parts of speech—nouns and verbs, (2) the ability to read at grade level, (3) the ability to write a complete sentence. This class also builds English skills from the basics and is designed to flow into the next course (English II). Grades 4th to 7th

This course is designed for middle schoolers. Students will learn grammar, poetry, literature, writing, and vocabulary to build upon the skills from English I and is designed to flow into the next course (English III). Students are ready for English II if they can meet the following criteria:

• Recognize the following parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and conjunctions
• Can identify a sentence’s subject and predicate
• Can read on at least a 5th grade reading level
• Can write in good complete sentences or basic paragraphs

Designed for grades 5th to 8th.

English III students will build upon the basics introduced in English I and II and will develop grammar, writing, poetry, vocabulary, and literary analysis skills. Students will build a solid foundation for grammar concepts and write well-constructed sentences, paragraphs, and essays. The Online Classes English focuses majorly on literature elements that offer lessons on a variety of literary themes and concepts which include plot, poetry, rhyme, dialogue, sound effects, and figurative language. Students need to have a microphone to best participate in the live Online Classes English. Grades 6th to 10th

English IV is a continuation of English III and is the final level of comprehensive English offered at Big River Academy. 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. Grades 8 through 12

Journey around the world, explore the continents, cultures, and people through living history books, mapping, discussions, and fun. High schoolers can add essays and geography work to their load. Families will download a PDF booklet for each student for class. Students will need a binder for class. This class allows for the students to explore as much as they can. Points will be awarded per week on the workload they did. There will be weekly lessons and lively discussions (through Zoom). Workload will include…

• Reading

• Mapping

• Book Reports

• Essays

• Exploring Cultures

Intermediate Composition acts as a bridge between English IV and Advanced Composition. A great deal of growth takes place from 8th-10th grade, and we want students to have that nurturing time to develop prior to moving on to higher levels. Students will benefit from the continued review, reinforcement, and practice of essay forms and stylistic guidelines. Students will practice several pre-writing strategies to help discern what to write. Students will cover the basics of several essay forms (MLA, APA, and Chicago styles) and will continue to practice advanced grammar and punctuation as they perfect their composition skills. Grades 8th to 10th

Prepare for an engaging and exciting exploration of literature! This class is designed to introduce you to the fascinating art of analyzing literature and ultimately catapult your skills from beginner to master. Poetry, drama, and novels will be our sources of discovery. We will search for a variety of literary devices such as theme, setting, characterization, symbolism, and plot. You will have the opportunity to share your growing knowledge of literary analysis and hear the insights and perspectives of fellow students through your participation in our class discussions. You will be required to demonstrate your grasp of what you are learning through writing literary analysis compositions. Grades 9th to 12th

WriteShop I is a course that gives middle school students the opportunity to gain confidence in their skills as young writers. Students are given a chance to practice various kinds of writing, including creative, expository, narrative, and persuasive. Grammar is related to writing in a practical way with an emphasis on editing and revising. Students will have fun in this semester-long course that is jammed packed with creativity while learning writing concepts. Grades 6th to 12th

WriteShop II sets teens (grades 8-11) on a course for success as they learn to write concretely and concisely through creative, varied lessons.  WSII covers advanced description and narration and emphasizes development of persuasive writing and essay skills.  Students will work with brainstorming, pre-writing activities, outlining, drafting, and editing to develop and organize well-written compositions.  Each week will focus on building specific skills to incorporate into their creations.

WriteShop Junior introduces 4th-6th graders to the excitement of writing in different genres (fiction, nonfiction, short reports, poetry, adventure, science fiction, mystery, personal narrative, and fables) while creatively teaching important writing, editing, and grammar skills. WriteShop Junior activities keep kids engaged with fun games using pre-writing activities, skill builders, and even some that teach skills but do not require any writing. Even the editing process is fun! The creative activities spark joy in eager and struggling writers.

This class is designed to help the high school student build confidence in grammar and writing skills. The course includes some direct grammar instruction, but a great deal of grammar instruction within the context of writing. The course begins by strengthening paragraph writing skills. Students then proceed to write expository, descriptive, persuasive, and literary analysis essays. They also write biographical reports, summaries, observation reports, and business forms such as letters. Some creative and journal writing is also included to give students additional opportunities to express themselves. Grades 8th to 12th

This one-semester class walks students through the process of writing the MLA (Modern Language Association) research paper and develops their argumentation skills. Three research papers are composed during the course beginning with a short essay in which the instructor takes students through the writing process slowly and step-by-step also providing research articles for that essay. The second paper is a longer project with a little less help allowing students to choose their own topic and research materials. The third paper is when the “training wheels come off.” Grades 9th to 12th, but we highly recommend this class for 11th or 12th grade.