Middle School Writing 2 with The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie (Fall

Love her. Hate her. Love to hate her. Barbie has certainly left a lasting impression in her 60+ years.

This book tells the story of Barbie's creation, evolution, and controversies.

We'll use the book to talk about things like artistic intent vs. impact, the purpose of play, and more!

(And, yes, one of the options for a paper has been updated to include a comparison to the 2023 movie Barbie).

Gain Key Academic Writing and Reading Foundations

Students will learn foundational academic writing and reading skills including thesis statements, note taking, topic sentences, paragraph focus, and transitions. They will practice these skills through themed writing assignments based on the book.

Meet Live Weekly

This is a live class, which means we meet weekly to discuss the reading and explore writing tips. Learners can also interact with each other and the instructor between class meetings on our discussion boards.

Provided materials include reading guides and activities to help with vocabulary and comprehension as well as writing tips to apply to short, informal writing assignments.

Practice Writing as a Process

Most importantly, students will compose two multi-draft papers with individual video feedback on rough drafts and the opportunity to revise a final draft.

Class Details

Age Range: 11-13

Class Size: 3-10 Learners

Schedule:

Class runs from October 14-December 8, 2024 with no live meetings.

Supplies

To participate successfully in class, learners will need the following:

A copy of The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone (ISBN: 978-0-670-01187-2) (used copies are fine; borrowed/library copies are acceptable but it’s preferable for learners to have their own copy so they can take notes in it)
PDF Reader
Learners will submit work through Google Drive (a Google (Gmail) account can be acquired for free)

Select a pricing plan and sign up

$260

Market Rate +25%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$220

Market Rate +10%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$200

Market Rate

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience.

$160

Market Rate -20%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience.

$100

Market Rate -50%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience.

Meet Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason

Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason is the founder of Dayla Learning. She has a PhD in rhetoric and composition, a passion for helping students find their writing voice, and two homeschooling children of her own.

Michelle has taught in a wide variety of settings including six years as a full-time college professor. She has been teaching virtual and in-person homeschool writing and humanities classes for more than five years.

Michelle believes in meeting students where they are and — as any of her previous students will tell you — believes deeply that there is no such thing as a bad rough draft!

Is this the right fit for your learner?

This class is the mid-level option for my Middle School level classes (Middle School Writing Level 2). It’s designed for learners who have a basic introduction to writing but not much experience with formal academic writing assignments. Learners will do best if they have the following skills:

Can write about 300 words (about 1 page double spaced) on a single topic
Confidently reads texts at or above 700L on the Lexile rating
Has practiced discussing reading material
Has practiced writing about reading material (even if informally)

This class is a good fit for middle school readers who want to explore the connection between reading and writing in a supportive environment that will address their individual writing needs through personal feedback.

Skills Gained

The class is set up so that students choose which writing prompts they’d like to complete for both of the two primary assignments. This means that students of varying ability levels and familiarity with academic writing conventions can find an assignment appropriate for their level.

All students will learn about the following:

Developing reading comprehension and note-taking strategies
Finding their own writing process
Working on a complete draft in stages that focus on revision
Reflecting on what works to build strong writing habits

Depending on which assignments they choose to complete, students will focus specifically on the following:

Crafting strong thesis statements
Crafting narratives
Writing creatively
Finding similarities when making comparisons
Creating multimodal projects to communicate ideas
Incorporating sources into writing with appropriate citations

Common Core Standards Alignment

For those who are using Common Core standards, this course meets the following:

All Learners:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1, 7.1, and 8.1 (citing textual evidence)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2, 7.2, and 8.2 (identifying central ideas)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3, 7.3, and 8.3 (analyzing details in informational texts)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4, 7.4, and 8.4 (determining word meaning in context)

Depending on Paper Prompt Chosen:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1, 7.1, and 8.1 (write arguments with reason and evidence)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2, 7.2, and 8.2 (write informative texts to examine a topic)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3, 7.3, and 8.3 (write narratives with details)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4, 7.4, and 8.4 (write appropriately to audience)
CCS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5, 7.5, and 8.5 (plan, revise, edit and rewrite)
CCS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8, 7.8, and 8.8 (gather information from credible sources)
CCS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.9, 7.9, and 8.9 (draw textual evidence to support analysis and research)
CCS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.10, 7.10, and 8.10 (write routinely over extended time frames)

Upon successful completion of class, instructor provides detailed exit letter suitable for inclusion in portfolio. Families may request numerical grade at beginning of class for a detailed course grade summary, but it is optional.

Individual Support

All students will receive individualized video feedback on all rough drafts that specifically addresses their rough draft submissions.

My teaching philosophy very much focuses on starting with students’ strengths to build confidence and using them to work on improvements over time.

Feedback is tailored to each student’s individual needs and goals. I also encourage a lot of self-reflection and provide opportunities for students to directly communicate their challenges so that facing them with strategies becomes a normal part of the writing process.

Content Note

There is some brief discussion of eating disorders and body image. One chapter includes reference to Barbie being naked and kids using Barbie for romantic play. These descriptions are non-graphic and treated in context of Barbie's larger representation and controversies.

Select a pricing plan and sign up

$260

Market Rate +25%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$220

Market Rate +10%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience. This option allows us to build a more accessible and equitable community of learners by offering discounted pricing options.

$200

Market Rate

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience.

$160

Market Rate -20%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience.

$100

Market Rate -50%

This class uses a sliding fee scale for pricing options in order to build more equitable access to these educational opportunities. You can read more about the plan and its goals here, but all options give access to the same classroom experience.