Advanced Think Books: Reading for Deep Thinkers – Fall
$314.15
“To be honest, I will be sad when this [class] ends because I will not see these people again…I like this group [because I have a friend].”
~Quinnian Archimedes, Athena’s Student
Enrollment
Available
Step 1: Register Your Student
Step 2: Enroll Your Registered Student
| Instructor | Dr. Karen Arnstein |
| Content Levels | Grades 6-7 • Middle School Grades 7-8 • Junior High |
| Course Length | 16 Weeks |
| Live Webinars Held On | Wednesdays, 9:00 - 9:50 AM Pacific - 8/14/24 - 12/13/24 |
In Advanced Think Books: Reading for Deep Thinkers, we enter the magical worlds found within the pages of classic and contemporary books. We use the stories as frameworks to generate independent thinking, encourage creativity, broaden vocabulary and enable intelligent and articulate discussion around the themes included in the text.
Sometimes it is hard to get children engaged in reading, and even harder to get them to share their ideas and learning. At Athena’s, we’ve found that adapting the Great Books Foundation’s Shared Inquiry™ approach to our platform is very effective in inspiring students to actively engage in the books we read.
In this course, students generate questions about the book or chapters they read and bring them to the webinar class. Their questions, coupled with the skilled questioning of the instructor, enable a rich exploration of the ideas, concepts and meaning of what they have read.
A lively discussion, generated by the group, enables a deeper exploration and understanding of the text. Because our webinars offer the option for students to join in verbally or via the chat room, we see that everyone feels comfortable participating.
Lessons include:
- reading comprehension
- critical thinking
- dialogue
- vocabulary
- poetry
Note to parents:
- Think Books and Advanced Think Books are both divided into two semesters, fall and spring.
- Advanced Think Books: Reading for Deep Thinkers – Spring Semester follows this course in the same time slot in the spring.
- The Think Books series follows in progression in the same time slot over a two-year period:
- Think Books: Fall Semester
- Think Books: Spring Semester
- Advanced Think Books: Fall Semester
- Advanced Think Books: Spring Semester
“[My son] enjoys Dr. Karen’s [Advanced Think Books] class and looks forward to it each time. We genuinely feel as if you’ve reignited his passion for reading.”
~Ray H., Athena’s Parent
What to expect in the Required section in the classroom each week:
- Read several chapters in a novel. Two of the 16 weeks will focus on a poetry selection that thematically connects to the novels we’re reading.
- Write down 1-2 questions about the reading assignment to bring to the webinar. (Asynchronous students should plan on emailing their questions to Dr. Karen the day before the weekly webinars.)
- Strong readers stay connected to what they are reading by asking themselves questions as they read. Students might wonder why a character does something, or they might wonder why the author chose to write something in a certain way.
- Respond to a forum prompt — writing at least one five-sentence paragraph.
- Respond with positive and encouraging comments on their classmates’ posts in the classroom forums.
What to expect in the Highly Suggested & Optional sections in the classroom each week:
- Curated resources, including websites & videos, are provided to excite learners and to add depth to the subject matter.
- We feature frequent projects and Minecraft™ activities for collaborative or solo expression.
What to expect during the weekly webinar:
- Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Webinars are recorded and are available for students with schedule conflicts.
- Add student’s reading-based questions to the whiteboard. These questions will be the basis of our interactive discussion. These questions will be the basis of our interactive discussion.
- Active Participation (via the microphone and chat) in online class discussions.
- This class is discussion based. Only students who are ready (or need minimal encouragement to become ready) to use the microphone in an online class should enroll.
Before taking this course, students should be able to:
- Read at a solid 6th-grade level or above.
- Write a paragraph independently.
Students should be willing to:
- Be prepared for the webinar.
- Actively participate (via the microphone and chat) in the class discussion.
- Verbally participate in webinar discussions – this class is discussion based.
- Encourage class discussion by adding their questions/ideas in the chat window during the webinar.
- Respond with positive and encouraging comments on their classmates’ posts in the classroom forums.
Required books & materials:
- Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
- Treasure of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston
- The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
- Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne (with introduction by Jane Smiley) (Penguin Classics edition only.)
ISBN-13: 978-0-141-44197-9 Choose this edition only.
This edition is preferred because of its academic level.
Please check the ISBN number on the back once you receive the novel.