Lightning Literature Level: Storm (Gr. 6-8)

Description

Storm is an alternative to Lightning Literature Grade 7. It came about from customer feedback and is now more user-friendly for students and parents alike. The course covers grammar, punctuation, composition, and literary analysis* using a 4-day, 6-week schedule. It requires the Teacher’s Guide, two Student Workbooks, a specific reader for the course called The Rainy Day Reader, and the literature. Students review grammar and punctuation, practice composition, and analyze literature. Carefully selected literature engages readers, and the worktexts (one per semester) guides students through interactive exercises, reflection prompts, and comprehensive grammar drills. Comprehension, critical thinking and writing skills are integral. No spelling is included. There is more writing instruction in Storm, compared to the previous grade 7 course.

The name change is in response to students this age being sensitive to grade levels. This course is meant to follow Grade 6.

The Teacher’s Guide (TG) lays out lessons for you very clearly. The focus will be on reading and composition and your student has much of the lesson in their books to guide the independent learner. Answers are provided when relevant, otherwise you have suggestions for providing productive feedback. There is a lot of discussion material here. It would be great for a group setting, but you can be the soundboard for your student as well with suggestions from the TG. Adaptations are constantly given to tailor the program to your learners needs. Only 1 week is spent on sentence diagramming. 402 pages.

Student Workbook 1 and 2 are for each semester. These are consumable, but the student will also be writing outside of the workbook. Students will appreciate the added color! Also, there is more writing instruction in the student books than in the previous Grade 7. The grammar and punctuation lessons are between story lessons and incorporate literature as well.

Students read 6 novels from a range of cultural viewpoints, voices and genres, and the Rainy Day Reader. Please note, some literature selections deal with topics like racism and the Holocaust. These are handled with discretion, to help kids think through the issues.

Required Literature selections include 6 novels: Prairie Lotus, The Hobbit, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Elijah of Buxton, A Day of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw, and All Creatures Great and Small. You will also need The Rainy Day Reader (see below). While some of the titles include heavy content like racism and the Holocaust, the selections are meant to make kids this age think and are handled thoughtfully. You see a balance of male/female perspectives and a range of cultural viewpoints, voices, and genres.

The Rainy Day Reader was created just for this course. It includes short stories and poems selected by the author. This is included in the literature package and the complete package.

*If your student is in need of spelling practice, you will have to add a supplemental option.

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.