Lightning Literature Level: Tempest (Gr. 7-9)

Lightning Literature Tempest is replacing the current Lightning Lit Grade 8. However, it can be used by students in 7^th, 8^th or even 9^th grade. The course covers grammar, punctuation, composition, and literary analysis using a 4-day schedule. Required components include a Teacher’s Guide, two consumable Student Workbooks, and the literature.

Carefully selected literature engages readers, and the workbooks (one per semester) guide 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 Tempest compared to the previous grade 8 course, and no sentence diagramming is taught.

The name change is in response to students this age being sensitive to grade levels. At the middle grades, students really have a wide range of abilities and needs. This course is meant to follow Level Storm or grade 7.

For your convenience, we offer a complete Full Year Package with the teacher’s guide, student books, and all required literature. You can also purchase just the Teacher/Student Set or the required Literature Only.

The Teacher’s Guide (TG) lays out lessons for you very clearly. The focus is on reading and composition, and your student has many of the lessons in their own workbooks as well to guide the independent learner. Answers are provided when relevant, otherwise you will find 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 learner’s needs. Only 1 week is spent on sentence diagramming. 402 pages.

Student Workbook Volume 1 and Student Workbook Volume 2 each cover one semester. These books are consumable, but the student will also write 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 8. The grammar and punctuation lessons are found between story lessons and incorporate literature as well.

Students read 7 novels from a range of cultural viewpoints, voices, and genres, plus the Rainy Day Reader. While some of the titles include heavy content like racism and poverty, the selections are meant to make kids this age ponder, and topics are handled thoughtfully. You will also see a balance of male/female perspectives.

Required Literature selections include the following 7 novels, and students will also read the special Rainy Day Reader (also used in Lightning Lit Storm). Click the links to read more about each novel or to purchase them individually. This is the sequence the novels are presented in the course.

Echo by Pam Munoz is a tale of 3 children who overcome adversity in separate times and places.

M.C. Higgins the Great by Virginia Hamilton is about a boy who dreams of the world beyond the mines.

Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson is about a cabin boy on a pirate ship full of danger and thrills.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is about a character who learns what is truly valuable in his life.

My Family and Other Animals by Gerard Durrell is about an English family who moves to a sunny, animal-filled Greek island.

The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers is a story of family and community, pride and determination, struggle and love.

Helen Keller: the Story of My Life: In the author’s own words, we read about her struggles with blindness and deafness.

The Rainy Day Reader was created just for these courses (Storm and Tempest). It includes short stories and poems selected by the author.