Foundations of Literary Analysis
A Summer Bridge course in literary exploration and critical thought.
ENGLISH | LITERARY ARTS | COMPREHENSION
Summer I
July 8th, 2025 - July 31st, 2025
Grade(s)
7-8 (by September 2025)
Course Description: Analysis of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
This four-week, standards-aligned summer bridge course is designed for learners in middle schoolers. As they prepare for high school, their ability to read critically, write persuasively, and think independently becomes essential. In this course, learners engage with the book on a profound level through Socratic seminars, analytical writing, and collaborative inquiry. This novel is powerful at any age, but it is especially poignant for middle schoolers, who are beginning to question the world around them and form their own sense of morality, justice, and identity. By working with the novel’s themes of conformity, memory, and freedom, they learn to articulate their ideas with clarity and purpose, skills that are not only foundational for high school and college, but for a lifetime of critical thinking and meaningful communication.
Provided Materials
- The Giver novel by Lois Lowry
- Composition notebook
- 4-color highlighter set
- 2 mechanical pencils
- Blue, black, and red pens
- Multi-color stick tabs
Course Description: Analysis of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
This four-week, standards-aligned summer bridge course is designed for learners in middle schoolers. As they prepare for high school, their ability to read critically, write persuasively, and think independently becomes essential. In this course, learners engage with the book on a profound level through Socratic seminars, analytical writing, and collaborative inquiry. This novel is powerful at any age, but it is especially poignant for middle schoolers, who are beginning to question the world around them and form their own sense of morality, justice, and identity. By working with the novel’s themes of conformity, memory, and freedom, they learn to articulate their ideas with clarity and purpose, skills that are not only foundational for high school and college, but for a lifetime of critical thinking and meaningful communication.
Provided Materials
- The Giver novel by Lois Lowry
- Composition notebook
- 4-color highlighter set
- 2 mechanical pencils
- Blue, black, and red pens
- Multi-color stick tabs
Register for Foundations of Literary Analysis.
Shenayah Herschkowitz
LIVE MEETING TIME
10:00am - 11:30am (EST)
This course meets for a 90-minute live online session on Tuesdays and Thursdays. An optional one-hour drop-in office hour will be offered on Wednesdays for additional support.
ASYNCHRONOUS HOMEWORK TIME
1 Hour per day
The approximate amount of time participants should plan to spend on assignments and projects outside of live class time.
8th Grade ELA Standards for Literary Comprehension
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1–RL.8.6
- 1. RL.8.1 – Citing Textual Evidence
- 2. RL.8.2 – Determine Theme or Central Idea
- 3. RL.8.3 – Analyze Dialogue and Plot
- 4. RL.8.4 – Determine Meaning of Words and Tone
- 5. RL.8.5 – Analyze Structure of a Text
- 6. RL.8.6 – Point of View and Perspective
Register for Foundations of Literary Analysis.