Lightning Literature Tempest is replacing
the current Lightning Lit Grade 8. However, it can be used by students in
7th, 8th or even 9th 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.
