Exploring English Together, Online!

These small group classes—four students maximum—engage students in an active, online classroom environment. For the Fall 2020-Winter 2021 term, these classes are designed to support students who do not have many opportunities to use English at their school or in the community during the school year. We hope these classes can help students (and families) to stay engaged and keep learning this year!

TERM AND SCHEDULE. Enroll for a term of 10 class sessions. Schedules are flexible, with one-day and two-day per week options.

THEMES. Students will stay with one instructor through their term. Classes will follow themes: explore language, history, nature, the news, and—for teens—careers, travel, and the important world of public health. Our goal is to engage youth in ways that offer hope and inspiration for the future, as students improve their English language skills.

CURRICULUM. Many classes incorporate elements of National Geographic Keynote online textbooks. Keynote is designed around topics like music, cities as communities, inspirational human activities, and the creative design process. Additional curriculum for these classes includes explorations of books and literature, Bird Studies, Colonial History in Maryland, Career Development (for teens), Travel in the U.S., Journalism/Looking for Good News, and more. See the full list of curriculum offered below.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES. Student participants will build vocabulary and strengthen their use of English, as they think, write, talk, and learn creatively with others in an interactive online classroom. Older students will strengthen critical thinking skills, through active conversation, writing, and activities in thematic courses. These classes are designed to help and support students in being able to actively engage using English in the online class environment this school year.

ONLINE OR IN THE CLASSROOM. These classes are designed to be taught online on Zoom. Students from anywhere in the world can join.Later in the academic year, if possible, they will meet in the classroom. If we are able to meet in the classroom, we will offer that option to local students, or students may continue online.

COURSE OVERVIEW:

Maximum Class Size: Four students--these are very interactive, small group classes!
Fall 2020-Winter 2021 Terms: Enroll for a term of 10 class sessions, either 10 weeks if one class per week or five weeks if two classes per week, August 31, 2020-January 29, 2021 (aligned with local public school calendar and online programming, and holidays).
Schedule/Times: Choose 4:00-4:50pm or 5:00-5:50pm (other times may be available, please contact us for more information).
Tuition: $250 for 10 class sessions (pro-rated for partial term)
Registration Fee: $40 per student (waived for families who have studied at the school at any time)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: If you have any questions about these programs, we invite you to join an online Information Session, offered every Thursday, 9:00am U.S. Eastern time. Please email us to reserve a place in an Information Session, and we will send you a Zoom Meeting ID and Password. (Other times available for friends in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America – or in North America – please email us to let us know your available times.)

Or email us, let us know the age of the student(s) and tell us your questions. We look forward to seeing you online and soon in the classroom as well!

Course Descriptions

Indicate your class preferences when you pre-register. Class availability will vary depending on the number of students enrolled in the term.

CURRICULUM FOR PRIMARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS (G1-8)

General ESOL Curriculum. Focuses on topics in National Geographic Keynote. Keynote presents TED talks and other short audios and videos that enhance the learning processes. Student participants will build vocabulary and strengthen their use of English, as they think, write, talk, and learn creatively with others in an interactive online classroom.

Bird Watching introduces students to an exciting part of our natural world. Amazing birds can even be found in your own backyard! This course will explore bird identification and location, bird songs with audio, bird behavior and habitats, bird feeding, types of birdhouses, and emergency bird care. We will begin by exploring birds of North America-and looking at bird migratory patterns, we will also take a journey around the world!! Students will also explore activities such as building bird houses or feeders and field guides while keeping weekly notes about birds they discover in their neighborhoods.

Colonial History and Archeology in Maryland. This course will provide students with an introduction to what life was like for native people and European colonists in the early days of Maryland. Students will explore artifacts used in early Maryland and found by modern-day archaeologists in St. Mary’s City, Maryland’s first colony. The eight-lesson course will study four areas of Maryland’s history including Native American life, the voyage from Europe to Maryland, city life, and plantation life. Students will learn about colonial history while also practicing conversational and academic English.

Connections: Speaking, Reading, and Relating in English! In this disconnected time, let’s get together and connect through reading! Students will choose topics they are interested in and as a group we will research them together. Reading, coaching, and playing games with their peers builds language/vocabulary skills, expands their knowledge and builds empathy.

Journalism/Looking for Good News. The good news in our lives has often been buried in the global news avalanche of heartbreak and devastation resulting from the coronavirus. In this course, students will learn some basic skills to discover, write, and share their own stories of hope outside the COVID-19 realm. Students will be introduced to the significance and variety of news media stories while reviewing the fundamentals of news writing. As a culminating activity they will organize and present online their own English Now! “Good News” program.

The Natural World Around You. In this class, we will discuss eight major ecosystems found throughout the world. We'll explore the plants, animals, climate and geological features found in these ecosystems. We'll talk about their special features, see their beauty, learn how they are affected by climate change and habitat loss, and what is being done to protect these necessary biomes – and what it means to the world if we lose them.

Reading Together is an exciting discovery course. The students embark through reading on journeys that take them to wonderful worlds that may be as close as their backyards, or as far away as distant galaxies. Students learn many wonderful aspects of the world around them while they are improving their English language. These two components (general knowledge & English language) are seamlessly "interfaced.” The class inspires curiosity, with students expanding the horizons of their understanding and improving English language skills as a "bonus".

Traveling the U.S.--from Cities to Parks. Traveling the US can feel like an overwhelming feat to accomplish, but in this class, we will discuss great places to visit that are not the ones everyone talks about, but are equal in character, if not more so. We will talk about transportation, special features of the region, cool attractions, and what might be most fun for those who have children. We will also talk about the famous National Parks and the not so well known, but beautiful ones, too.

CURRICULUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (G9-12)

English for Personal and Career Development is a four-week course for high school and college students designed to develop skills for future success. This course will give you the opportunity to explore both personal development and potential career paths, while building your vocabulary and improving your language skills. In this course, you will inventory your interests and skills, learn how to effectively interview for a job using conversational and professional vocabulary, engage in networking-focused discussions, and explore how to communicate and collaborate in social and professional settings.

Express Yourself! (Creative Writing) Why settle for the temporary satisfaction of speaking when you can express your thoughts and feelings in poems, personal essays, and stories that will live on in print? Learn from a published author the joys of mining your own experiences and imagination to create something that combines personal expression with communal sharing. We will use pictures, prompts and stories for inspiration and fun. Note: participants will be expected to explore different kinds of creative writing as homework.

Personal Expression through Art Journals. In this course students will create a set of eight art journal layouts (pages). An art journal is a notebook kept as a visual, and sometimes written, representation of your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Every week we will combine simple visual art techniques with writing to create finished pages. Students will use their art journals to express their moods, feelings and personalities in various art mediums. We will use color, texture, paint, pencils, pens, as well as cut paper to create our pages. Students also will learn how to talk about different art genres and techniques, and then get a chance to try some out on their own pages. No prior art experience or skill level is required!

The World of Public Health. "Public health" is defined as the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and improving quality of life The world is more aware of the importance of the field of public health than ever before. Public health practitioners are playing a crucial in our societies. Leaders in the field are modern-day heroes. Our communities have struggled—or triumphed—based on their work. Are you curious about the people and organizations that have led the war on COVID-19? This course introduces students to the field of public health. Students, who must be at high school age and a High Intermediate level of English or above, will use online course materials in a Coursera course produced with Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health: The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health. Students will speak, listen, write, and make short presentations. Classes will explore experiences of public health in students' neighborhoods and communities, as well as in different countries around the world. For more information about the online resources, see a video introduction to the Johns Hopkins/Coursera class, and students should also expect to search the internet for information that extend the conversation to other countries' experiences.

Traveling the 50 States--Road Trip!! Join us in a tour of the USA, virtually speaking. Learn about the various regions of the USA, the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Great Lakes, Great Plains, Southwest & the Western Frontier. Students will discover regional accents, music, foods, capital cities, and more! Create your own Road Trip Diary to inspire your future travels!