Description
“Words’, he said, ‘is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life. So you must simply try to be patient and stop squibbling. As I am telling you before, I know exactly what words I am wanting to say, but somehow or other they is always getting squiff-squiddled around.”
-Roald Dahl, The BFG
Get ready to discover the squiff-squiddled around words, magical places, fantastic characters, and twitch-tickling conflicts in the novels Roald Dahl wrote. These novels will delight you, make you think, and entertain you while your own imagination is set loose.
We discuss a new novel during each class, so the novel should be read before class. Feel free to join us for all the books, or just the ones you want. Pop in and out of the class as you wish. This class is ongoing!
ALL SECTIONS WILL MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK. You are not charged for the weeks we do not meet. This gives students the chance to read the book before class.
CLASS EXPERIENCE:
Students will learn reading strategies, how to analyze, who they are as readers, and how to communicate about literature and life! They will begin to develop their own criteria for evaluating the books they read, and they will begin to understand the type of readers they are. To do this, each student takes a turn in talking about the book and the teacher will probe a bit to get each learner to do a little deeper thinking. Because it’s a discussion class, we encourage students to leave their cameras on, to use the chatbox to expand the discussion, and to think about what they want to say before class begins. This isn’t your average book club! Feel free to join us for all the books, or just the ones you want. Pop in and out of the class as you wish, or transfer to different sections if your schedule changes. Sometimes students don’t quite finish the book, but they are still welcome to attend–they can tell me they would like to pass on the discussion and just want to listen; however, we also ask questions that are applicable to reading in general, and these topics can be discussed whether they read the book or not. This class will be ongoing until we finish! Students will earn a badge for each book they complete.
Examples of in-class activities are below. Students will:
1. discuss literature with the instructor and other students in a large group.
2. discuss how American literature has changed over the past 100 years.
3. reflect on how literature reveals elements of humanity or the world in which we live.
4. speak aloud and use the chatbox to participate in the conversation.
5. articulate an evaluation of the novel and why they think the way they do.
6. learn how to analyze a literary character.
7. learn how to analyze a piece of literature for the theme.
8. learn how to analyze conflict to reveal character and theme.
9. learn elements of the story.
10. learn point of view.
11. learn how to analyze literature in light of the culture in which it is written.
**THERE ARE MULTIPLE SECTIONS OF THE Roald Dahl Book Club. If a section is sold out, keep your eye out as students tend to move in and out based on vacations, etc. You can transfer from one section to another without missing any discussions about novels. Students can send a transfer request for a different section week to week. This class will continue year-round so long as enrollment stays strong; sections may be merged at some point.
*Roald Dahl Book Club SCHEDULE (The books are read from oldest to newest):
The week starting Sept 3: 1964 – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The week starting Sept 10: NO CLASS
The week starting Sept 17: 1966 – The Magic Finger
The week starting Sept 24: NO CLASS
The week starting Oct 1: 1970 – Fantastic Mr. Fox
The week starting Oct 8: NO CLASS
The week starting Oct 15: 1972 – Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
The week starting Oct 22: NO CLASS
The week starting Oct 29: 1975 – Danny, the Champion of the World
The week starting Nov 5: NO CLASS
The week starting Nov 12: 1978 – The Enormous Crocodile
The week starting Nov 19: NO CLASS
The week starting Dec 3: 1980 – The Twits
The week starting Dec 10: NO CLASS
The week starting Dec 17: 1981 – George’s Marvellous Medicine
CHRISTMAS BREAK
The week starting Jan 7: NO CLASS
The week starting Jan 14: 1982 – The BFG
The week starting Jan 21: NO CLASS
The week starting Jan 28: 1983 – The Witches
The week starting Feb 4: NO CLASS
The week starting Feb 11: 1985 – The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
The week starting Feb 18: NO CLASS
The week starting Feb 25: 1988 – Matilda
The week starting Mar 3: NO CLASS
The week starting Mar 10: 1990 – Esio Trot
The week starting Mar 17: NO CLASS
The week starting Mar 24: 1991 – The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (Posthumously)
The week starting Mar 31: NO CLASS
The week starting Apr 7: 1991 – The Minpins (Posthumously)
The week starting Apr 14: NO CLASS
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Discover more about the world of Roald Dahl here!
We cannot wait to see you in our Roald Dahl Book Club!
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