Founders Classical Academy of Fort Worth
Week of September 14 - 18
“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
WELCOME!
UPCOMING EVENTS!
September 7th - Labor Day
October 30th - Family Blast!
This week, students continued reading their respective novels: Grade 6 with Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, Grade 7 with Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Grade 8 with William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Our primary literary focus shifted toward conflict and the important role it plays in developing characters and advancing a story. Students annotated examples of both internal conflict, which occurs within a character, and external conflict, which places characters in opposition to other people, society, or circumstances. As the conflicts within each novel become increasingly complex, students are learning to consider not only what happens but also why characters respond to difficult circumstances in particular ways. These annotations continue to provide students with textual evidence that they can use in discussion and analytical writing.
Next week, students will continue developing their literary analysis skills through purposeful annotation. Our annotations will bring together the three major literary elements we have emphasized thus far: characterization, symbolism, and conflict. Students will examine how these elements interact rather than treating each one as an isolated feature of a story. In particular, we will consider how conflict reveals character and how authors use symbols to communicate larger ideas about the struggles their characters face. By identifying these connections and supporting their interpretations with textual evidence, students will continue progressing from basic reading comprehension toward deeper literary analysis.
Grade 6 — The Prince and the Pauper
perplexed (adjective) — Confused, puzzled, or uncertain about something that is difficult to understand.
Perplexed is especially appropriate for a novel built around mistaken identity. As Edward and Tom encounter people who refuse to believe the truth about who they are, confusion becomes an important source of conflict. The word also gives students an opportunity to consider how misunderstanding can drive the action of a story.
Grade 7 — Fahrenheit 451
insidious (adjective) — Proceeding gradually or subtly while causing harmful effects.
Bradbury uses insidious early in Fahrenheit 451, and the word captures an important feature of the society Montag is beginning to question. Some of the greatest dangers in the novel did not appear suddenly; rather, they developed gradually as people surrendered difficult ideas, meaningful conversation, and independent thought. The word is particularly useful as students examine Montag’s growing conflict with the society around him.
Grade 8 — Lord of the Flies
enmity (noun) — A state of hostility, opposition, or deep-seated dislike.
Enmity is an especially useful word as students begin examining the relationships among the boys on the island. From the beginning of the novel, differences in personality, authority, and priorities create tensions that threaten their attempts at cooperation. As students continue reading, they should watch how disagreement can develop into rivalry and eventually into more serious forms of conflict.
Did you know that William Golding was a schoolteacher before Lord of the Flies made him famous? Golding taught English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury, England, and his experience teaching boys gave him firsthand familiarity with the age group he would later portray in his novel. He also served in the Royal Navy during World War II, an experience that profoundly affected his understanding of human nature and the capacity for violence. After the war, Golding returned to teaching and eventually wrote Lord of the Flies, which was published in 1954 after being rejected by multiple publishers. Decades later, Golding received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Literature, cementing his place among the most influential British writers of the twentieth century.
Grades 6 - 8 Literature Syllabus
2026 - 2027
Instructor: Mr. Ethan Laurence-Gauglitz
(elaurencegauglitz@responsiveedtx.com)
Course Description
In the Grade 6 course, we will explore great works of literature that have shaped and defined civilizations, from the ancient Greeks and Hebrews to modern France and England. We will feed our moral imaginations and seek wisdom, virtue, and self-knowledge, while ultimately looking toward the common good of civilization and toward the pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty. We will read stories and focus on their themes, such as glory, pride, hospitality, devotion, deception, the public and private self, and revenge. We will map out plots and examine characters in detail, and also give special close-reading to important passages that reveal the literary mastery of the author. By participating in seminars and by writing, we will learn to refine our thoughts about these books. We will also become steeped in the poetic tradition by memorizing and performing great poems by Homer, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Rudyard Kipling, and more.
In the Grade 7 course, students will read great works of literature, starting with novels by Tolkien, Kipling,
Dickens, London, and Bradbury, and concluding with dramatic works by Shakespeare and Rostand.
Students will discover how good literature trains us to use our wits to think, speak, and write with
substance. Substance is composed of form and matter. The form of literature includes its plot,
characters and themes. The matter of literature is the alphabet. With these twenty six symbols, we
communicate with authors long dead, who still influence us, and learn how to communicate with our
contemporaries and posterity, whom we can influence for better or worse. Students will take on this
responsibility as men and women of letters by working to master the form and matter of literature
through speaking and writing their thoughts, reciting poems, telling and re-telling stories, and
engaging with the great conversation.
In the Grade 8 course, students for the increasingly demanding reading, writing, and discussion expected in high school through the careful study of literature and the continued development of written and spoken expression. Following the Founders Classical Academy scope and sequence, students will engage with significant works of literature representing a variety of genres, authors, historical periods, and literary traditions.
Students will move beyond basic comprehension toward sustained literary analysis, examining how authors develop characters, themes, arguments, and ideas through structure, language, imagery, symbolism, and rhetoric. Writing instruction will emphasize logical organization, precise language, effective use of textual evidence, revision, grammar, and style. Students will be expected to articulate and defend interpretations both in writing and in classroom discussion, developing the habits of careful reading, clear reasoning, and effective communication necessary for success in high school.
Texts and Supplies
In order to be prepared for class each day, please bring the following. Upper school classrooms do not have communal supplies, so students are responsible for bringing their own and storing them in their backpack or locker.
A 1½ -inch binder exclusive to Grade 6 Literature
A writing journal
Loose-leaf, college-ruled notebook paper
An assignment planner to write down the homework
Pencils
Structure of the Course
In sixth grade literature, we will begin by reading great stories, then we will discuss these texts in class, and finally, we will write down the ideas we have formulated from our readings and
discussions. Thus, our class will have three emphases: reading, speaking, and writing.
1. Reading
Reading will almost exclusively be assigned as daily homework, though on some occasions will we have time for reading in class. For this reason, parents should ensure that students have ample time and quiet space at home every day for reading. Students are required to annotate in their books with a pen or pencil as they read, according to the guidance given by the teacher. Periodic annotation checks will be conducted for a grade. Students should devote ample time every day to reading and annotating so that they may arrive in class fully prepared for discussions, exercises, and pop reading quizzes. A typical day's homework might include ten to fifteen pages of reading (depending on the book) and a few comprehension questions, or a review for a test, or work on a writing assignment.
2. Speaking
Students will practice speaking in two primary ways: by participating in regular classroom discussions and by reciting poetry. Most class periods will consist of a guided discussion in which the teacher will integrate lecture with guided discussion questions for the whole class. Students will often begin these discussions with narratio presentations (delivered to the whole class) on the homework from the night before. All students are expected to participate in discussions by asking or answering questions and making relevant comments on the reading from their annotations or reading notes. On a regular basis, we will hold formal Socratic seminars in which all students must participate in order to receive a passing grade. Additionally, we will memorize a number of poems throughout the year for the purpose of recitation. After ample practice, each student will recite the poem for the class.
3. Writing
Through habitually reading great books, we receive not only the gift of the author’s vision of the
world, but also that of their style and linguistic craft, which we may absorb and implement in our
own writing. We read great books, in part, to imitate them and become great writers. We will keep a journal and practice daily writing. We will also write narrative summaries and interpretive essays in order to articulate our thoughts about the themes in our novels, develop a thesis (or claim), make an outline, select quotes as evidence, and explain a crucial theme in a story. There will be composition assignments for each book we read, and a 5-paragraph narrative summary (major grade) once per semester.
Grading
Tests – 50%
Quizzes – 30%
The lowest quiz grade per quarter will be dropped.
Homework/Assignments – 20%
Resources for Parents
Here are a few excellent, free sites to help students build reading comprehension skills at home:
ReadTheory – adaptive online reading practice with comprehension quizzes:
https://readtheory.org/
CommonLit – free texts with guided questions and assessments:
https://www.commonlit.org/
Newsela – leveled nonfiction articles to strengthen reading comprehension and critical thinking:
https://newsela.com/
About Mr. Laurence
Mr. Ethan Laurence-Gauglitz earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of North Texas, also studying a semester at Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität in Hannover, Germany. After graduation, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kosovo, working as a grant writer for the local municipal government and teaching English in local schools. These experiences deepened his appreciation for cultural exchange, global perspectives, and the power of language to connect people.
Most recently, Mr. Laurence was the Academic Coordinator and Lead English Instructor at Excel Academy in Henderson, Nevada, where he developed curriculum, supported teachers, and helped students reach their full potential. He brings to the classroom a love for languages, literature, and learning, and is excited to share these passions with his students this year.