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A Deeper Dive Into Essay Writing: A Semester Long Composition Course

In this semester long course, learners will learn to effectively develop and express their ideas in writing.
Teacher Jaquita, M.Ed.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(609)
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Class
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What's included

15 live meetings
11 hrs 15 mins in-class hours
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Students will submit final drafts of their typed essay within one week after each unit ends.
Assessment
The learner is assessed through written feedback of each essay submitted on time. The learner is assessed through class participation. The learner is assessed using a rubric after each essay is submitted. Parents, please note: I do not accept late assignments (unless there are extenuating circumstances). Please understand that I teach many classes that require essay feedback and I have a feedback schedule that I adhere to for balancing my work time. Please be respectful of my time as I have responsibilities outside of being a teacher. Late assignments require extra time and work outside of my preset schedule. Please be mindful of this upon enrolling.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 8
Intermediate - Advanced Level
Writing essays is a task that consists of a lot of effort, consistent practice and constant revision. My course gives learners the opportunity to practice writing skills in a warm, engaging learning environment geared towards helping learnings succeed. This course is ideal for learners that have taken my Homeschool Writing Portfolio course and are ready to dive deeper into strengthening their writing skills. New learners that have a good grasp on essay writing are welcome to enroll as well. 

The purpose of this semester-long course is to help learners get comfortable with writing different types of essays that are well developed. Each essay will follow the standard five-paragraph format.

Each unit, learners will review a key characteristic in writing development and have an opportunity to submit a final, typed copy of the essay for detailed feedback on how to improve their writing skills. All essays submitted on time will receive feedback. 

I encourage students to use all the steps of the writing process: This includes: brainstorming, the use of graphic organizers, revision and editing.

🗓 Our class schedule is as follows:

Unit 1 (Weeks 1-3): Purpose and Focus - Learners will practice presenting information in a unified and coherent manner, clearly addressing an issue of their choice. Final essays are submitted at the beginning of Week #4.

Unit 2 (Weeks 4-6): Organization and Structure - Learners will learn about the order of space, importance and time order to submit an essay that is structured effectively with adequate supporting details. Final essays are submitted at the beginning of Week #7.

Unit 3 (Weeks 7-9): Sentence Variety and Style - Learners will practice crafting sentences and paragraphs that demonstrate control of vocabulary, voice and structure. Final essays are submitted at the beginning of Week #10.

Unit 4 (Weeks 10-12): Mechanical Conventions – Learners will review the mechanics and conventions of Standard Written English. Learners will submit a final essay that is free of mechanical and grammatical errors. Final essays are submitted at the beginning of Week #13.

Unit 5 (Weeks 13-15): Critical Thinking - Learners will practice communicating their point of view and demonstrate well thought out and reasoned relationships among ideas. Essays are due a week after the course ends.

A typical class structure is as follows:

1. Warm Up (5 mins)
2. Lecture (15 mins)
3. Guided/Independent Brainstorming/Organizing/Writing Time (20 mins)
4. Exit/Homework Assignment (5 mins)

I look forward to having your learner in my class! I offer a warm, engaging learning environment!
Learning Goals
Students will learn and follow the steps in the writing process.
Students will improve the purpose and focus of their written ideas.
Students will create highly organized final essays.
Students will demonstrate a strong command for written communication by using sentence variety and style to communicate meaning.
Students will gain an understanding of the importance of reviewing written work for conciseness, clarity, and grammar.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Standards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
15 Lessons
over 15 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Introduction to Purpose and Focus
 Learners will be introduced to the argumentative essay. Learners will submit a brainstorming sheet that establishes the focus of their argumentative essay. 
45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Composing the Introduction and Developing Body Paragraphs
 Learners will review the components of an effective introduction and a well-developed body paragraph through examining models and spend time drafting their argumentative essay. 
45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
The Conclusion, Revising and Editing
 Learners will learn to conclude an essay properly and discuss the revision and editing focus for the first essay. Learners will have one week to submit a final copy of their assignment. 
45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Organization
 Learners will learn to determine how and when to use order of importance, chronological order and order of complexity to organize an essay. 
45 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Parental Guidance
GoogleDocs does require the use of a gmail account. Please ensure your learner has an account set up. Please Note: You can create a Google Account for your child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), and manage it using Family Link. With Google Accounts, children get access to Google products like Search, Chrome, and Gmail, and you can set up basic digital ground rules to supervise them.
Supply List
Writing Journal
Pen/Pencil
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined April, 2020
4.9
609reviews
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in English from Georgia Southern University
I have over nine years of experience teaching writing to learners of all ages. Additionally, I've had three years of experience, and I've taught over 1,000 learners on Outschool.

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Live Group Course
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$300

for 15 classes
1x per week, 15 weeks
45 min

Completed by 10 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
4-14 learners per class

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