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Achieving Writing Success for Middle Schoolers: Semester 2 Course

In this 13-week semester long course, we will practice and expand upon paragraph writing, leading into multi-paragraph essay writing, and engage in basic research writing in order to prepare students for upper-level writing requirements.
Mrs. Lisa Galvao, B.A. English Ed; M.A.,TESL/TEFL
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(50)
Class
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What's included

13 live meetings
11 hrs 55 mins in-class hours
Homework
2-4 hours per week. Practice worksheets, activities, and/or writing assignments will be assigned at the close of each class. Homework is always due by 8 p.m. CST the day BEFORE the next class. It is very important that learners do NOT fall behind in submitting weekly assignments.
Assessment
Learner progress will be assessed via homework, written assignments (in or out of class), participation, and attendance. Grades are available upon parent's request.
Grading
included

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
This course is part two of the Achieving Writing Success (AWS) semester courses.  Students must have taken and passed (grade of C or higher) AWS Semester 1, taken and passed (grade of C or higher) AWS Creating the Paragraph, OR submitted a written essay to the instructor for evaluation in order to be waived into the course.  (Students who have not completed one of the above-stated criteria will be removed from enrollment and refunded upon registration.)

AWS 2 will strengthen paragraph writing skills, focusing on the basics of solid paragraph construction while working on expanding description, details, and examples.  Essay types, such as expository, descriptive, narrative, compare and contrast, and persuasive, will be analyzed along with ample practice for learners to answer prompts that require demonstrating effectively applying these styles. 

Class time will generally involve 25-30 minutes of instruction and 25-30 minutes of writing activities.  An emphasis will be placed upon learners being able to self-edit their own work so that they come away from this course with some of the most essential writing tools.  Opportunities will be given for learners to rewrite essays (or portions of their essays) in order to apply what they are learning to their own writing immediately.  

The course schedule is as follows:
Class 1:  Introduction + Basic Grammar & Sentence Review
Class 2:  Introduction to Essay Writing + Pre-Writing
Class 3:  Expository Essay + Editing
Class 4:  Descriptive Essay
Class 5:  Narrative Essay
Class 6:  Compare and Contrast 
Class 7:  Essay Review + Timed Writing
Class 8:  Persuasive Essay
Class 9:  Essay Review + Timed Writing 
Class 10:  Research Writing & MLA Formatting
Class 11:  Research Writing & Citing Sources
Class 12:  Research Writing Continued
Class 13:  Student Presentations 

This class is interactive by nature and all learners will be expected to participate by answering when called upon.  Learners will also be expected to work together with their classmates for specific in-class assignments.  Learners will be given multiple opportunities within each class to ask questions.  Note that this class does have homework assignments and that it is important for learners to do these in a timely manner (due the day before the next class) in order to maximize their learning and demonstrate that they are grasping and applying concepts well.

Other Details

Supply List
Teacher will provide all worksheets.  In addition to Outschool technology and internet requirements, students will need to have a designated folder, notebook paper, pencil, and eraser.  Students can submit assignments via Word, pdf, or a Google document link (make sure it is shareable).  More information about how to upload homework will be shared in our first class.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
4.9
50reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree from Wheaton College
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Judson College (now known as Judson University)
I've taught English for over 25 years in various settings, plus I've been a home school mom for the past 14 years.  I have seen many, many students lack a good grasp of grammar and writing skills, and it really shows when they get to high school (and higher levels) as they struggle with writing papers and essays.  So, let's work on this now, so students can achieve writing success!

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Live Group Class
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$23

weekly or $295 for 13 classes
1x per week, 13 weeks
55 min

Completed by 11 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-15
3-4 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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