College-Level Writing in the Humanities: The Eco-Art of Friedrich Hundertwasser

If you are a college-bound teen looking for a top-notch writing experience, you’re in the right place! This class gives you the chance to work…
+ at the college level
+ with a group of your peers
+ on a topic of significance

The special topic of this class is ecological motifs in the work of Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser. If you take a look at any of his paintings (https://hundertwasser.com/en/art/paintings), you’ll see they are rich, colorful, detailed images, ripe for class discussion and for the deeper thought into which academic writing can bring us. I think you’ll find both his art and his ideas fascinating!

The class follows a hybrid model, with one live session per week plus guided work assignments that expertly lead you through the paper-writing process.

We will do college-level work in this class, but we will go at a slower pace than that of a typical college class. We will write just one 4-5 page paper over the 8 weeks of class. We will break it down into micro-steps. And all along the way, I will make sure you get the support and instruction you need to flourish.

Please read more below for class details. I so much hope you’ll join us!

--Dr. Bjornstad

P.S. There are four different classes in this series. Each class stands alone, so you are welcome to take just one or to sign up for all four.

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PROVEN RESULTS
Students who take my classes see results!

+ By the end of the 8 weeks of College-Level Writing in the Humanities, you’ll have successfully written a 4-5 page paper similar to papers students write during their freshman or sophomore years in college.
+ If you decide to take all four classes in the series, you’ll have written four similarly structured papers on different topics and will be an expert in this type of writing, definitely ready to take on those college paper assignments!

I think you’ll be surprised by the quick progress you’ll make and how proficient of an academic writer you’ll become.

The learning experiences I’ve created for this class set you up for a high-quality result. Some of my favorite parent reviews say it best:
-	“Our daughter is learning so much from Dr. Bjornstad.”
-	“As parents, we enjoy watching their skill build as the year progresses.”
-	“Dr. Bjornstad is a wonderful educator who truly cares about her students and their success.”

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EXPERT INSTRUCTION
I am an expert instructor with 25+ years of experience.

You can see the details of my teaching credentials in the “Teacher Expertise” dropdown and on my profile page (https://outschool.com/teachers/Jennifer-Bjornstad).

A few highlights:
-	I have a PhD in German literature.
-	I was a tenured professor at Valparaiso University.
-	I am a licensed high school teacher.
-	I homeschooled my own son for several years.
-	I have written a number of scholarly articles published in high-profile academic journals. 
-	I have taught classes with a substantial writing component many, many times.

I am highly qualified as a writing instructor. I’m also an approachable and welcoming teacher—our virtual classroom is a lively, warm, and congenial place.

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PRICING & CLASS VALUE
The cost of the 8-week session is $800. Although we meet just one day a week as a group, the learning material and support your learner receives (through the live session & the guided work component) is equivalent to that of a 3-day-a-week class.

Note to Families:
I know that the cost of this class represents a significant investment in your learner’s education. 

The class price includes…
+ high-quality, expert instruction
+ instructor-created lesson plans, activities, & materials
+ personalized video feedback on your learner’s written work, including 1) smaller assignments, 2) rough draft, and 3) final paper
+ close communication via the once-a-week Family Letter and Outschool messages
+ individualized feedback on your learner’s accomplishments via a Class Report

Teaching on Outschool is my full-time job. I take my work seriously and spend a lot of time thinking about how best to support each learner. I teach just a small number of students per year, so you can be sure your child is getting the personalized attention that builds confidence, honors each student’s unique abilities, and leads to success.

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WHY TAKE A COLLEGE-LEVEL WRITING CLASS?
Well, pretty much every class in college involves writing. For those classes you take in the humanities (history, philosophy, world language, literature, art, music, film studies), you will most likely need to write a paper of some sort every few weeks.

And…writing is hard! Let’s just say it like it is. Writing is difficult work. It’s difficult because it’s worthwhile: writing is one the best tasks we can take on to get ourselves to think—clearly, consistently, accurately, deeply. 

So it makes sense to prepare yourself ahead of time by taking a high-level writing class right now.

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SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ECO ART OF FRIEDRICH HUNDERTWASSER
In this class, we will base our investigations on the work of Friedrich Hundertwasser (1928-2000), a fascinating visual artist and thinker. His ideas about how humans should strive to live in harmony with the natural environment are more relevant today than ever.

We will explore and discuss a variety of Hundertwasser’s paintings. His visual work is just spectacular: it’s full of extravagant color, lively composition, and intriguingly repeated natural and built-environment motifs (trees, raindrops, faces; windows, portholes, roads). I think you will really find his work worth studying. We will also learn about Hundertwasser’s ecological notions, such as his enthusiasm for wild-growing, weedy green roofs, his battle against what he called the “tyranny of the straight line,” and his proposal that we should bury our elders under potted trees on our balconies. He was quite an interesting thinker.

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THE MAJOR ASSIGNMENT
In this 8-week class, the major assignment is to write a 4-5 page paper on a motif in the visual work on Friedrich Hundertwasser.

Your paper will focus on one of two possible motifs: 1) the spiral shape or 2) the raindrop/teardrop shape. These motifs each play a very important role in Hundertwasser’s work, coming up over and over again. And they’re very intriguing! It’s anyone’s guess what exactly these repeated images “mean,” so that gives you lots of room for interpretation and for putting your own stamp on one of these topics. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

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UNIQUE HYBRID FORMAT: LIVE SESSION + GUIDED WORK
The class follows a hybrid format, with two components:

1)	Each week, we come together in our Live Session to explore the big ideas in the text, workshop our drafts in progress, and offer mutual encouragement.

2)	During the week, you work individually on the Guided Work assignments. I will teach you via a pre-recorded video. You will do a follow-up worksheet with examples. Then you’ll apply what you’ve learned to your paper-in-progress. 

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A PROCESS-ORIENTED APPROACH
In this class, we’ll use a process-oriented approach to writing. You will be making a final product, of course (your paper!), but we will place a strong focus on the process of creation and all of the intermediate steps that get you to your final, successful product.

Here are some of the steps of the writing process we will work on together:
-	writing a thesis statement
-	choosing an argument structure, key terms, & main points
-	writing strong topic sentences 
-	writing information-rich paragraphs 
-	incorporating the work of others, using the they say/I say structure
-	citing the work of others, using MLA format
-	writing a strong concluding analysis paragraph to answer the “so what?” question
-	revising, editing, proofing

I know that listing out all of the steps like this can make the process look daunting or rigid. Don’t worry: we won’t lock you into one specific writing mode or method. Love outlines? OK, go with it. Hate outlines? No problem, find another way to make a rough plan. I will be offering information on the components of a high-quality finished paper in the humanities and guiding you through some of the steps it takes to get there. But writing a paper is almost always a very messy business, with a lot of trials, re-thinking, adjustments, and maybe even tears! (Believe me, I’ve been there.) How you get to a successful final product is ultimately up to you, and each project often has its own unique path to greatness.

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PERSONALIZED VIDEO FEEDBACK
On 6 days, you will submit written work (paper drafts or draft components). Following each of these due dates, I will send you a personalized video with your assignment feedback.

This feedback is not meant to be evaluative (how good are you?) but rather is directed toward helping you improve your writing (what is great about your paper so far? what can be changed to make it more clear, communicative, persuasive, engaging?).

If you take all four of the classes in the College-Level Writing in the Humanities series, it will be fun to see your progress from paper to paper!

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INTERACTIVE LEARNING & CLASSROOM COMMUNITY
This class, designed especially for teen learners, uses a highly interactive approach to the study of English Language Arts. Lots of activities, exercises, and assignments will keep you on your toes and assure that you’re becoming a better and better writer each day. I focus on getting everyone involved at the level they feel comfortable with, asking for lots of volunteers and giving everyone a chance to participate. You will get a lot of practice, and you will learn quickly!

Class activities will include a mix of whole-class discussions, small-group or partner activities, and individual work. 

My teaching style is warm & friendly but also challenging. We will work hard in this class, because I know that you want to learn! But we’ll have a lot of fun together, too—trying our best, making mistakes, and trying again. That’s the learning process. My students have always complimented me on my extreme readiness to help. I want students to succeed, and I find ways to help get them there.

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COMMON CORE STANDARDS
This class addresses many of the writing standards in the Common Core: https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy

Grade 9-10 Standards: 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.D
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.E
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5

Grade 11-12 Standards: 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.A
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.D
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.E
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5

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THE COMPLETE “COLLEGE-LEVEL WRITING IN THE HUMANITIES” SERIES
The classes in the series are…
+ focused on academic writing
+ contextualized by the study of a timely & relevant topic:
-	wartime (“Stranger, Bear Word to the Spartans We...”)
-	ecology (The Eco Art of Friedrich Hundertwasser)
-	identity (Fairy Tale Portraits by Trina S. Hyman)
-	kinship (“The Girl With No Hands”)
+ designed to take you from Point A (wherever you are now!) to Point B (ready to write successful academic papers at the college level)

I would strongly encourage any student looking toward a college career to sign up for all four of the 8-week classes. Each class is based on a unique topic, but the writing assignments are the same from class to class. That means that if you take all four classes, you will have four separate opportunities to get better and better at this kind of academic writing—an excellent way to perfect your skills.

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FAQ—FOR FAMILIES
Q: Why do the students LOOK AT ART in a WRITING class? 
A: Writing at the college level almost always takes place in the context of readings, discussions, and other assignments around a particular topic, so that’s what we do in this class, as well. I suppose there’s a place for just picking whatever topic you like and writing about it, but in my experience, that doesn’t come up in the real college setting very often.

Q: My learner needs a class on PERSUASIVE/ARGUMENTATIVE writing. Is this it?
A: Yes! The classes in the College-Level Writing in the Humanities series are all based on the type of paper that is often referred to as a persuasive or an argumentative paper. Students make a claim, support it with reasoning and evidence, and explain the significance of that claim.

Q: Does it matter that you are a TRAINED TEACHER?
A: I sure think it does! I have spent my career reading, thinking, and talking about teaching methods then putting those ideas into practice in the classroom. I am a member of the MLA (Modern Language Association). I have attended and presented at dozens of teacher conferences and have published articles on pedagogical topics. All of this means that I am familiar with best practices and current thinking on effective teaching methods and that I’m able to use this knowledge to help lead your learner to success.

Q: What experience do you have as a WRITING INSTRUCTOR?
A: I’ve coached hundreds of college students to write successful academic papers. I’m an expert at creating writing assignments and exercises, leading classroom discussions, teaching about the writing process, giving high-quality feedback, and helping students close in on a finished draft they can be proud of.

Q: Do you have expertise in the CLASS TOPIC?
A: Yes, I do. I visited a major exhibition of Hundertwasser’s work in Düsseldorf in 2002. I taught a unit on Hundertwasser in a writing-intensive German course at Valparaiso University. This is a topic I’ve thought about, written about, and taught many times before.

Q: Is this a good class for a GIFTED/TALENTED student?
A: Absolutely. We do high-level work in this class, and the writing assignment is adjustable to fit the challenge needed for each learner.

Q: Is this a good class for a student who is a RELUCTANT WRITER?
A: Absolutely. Because we work through the process together, step by step, your learner will have the support they need to achieve writing success. 

Q: Can we count this class for HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT?
A: Quite possibly. The work we do in this class is the equivalent of a 3-day-a-week, academic quarter class. We cover many of the English Language Arts (ELA) standards on writing. If you need information to add to your homeschooling transcript or to bring to your high school guidance counselor, just let me know.

Q: I have more questions. Can we GET TOGETHER to talk?
A: Yes, please! I love getting together with learners and their families to learn about their particular questions, concerns, and needs. Send me a time that works for you, and we can do an Open House session: 
https://outschool.com/classes/german-placement-assessment-open-house-8GBQiwIM?refuid=zBNxOaog.