College Preparation Writing for High School--Semester I: Research and Writing Basics
Learn everything you will need to know for writing successfully in college including grammar basics, writing a summary, research papers, analyzing sources, and more--all from a college professor! Great for hesitant writers! #academic
What's included
10 live meetings
8 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Students are expected to participate in weekly assignments that will be submitted to the instructor and feedback will be given for each and every assignment. Each assignment is submitted through Google Classroom, and feedback is personalized based on the students strengths and weaknesses. Each week students will get suggestions on how to further improve and be told what they are doing well. Parents can request grades at any time.Assessment
At the end of the course, parents are welcome to request a full assessment of the students' progress over the 10 weeks if they would like. Further, grades are optional but available. Students will be assessed based on how they have grown as writers in the course and assessments will include what they have done well with end areas that need improving. For those receiving grades, a rubric will be distributed to parents so they can see where all of the points are coming from in the final grade.Grading
Letter grades available upon request.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Beginner Level
**ATTENTION PARENTS** Due to parent requests, a handful of sections of this class run twice a week over five weeks, instead of once a week for ten weeks. The following start dates are for these twice per week sections running Monday and Wednesday: 9/23 6 PM CST Course, 11/18 The following start dates are for these twice per week sections running Tuesday and Thursday: 9/24, 11/5 In this class, students will develop their writing skills through weekly lectures and assignments to prepare them for the level and pace of writing expected in the college classroom. Students will fine-tune their writing skills working toward developing their own 4-5 page research paper, which is roughly what is expected of Freshman level college courses. Students will learn about how to summarize and interpret prompts and texts for the classroom, how to identify scholarly sources, how to cite sources and avoid plagiarism, and how to work through developing a research paper, including brainstorming, thesis statements, providing evidence, and concluding without generic, "All in All" type statements. We will not work through the five-paragraph essay, as it is uncommon to use it in the college classroom, but rather we will work on developing longer research projects on topics of the students’ choice. Each week, students will have 1-2 writing assignments that will be submitted to the instructor, and feedback will be given within 72 hours. Grades will be tracked and all assignments will be submitted via Google Classroom. Because of the pace of the class, this is a great introduction for hesitant writers and students with special learning needs of any kind! Classes are capped at eight students to ensure ample time for sharing and questions. Please feel free to reach out with questions about how I can best support your learner. Please find the full schedule of classes and expectations under the syllabus tab!
Learning Goals
Over the course of the ten weeks, students will engage with different writing styles and methods as a way of developing their own writing skills.
Students will learn how to form basic summaries, descriptions, and analyses of various types of information.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum10 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
Basics of a Paragraph and Common Grammar Mistakes
In class 1, we focus on the very basics of writing and developing a single paragraph. We will also cover common grammar mistakes that I frequently see in my own college classroom. This class, while covering simple material, is used to make sure all students are on the same page moving forward and that the basics of writing are perfected before moving to more advanced material.
50 mins online live lesson
1 assignment
Lesson 2:
Word Choice and Why it Matters
During Week 2, students will practice writing descriptions of different subjects--art, historical events, and instructional processes as a way of learning how to effectively communicate an idea and choose the most effective words for clarity and engagement. Students will have a lesson on how to write an effective description and practice 1-2 examples in class.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Starting a Research Paper--Brainstorming, Research Questions, and Sources
This week, we will discuss how to start putting together a research paper, including brainstorming topics and interacting with a given prompt. We will also talk about how to find sources for a research paper and the difference between a scholarly level and non-scholarly source, determining which ones are appropriate for an academic paper.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Writing Summaries and Analyzing Sources
We will talk about the basics of a summary including identifying the overarching theme, main points, and how to conclude a summary. Students will also learn how to add their analysis of the meaning of the sources and its importance to their summaries, including evidence from the source to support their analysis. This is something that is asked of students frequently in exams and papers, therefore it is great to practice ahead of time, so it does not catch them by surprise!
50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
Due to the slow-building nature of this course, it is ideal for students with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Neurodivergent learners, or hesitant writers. Each week, students will build on their longer writing project 1-3 paragraphs at a time.
Parental Guidance
Students are expected to participate in activities in class. While I do not require cameras, students will be expected to use their microphones to participate vocally in class several times. If this is an issue for your student, please do not hesitate to reach out so we can make other arrangements! Please keep in mind, per Outschool policy, students will have to turn their cameras on once on the first day of class for learner verification. While students can choose their own topics for their research papers, it is expected that students adhere to Outschool policy regarding secular topics for their papers.
Pre-Requisites
It is recommended that students are familiar with a five-paragraph essay, but it is not required.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in History from University of Colorado at Boulder
I have been teaching at the university level for several years, and have graded and edited hundreds of papers from college freshmen. I hope to help develop writing skills in high school aged children in this class to prevent many of the common errors I see in university papers!
Reviews
Live Group Course
$30
weekly or $295 for 10 classes1x per week, 10 weeks
50 min
Completed by 1238 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
5-9 learners per class