Through the development of a lengthy, college-level research paper, students will learn the following:
--How to develop an argument through a research paper
--How to synthesize research and original ideas
--Critical thinking related to source identification and reading
--How to identify scholarly level sources
--How to respond to criticism
--How to edit and revise their own work
--How to balance the demands of a college-level paper
--How to identify errors in organization and tracking logic within their essays

I have been teaching at the university level for nearly four years, and have graded and edited hundreds of papers from college freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in those years. 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! 

Homework Offered
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 receive suggestions on how to further improve and be told what they are doing well.
2 - 4 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
At the end of the course, parents are welcome to request a full assessment of the students progress over the 8 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, rubric will be distributed to parents so they can see where all of the points are coming from in the final grade.
Grades Offered

It is highly recommended that students complete College Prep Writing I and II before participating.