Writing an Informative / Explanatory Research Essay
Martha Jackson, English Language Arts and Writing
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In this asynchronous writing course, middle school students will learn how to write a complete informative (or explanatory) research essay. Research, outlines, thesis statements, rough drafts, revising, and citations are covered.
Class experience
US Grade 6 - 8
Beginner - Intermediate Level
This comprehensive self-paced writing class will take learners through the entire essay-writing process. At the end of the course, students will have completed a polished final draft of an informative (explanatory) research essay on a topic of their choosing. This is an asynchronous class-- there are no live meetings, but students will receive direct feedback on their own essay on all submitted work. Each lesson focuses on a different element of writing an informative research paper, and...
6 lessons//6 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1PrewritingResearch (how to select credible sources, annotating, close reading, etc); selecting a topicWeek 2Lesson 2PrewritingThesis Statements and Outlines (submit for teacher feedback)Week 3Lesson 3Rough DraftBody Paragraphs, Transition Sentences, In-text citations (parenthetical references)Week 4Lesson 4Rough DraftWriting IntroductionsWeek 5Lesson 5Rough DraftWriting Conclusions and Works Cited (submit rough draft for feedback)Week 6Lesson 6Final DraftRevising and Editing Strategies (submit final draft for feedback)
Over this course students will learn how to write an informative research paper, from selecting a topic to correctly formatting a works cited page. A complete paper will be written by each learner during the course, and students will learn skills that can be applied to any future essay writing.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in English, and held a Professional Teaching Certificate in Florida to teach English in grades 6-12. For the past several years I have taught small group classes on essay writing, including how to write informative / explanatory essays.
Homework Offered
As students are writing papers in this class, homework will be assigned that is specific to the task that was covered in class. Students can generally expect to spend about an hour a lesson on homework (in addition to watching the videos), some assignments will require less of the student. Some students may want to spend more than an hour on assignments, but it is not required or expected. Homework assignments are focused on learner's own essays, and each lesson is broken down into specific, manageable tasks.1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
All submitted work will receive personalized feedback before students move on to the next task, specifically the outline and rough draft. There are no set deadlines for this class. I am happy to provide feedback on work whenever it is completed. Learners and parents have the option of receiving a letter grade at the end of the class on their final paper. A grading rubric will be provided at the beginning of class for these students.Grades Offered
Learners and parents have the option of receiving a letter grade at the end of the class on their final paper. A grading rubric will be provided for these students. Grades will be given to any student who requests them.
This class is designed to support a variety of learning needs with scaffolded and adaptable assignments. Dyslexic, ADHD, and Autistic learners have had great success in this class. Please reach out if you have specific questions.
Students need to be able to easily write paragraphs to do well in this class. No experience with essays is required, but it is helpful.
-- a non-black ink pen (blue, red, green) (for lessons 1 and 6) -- pencil and paper -- a folder to keep track of handouts and work -- handouts will be provided before each class and will need to be printed before class begins. -- learners will need internet / library access to complete research on a topic of their choosing, as well as to view videos for this course
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
None. However, because students are able to select their own topic for their research essay, parents / guardians should ensure that it fits within what they feel is appropriate for their learner.
none
Star Educator
Popular
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(497)
Hi! My name is Martha Jackson. I mainly teach writing and literature, and I absolutely love it. My classes focus on breaking down complex ideas into bite-size pieces, giving students concrete tools to grow in specific areas (conducting research,...
Self-Paced Class
$13
weekly or $75 for all content6 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks of teacher feedback
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 65 learners
Ages: 11-14
