Essay Writing for High School (Semester)

In this class, students will take their essay writing to the next level. We will move beyond the five-paragraph essay and focus on prepping for writing college-level essays. Throughout the semester, we will write an expository essay, argumentative essay, pivotal moment essay (personal narrative), literary analysis essay, and research essay. Writing will be taught through modeling. Students will start out heavily assisted and then slowly, as they become more confident, they will write more independently. This proven method helps students feel more confident in their abilities and allows them to express themselves without fear of failure.

This class utilizes Google Docs to provide accountability, and also to encourage students to complete each step of the essay writing process. For each essay, students receive a Google Doc to complete class activities and essays. This allows for real-time updates on revisions, edits, and feedback. It also allows guardians to check on student progress in real-time. Students will receive in-depth feedback on all essays.

At the end of the semester, students will receive a portfolio of the exercises, rough drafts, feedback, and final drafts for their records. Formal grades will be given upon request.

Topics covered will include:
- Writing a thesis statement
- Creating a strong introduction and conclusion paragraph
- Tips for research
- Effective note-taking from research
- Different ways to format an essay
- Writing an outline
- Adding voice and style to an essay
- Picking a unique topic for argumentative
- Elements of literature
- Interpreting literature

Students will receive the following resources:
- Essay planner that can be used for any essay assignment
- Detailed assignment with expectations/rubric
- How to write a good introduction
- Sample essay for each essay we write
- Sample outlines
- Outline templates