Essay Writing for Middle School

This class shows students how to be skilled writers by introducing the six traits of writing: ideas, voice, word choice, organization, sentence fluency, and conventions. The six traits model is an evidence-based teaching method widely used for over three decades by teachers, educational organizations, and schools across the continent to help students write clearly, thoughtfully, and effectively. Students will be able to define the characteristics of great writing by analyzing mentor texts, discussing examples with fellow students, and practicing the traits in their own writing. Each student will write a persuasive or informative essay and receive feedback on their writing while attending the class. The class is designed both for learners who are just beginning to write at the middle school level, as well as for experienced students who want to improve their abilities and confidence.     

The class will meet once a week, focusing on one of the six traits of writing each week. The first trait (Ideas) will be covered over two class meetings (two weeks), and each week after that we will learn a new trait. After a student has attended for 7 weeks, they will have completed the six traits.

Trait 1 - Ideas and Content (2 class meetings)
Trait 2 - Organization (1 class meeting)
Trait 3 - Sentence Fluency (1 class meeting)
Trait 4 - Voice (1 class meeting)
Trait 5 - Word Choice (1 class meeting)
Trait 6 - Conventions (1 class meeting)

After a student has attended for 7 weeks, they will have completed the six traits and are welcome to continue coming to classes and deepening their skills, or they may finish by ending their class subscription. The course content will repeat in a cycle every 7 weeks.