High School Writing: FULL Semester Grammar, Composition and Essay Writing

High School Writing 
Grammar Review and How to Write Essays (beginner, intermediate level)
Suitable for Grades 9-12, age 14-18
Ms Tara, Education Specialist/Special Ed teacher (mild/moderate), teaches using numerous evidence based methods and includes thorough grammar review followed by essay composition. Students will learn to write competent, sequential, five paragraph essays (narrative, expository/informative and argumentative) following a clear format.
THIS CLASS IS STILL AVAILABLE. MESSAGE TEACHER IS YOU HAVE ANY ISSUE.

All practical exercises can be done during class time: students may use computer/keyboard or paper and pencil for their written work. Students may work on essays outside of class if they prefer, but it is not required. 
Note: Only if students provide copies of their work for teacher review in a timely manner can individual attention be paid to the needs of the individual student including recommendations for improvement.
Attendance and participation with evidence of written work during class obtains a passing grade. Parents may discuss options with teacher if a letter grade is desired on specific essays.

Lessons 1-2: Introduction and Focus on High School Writing 
OCTOBER 17, (Monday)
OCTOBER 19 (Wednesday)     
Introductions, Elements of writing: Research, Outline, Writing Editing (make corrections to what you’ve written) 
During class students will write a brief narrative, demonstrating their level of skill at the beginning of the semester. If submitted in a timely manner, this allows teacher to review submissions to determine individual needs and access areas of focus for individual students. 

Lessons 2-4 What is Research? How to do Research, Summarizing
Subjects taught: What is research? 
Identifying Key words 
Using a dictionary to define words during research
Summarizing, retelling a story in sequence 
Practical: 
A. Group read of a short story - one of the Aesop’s Fables www.gov.org/Aesops Fables
B. Clarify/look up any words not understood 
C. Note the key words in the story 
D. Note the story elements (1. introduce the character/s and setting, 2. Show the conflict/problem and 3. How it is resolved.) 
E. Retell the story in sequence in your own words in a written short Essay 
This procedure will be repeated for 3 weeks of classes. 

Lesson 5-6: Review Sentence and Paragraph Grammar & Composition 
OCTOBER 24 (Mondays) 
OCTOBER 26 (Wednesdays)

Review and discuss the parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. These parts of speech are what make writing interesting and appealing to read. We will address common areas of grammar mistakes students have made during the class to this point.
Students will observe a live nature setting (research) at www.explore.org and write descriptive sentences about what they are observing using descriptive nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs during class 
This procedure will be repeated for 2 weeks of classes. 
Paragraph Composition 
These lessons will cover how to write paragraphs and what makes a paragraph complete with a topic sentence idea and details that illuminate, support or give facts supporting their idea. 
Students will observe animals in a nature setting at explore.org. They will read about the nature setting on explore.org, noting down the nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs they would like to include in their paragraph. They will determine the main or central idea they wish to communicate.
Then they will write a paragraph with a topic sentence and include additional sentences to illuminate or support their idea. 
Students will complete at least one full paragraph using everything they have learned so far in class, (more if they are able), with complete sentences and accurate grammar.

Lessons 9-11: Expository/Informational Essays 
MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS NOVEMBER 2, 7, 9 
Lessons 9-11 will cover how to write an expository or informative essay with factual evidence.  Students will choose a country in the world they would like to visit, research and read about it such as using National Geographic https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries.
Practical: Write an outline including 4 key aspects about the country to cover in the essay: 1. location on the globe, 2. terrain and weather, 3. animals and plants unique to the country, 4. One or more popular cultural activities in the country. 
Students will learn to write a thesis “Why I would like to visit ____ (country)”
Students will learn to provide photographic evidence and links as evidence of facts they are providing in the essay. 
Students will learn to cut and paste a picture of the country’s flag and include it in the essay.
Students will summarize their reasoning in a concluding paragraph.
At the end of the Lesson 11 students will have completed a five paragraph essay with evidence, on the subject of that country.

Lessons 12-14: Argumentative Essays 
November 14, 21 (Mondays) 
November 16, 23 (Wednesdays) 
Students will learn what is an argumentative essay and write an argumentative essay on a subject or a subject of their own choosing with teacher’s approval. For example: 
Should high school students be educated in art such as theater, music and fine art? 
Should high school students be educated in sports, dance or martial arts in school?
Practical: 
Students will research the topic, noting factual evidence on the subject.
Students will determine whether they are “for/yes” or “against/no” 
Students will express their opinion in a thesis paragraph
Students will provide 2-3 main reasons to support their opinion, each with a paragraph including the reason (as a topic sentence) and evidence supporting this idea for each of the three paragraphs. 
Students will identify the main argument against the opinion they’ve chosen and provide evidence that counters/argues against that idea in a paragraph.  
Students will provide a concluding paragraph summarizing their argument 

Lesson 15-17 Narrative Essays 
November 28, December 5, 12 (Mondays) 
November 30, 7, 14 (Wednesdays) 

Lessons 15-17 will cover how to write a narrative essay (story) with a beginning, middle and end.
The students will learn how to establish the character/s, setting, sequence of beginning, middle and end including a conflict that is resolved by the end of the story.
Students will also learn what is a metaphor and simile and include each of them in their narrative story. 
Students may write a narrative of their choice such as a retelling of a movie or book or a life experience (such as “I went camping in the forest”). For some students this is a good opportunity to write a book report or an opportunity to write a great story.
Students will complete a narrative essay by the end of Lesson 17.