High School Writing/Composition: First Semester
College preparatory writing class with homework, feedback, and grades. (IEP's welcomed & modifications available)
Amber Fonseca
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(7)
What's included
16 live meetings
16 in-class hoursClass Experience
Writing is an essential learning tool that many students struggle to master. This class is designed to step students through the process with support and constructive criticism. Each week will begin with a mini-lesson designed to enhance grammar skills: varying sentences, using proper punctuation, fixing run-on sentences and fragments, adding descriptive language, correcting repetitiveness, and more. Then, the class will focus on the topics as outlined below. Rhetorical Devices & Intro to Persuasion (Weeks 1-4) Students will use close reading skills to analyze how and why authors use various rhetorical devices, including elements of persuasion, to impact and/or sway readers. Sample SAT Essay prompts as well as student SAT response papers will be reviewed, studied, and discussed in class to further student understanding. Then, students will be tasked with reading a former SAT writing prompts and independently writing their own 1.5-2 page Analytic Response paper. Advanced Persuasive Elements (Weeks 5-10) The art of persuasive writing is dependent on a thorough understanding of ethos, pathos, and logos. Students will advance their knowledge and understanding of how ethical appeals, logical appeals, emotional appeals, as well as credibility are used by authors to influence readers. A variety of materials will be investigated and analyzed: advertisements, news articles, blogs, and more. Students will practice locating examples of persuasive techniques before learning to create their own. This section will wrap up with students writing their own 2-3 page Persuasive Essay. Introduction to Research & Legitimate Sourcing. (Weeks 11-16) Recognizing and determining legitimate sources has become harder and harder as technology advances. In this section, students will learn what to look for and how to determine the quality of a source in order to weed out those that may be erroneous. They will also learn the difference between a primary and a secondary source as well as the purpose for each. They will work together in groups/teams to research a topic, create a presentation, and teach the class about their findings.
Learning Goals
All learning goals are designed to support college and career readiness. When both writing semesters are combined, they work together to provide the following learning goals:
TEKS:
Students will develop and sustain foundational language skills related to oral language and vocabulary by listening, speaking, discussing, as well as thinking critically. A variety of nonfiction texts will be used to support the continued development of comprehension skills, response skills, writing process skills, and research skills.
Common Core Standards from CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12 and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12…
Students will be able to analyze the impact of an author’s rhetorical devices, central ideas, and figurative language. Elements of research and persuasion such as, but not limited to, citations, strong sourcing, claims, counter claims, syntax, cohesion, tone, linguistic choice, as well as a strong thesis and conclusion will be used to support and develop writing skills.
Other Details
Supply List
Students will also need access to the internet for writing and research purposes.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Students will need access to the internet to complete assignments. A strong component of this class requires students be able to research. This means that students will need access to search the internet.
Joined May, 2020
5.0
7reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
* Certified in the state of Texas to teach English Language Arts and Reading grades 7-12
* Experience teaching SAT/ACT Verbal Prep
* Experience grading written portions for a variety of standardized tests
* Experience as a professional writer/editorReviews
Live Group Class
$125
for 16 classes1x per week, 16 weeks
60 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
2-8 learners per class
