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Perfecting the Paragraph, Beyond the Basics, Advanced Style (With Feedback)
Completed by 20 learners
Ages 11-16
Self-Paced Class
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
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What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will complete two paragraphs each lesson, applying the writing strategies that are taught and modeled. Please note that there are no firm due dates / deadlines in this class. Students are welcome to complete the work on their own schedule and I will happily give feedback at any time.Assessment
Students who submit writing will receive personalized video feedback, outlining strengths and opportunities for growth. This can be done at any time after the videos and assignments are given. There are no set deadlines / due dates for this class.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Beginner - Intermediate Level
Once basic writing skills are mastered, what comes next? After a student learns principles like paragraphs are composed of a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence, or an essay is an introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraphs, how do we build onto that? How do we make sure that the writing sounds more in-depth and complex? For some students, this is a natural process. But for the vast majority of students, learning specific strategies is what helps them move from simple and basic to more mature writing. Many of those strategies are explicitly taught in this class. In this SELF-PACED / ASYNCHRONOUS course, students will expand on basic writing skills to become skilled, confident, independent writers. They will follow steps to write narrative, informative / explanatory, compare / contrast (a specific type of informative writing), and persuasive paragraphs, responding to a variety of writing prompts. This class will go beyond the basics to allow learners to grow in their ability to communicate descriptively, specifically, and effectively to the reader, while writing in different styles. Over the entire class students will learn eight specific, practical strategies to improve the quality of their writing. This class focuses on paragraphs, but these techniques can be applied to all writing, including short answer test questions, essays, and creative writing. Each lesson provides with two short videos explaining and modeling different writing strategies. Along with each strategy, they will be given a set of three writing prompts to choose from to practice incorporating the strategy/style from the lesson. Learners are invited to share their paragraphs with me to receive direct, personalized video feedback on their writing. Lesson 1: Paragraph Basics (optional, students with a firm grasp in paragraph writing are welcome to skip this video) Narrative Paragraphs (Part 1: exploding the moment / focusing details, Part 2: show don't tell) Lesson 2: General Informative Paragraphs (Part 1: clear topic and concluding sentences, Part 2: proper use of pronouns) Lesson 3: Compare / Contrast Paragraphs (Part 1: varying sentence length, Part 2: descriptive clauses) Lesson 4: Persuasive Paragraphs (Part 1: avoiding second person "you" with a special focus on implied / understood second person, Part 2: tone) Learners will grow in their understanding of how to apply different style elements to their writing, and will gain greater confidence in their writing ability. In order to do well in this class students should have an idea of how to write a simple paragraph, although that will be covered in the first video lesson. Students will receive personalized video feedback for each submitted piece of writing, outlining specific areas of strength and opportunities for growth. Work will generally receive feedback within forty-eight hours. A complement to this class is Essay Essentials: Paragraph Practice, Beyond the Basics (FLEX). The format is the same but writing elements are a bit more simplistic. It is not a prerequisite to this class, and could be taken before or after this class. https://outschool.com/classes/essay-essentials-perfecting-the-paragraph-beyond-the-basics-flex-NQnKtzaA If you are looking for a live version of this class, Essay Essentials: Paragraph Practice, Beyond the Basics covers these key principles and more: https://outschool.com/classes/essay-essentials-paragraph-practice-writing-club-beyond-the-basics-kuL21g6V
Learning Goals
Students will grow in their ability to independently apply style strategies to their writing.
Students will learn eight specific strategies for improving the quality of their writing during this course, which can be applied to all types of writing.
Syllabus
4 Lessons
over 4 WeeksLesson 1:
Narrative Paragraphs
Paragraph Basics (optional, students with a firm grasp in paragraph writing are welcome to skip this video)
Narrative Paragraphs (Lesson 1: exploding the moment / focusing details; Lesson 2: show don't tell)
Lesson 2:
Informative Paragraphs
General Informative Paragraphs (Lesson 3: clear topic and concluding sentences, Lesson 4: proper use of pronouns)
Lesson 3:
Informative Compare / Contrast Paragraphs
Compare / Contrast Paragraphs (Lesson 5: varying sentence length, Lesson 6: descriptive clauses)
Lesson 4:
Persuasive Paragraphs
Persuasive Paragraphs (Lesson 7: avoiding second person "you" with a special focus on implied / understood second person, Lesson 8: tone)
Other Details
Learning Needs
This class is easily adaptable to students with dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, dysgraphia, etc. Students can use any adaptive technologies including, but not limited to, talk to type. Lessons are broken down in manageable sections.
Parental Guidance
none
Pre-Requisites
Students should be able to write a simple paragraph on their own, although there is a refresher on those concepts in the first lesson.
Supply List
Students need to be able to write their own paragraphs. They can do this with paper and a writing untensil (pencil, pen, etc), but are also welcome to type instead of hand-write paragraphs.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
none
Meet the teacher
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of Mississippi
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 English classes, including how to write paragraphs and essays.
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