Sleuth Like Sherlock, Write Like Watson | ELA Argumentative Essay Writing
Alex McGreavey (she/her)
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(147)
In this self-paced English Language Arts course, students will sleuth their way through riddles, short-story mysteries, and argumentative writing exercises, practicing CLAIM, EVIDENCE, WARRANT paragraph structure to solve each case!
Class experience
US Grade 8 - 11
Beginner - Intermediate Level
The game is afoot! The famed detective Sherlock Holmes has a series of mysteries to solve, but the lousy Inspector Lestrade has vowed not to jail anyone until Dr. John Watson writes up the case! Can your writing convince Scotland Yard to make an arrest?! In this writing-intensive self-paced course, students will riddle their way through mini mysteries and utilize logical reasoning to defend their solutions. Students will be guided through the process of argumentative writing using the Claim,...
4 lessons//4 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1"The Case of the Brothers"To kick things off, we'll review how to form a killer written argument through the CLAIM, EVIDENCE, WARRANT method. We'll then use this method to solve our first mini-mystery!Week 2Lesson 2"The Case of the Missing Pie"The goal of this week is to take our CLAIM, EVIDENCE, WARRANT method a step further - paragraph form! Next, use this method to sleuth your way to the solution of our first short story mystery!Week 3Lesson 3"The Case of Mr. Brixton's Murder"Dun, dun, dunnn! It's a murder mystery! We'll utilize textual evidence for this one! Can you write a compelling police report and put the right suspect behind bars?Week 4Lesson 4"The Case of the Cabin Blackout"It's time to put our detective caps on for one final mystery! The objective this week is to solve all pieces of a particularly tricky murder mystery!
The aim of this course is to strengthen argumentative writing skills. Students will learn to develop strong claims, analyze textual evidence, and craft well-supported arguments.
Homework Offered
Students will be provided written feedback on any writing submitted.1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Grades Offered
All readings and worksheets will be provided in both digital and print-friendly formats.
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
All short stories and scenarios used in class are inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and have been created by me for classroom use. A couple of stories touch on the more macabre subjects - murder, poison, criminal intent - and may be unsettling for more sensitive students. We stay clear of the more nefarious topics of drug use and romance.
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(147)
THIS TEACHER BELIEVES IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR ALL LEARNERS! Hello! I'm Alex, and I have spent the last decade serving a variety of roles within the world of education. Outside of teaching on Outschool, I am also a curriculum creator and...
Self-Paced Class
$12
weekly or $48 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher feedback
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 25 learners
Ages: 13-18
