This ongoing course provides students with the structure and practice needed to master text-based paragraph writing.  Students will learn a simple formula that will help them to plan and organize their written responses.  Each week, students will read a short excerpt from a novel or  a poem.  The students will then be given a writing prompt based on the reading passage.  Students will be given a graphic organizer and a formula to help them create strong paragraphs that respond to the writing prompts and include relevant evidence from the text. Students will learn how to write claims and topic sentences, find the strongest pieces of evidence in the text, use sound reasoning, and write conclusion sentences.

CLASSROOM STRUCTURE
-Introductions and ice breakers
-IREST paragraph writing formula
- Reading passage
- Writing prompt analysis
-Time to write
-Sharing and feedback
-Closing

WEEKLY PASSAGES
Week of 9/5-9/10: Excerpt from Fish In A Tree
Week of 9/12-9/17: "On Turning Ten" 
Week of 9/19-9/23: Excerpt from Brown Girl Dreaming
Week of 9/26-9/30: Excerpt from The Wizard of Oz
Week of 10/3/10/7: Excerpt from "Raymond's Run"
Week of 10/10-10/14: Excerpt from Seedfolks
Week of 10/17-10/21: "Abandoned Farmhouse"
Week of 10/24-10/28: Excerpt from Echo
Week of 10/31-11/4: Excerpt from Finding Langston
Week of 11/7-11/11: Excerpt from "The Great Rat Hunt"
Week of 11/14-11/18:  "After Watching Peter Pan Again"
Week of 11/28-12/2:  Excerpt from Eleven
Week of 12/5-12/10: Excerpt from "The Marble Champ"
Week of 12/12-12/17:  "Spaghetti". 

Each week students will receive a new reading passage and a new writing prompt.  The classes do not build on each other, so students are welcome to drop in and out of the course as needed.  Join us for every class or drop in when your schedule allows.