Writing Bootcamp: Master the Five Paragraph Essay (for Middle Schoolers)
Strengthen writing skills in this group class. Students collaborate in a group to create essay outlines, theses, bodies, and effective conclusions in the semester writing class.
Señora Sarah
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(83)
Popular
What's included
8 live meetings
3 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Homework will be assigned for each and every class, and it's imperative that students complete the homework on time. Each lesson's homework will be a bit different, but it will all be written homework. For example, during the pre write lesson, I will assign a brainstorming activity to students. I will clearly explain homework at the end of each class. Students will be expected to produce a polished, complete 5-paragraph essay as the final product of this course. I will grade this essay.Assessment
I will give each student written feedback regarding their homework activities after each homework deadline. I will also provide a letter grade for their final essay at the end of the class.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
Master your writing skills for those English-class-essays! In this class, we will meet once a week for 8 weeks to master each individual step of the 5 paragraph essay. By the end of this semester, your child will have the tools to structure any written essay for their academic studies. Homework will be assigned each week, with deadlines. The purpose of this class is to improve students' writing, and the only effective way to do this is for them to practice. So it is very important that students complete the homework on time. Please remember that I cannot check late homework. Students must submit their homework before the deadline. Check the homework section of this class listing for more information. Here is a breakdown of what we will study each week: Week 1: Prewrite and Brainstorming During this class, students will learn all about the prewriting process. They will learn how to brainstorm a topic and prepare the information for their essays. They will also learn how to make a THESIS. I will assign brainstorming homework at the end of this session. Week 2: Your Essay Introduction In this lesson, kids will learn how to build a great introductory paragraph for their essay, as well as how to create a great hook! Week 3: Sentence Structure Here we will talk about the basic building blocks of any essay: the sentence. We will practice with different types of sentence structure, including active voice and passive voice. Students will also practice improving sentences along with me during our live class. We will focus on making our sentences clear. Of course I will assign written homework at the end of this class. Week 4: Topic Sentences in this class, students will learn how to design great topic sentences for their paragraphs. They'll also learn what not to include in a topic sentence, and how to design a topic sentence for the entire essay itself. Week 5: The Essay Body We'll practice developing an essay body together with proper structure and supporting arguments. As usual, written homework will be assigned. Week 6: Transitions in this class, students will learn how to transition between thoughts in their sentences. They also learn how to make transitions between paragraphs. We'll practice with the proper balance of using transition words so that their writing sounds clear and natural. I will assign written homework. Week 7: Conclusion In this lesson we will practice writing an effective, strong conclusion for an essay. Students will also learn what practices to avoid in the conclusion of their paper. You can expect written homework. Week 8: Editing Finally students will learn how to edit their essays. We will practice editing for grammar mistakes, spelling, punctuation, clarity, transitions, and naturalness. The final assignment of this semester will be a complete, polished, 5 paragraph essay. I will grade the essays that the students write. ***************************************** Please check the PARENTAL GUIDANCE section for more important information regarding refunds, behavior expectations and technology expectations during class.
Learning Goals
Students will learn how to break down the entire essay-writing process into manageable steps, and get practice with each step along the way. By the end of this class, they'll have the tools they need to write a solid essay of any length.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
NEARPOD
Please note that I use Nearpod for my lessons. Nearpod is a website that allows teachers to create slide presentations with interactive activities for students. A link will be provided via the Zoom chat box during the live class to access Nearpod. I will also provide the necessary 5 digit code to access the lesson. If students wish, I can also provide them with a link to access the lesson on their own time after class. STUDENTS DO NOT NEED A NEARPOD ACCOUNT TO ACCESS THIS FEATURE.
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KAHOOT
I may use Kahoot in this class, or I may not. Kahoot is a website where teachers design quiz games for students to test their knowledge and review what they've learned. If I use Kahoot in class, I will provide students with the necessary link and Game PIN to access the Kahoot game. I will also include this information in the virtual classroom, for students who wish to play the Kahoot game at a later time. STUDENTS DO NOT NEED A KAHOOT ACCOUNT TO USE THIS FEATURE.
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CANVA
I may need to use canva to present the class material in the event that the NEARPOD website is down. This would be a rare event and only in an emergency. Please note that students do not need a Canva account for me to use this feature. Students will not need to log into Canva. In the event that I use Canva to present the lesson, this will only be via screen share.
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YOUTUBE
occasionally my classes include a very brief YouTube video. This is only in a class or two, but it adds to the class experience when I choose to use it. YouTube videos that I use are very short, usually under 2 minutes long. Students do not need a YouTube account and they do not need to sign into YouTube for me to use this feature in class. I will simply share a video that is embedded into the near pod material that is sourced from YouTube. This will be used only on the screen share and students do not need to sign into YouTube to use this feature.
ZOOM LINKS
Please note that I cannot provide Zoom links for students to enter the session. Outschool does not allow this.
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TECHNOLOGY NOTE
Children should be able to handle technological functions like accessing the Zoom chat box, turning on or off their microphone on Zoom, clicking a link to open the Nearpod website, navigating to the Nearpod website, and opening a new tab on their internet browser to see the Nearpod website. They should be able to click answers to questions on their screens. It would also be good for them to know how to navigate between Zoom and an external website, since they'll need to do this during class to participate in the Nearpod games.
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PARENTS EMAILING OR MESSAGING THE TEACHER DURING CLASS
Please note that I may not receive your messages if you are emailing or messaging me during a live class. For example, if you child is not able to enter Zoom due to a technical issue, and you message me during a live group class, I may not be able to check your messages or respond right away. My attention is naturally focused on the students in my classroom at that time, and I am not closely monitoring my email or messages. I try my best to check on messages is a student has not joined us, but I can't always check immediately.
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SKILLS REQUIRED
Students need to be able to read to participate in this class.
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BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to raise their hands to share their thoughts, or ask/answer questions. Interruptions will be handled with patience, but I may need to mute a student who constantly interrupts the teacher or his/her fellow classmates. I do not like to mute students, because I want to encourage free and frequent participation, but on rare occasions it's necessary to preserve the class flow and environment.
Profanity will not be tolerated. This is extremely rare of course, but any students using profanity will be immediately muted.
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POLICY REGARDING CLASS RUNNING OVERTIME
Rarely, class may run overtime by a minute or two. If your child needs to leave right on time, and for some reason I haven't wrapped up, they may leave immediately without asking permission. I understand that students have other classes, obligations, and activities.
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POLICY REGARDING EATING AND RESTROOM BREAKS
Please let your kids know that they do not need to ask me for permission to go to the restroom. They may just get up and go when they need to.
I am perfectly fine with kids eating or drinking in class, as long as they are able to swallow their food before speaking to the class, and please turn off their microphone while chewing.
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PARTICIPATION POLICY
My classes are student-centered, meaning that I try to let kids participate and speak as much as possible during class. This gives them more opportunity to use Spanish, and get involved in the lesson. Students who come to my class are expected to participate frequently.
If your child is shy, don't worry; everyone is welcome to participate in the chat box, rather than speaking aloud. Speaking aloud is preferred, but not mandatory. I understand that every student is different.
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CAMERA POLICY
Please note that children are NOT required to keep their cameras on during class. They are, however, required to turn their cameras on for a split second at the beginning of class, so I can verify that they are children. This is an Outschool safety policy. The exception to this rule is verified learners. Please make sure that your child has a working camera so I can verify who they are. If I cannot see them at all, and they are not verified learners, I am required to remove them from the classroom, even if I recognize their voice.
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STUDENT NAME POLICY
Please make sure your kids understand that their name is important when they sign in to the classroom. For their safety, their name must match exactly what it is on their Outschool profile, OR it can match their parent´s name on their Outschool profile. I am not allowed to admit students with other names into the Zoom classroom.
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REFUND POLICY
Each class type here on Outschool has different refund policies. Most (if not all) are refundable if you cancel within 24 hours of purchase. Some are also automatically refunded if you cancel up to 1 week before the class start time. There are many circumstances where a refund is up to the teacher's sole discretion. For example:
-student technical or Zoom trouble that prevented them from joining class
-last-minute requests for cancellation due to vacation or family outings
-emergency situations, like a run to the hospital or a death in the family
-a student gets sick and can't join us at the last minute
Refunds are generally given for:
-emergencies
-student illness
-death in the family
-funerals
-other special circumstances, at the teacher's discretion
-family trips or vacations, if I am advised 1 week or more in advance (In this case you can cancel the class, and Outschool will automatically issue you a refund.)
Refunds are generally not given for:
-family vacation, if I am advised less than 1 week in advance
-student technical issues
-student internet problems
-students arriving late to class
-students missing class because they forgot
-students or families mixing up the time because of daylight savings or a time difference between their region and the class listing
Please note that these are my general policies, and each situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Abuse of the refund policy may result in refusal of refund that I would generally issue.
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STUDENT NO-SHOW POLICY
Outschool has set up a policy to handle student no-shows. If a student does not show up to class, with no communicaton from the family, for ten minutes after the class start time, the teacher may exit the Zoom classroom and end the class. No refund is provided in this situation. The teacher leaves a brief comment in the virutal classroom explaining that they are no longer on Zoom to advise the family.
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CLASS RESCHEDULING POLICY
If I am at fault for class not taking place on time, I will offer to reschedule the lesson at no charge to the family. If the student is at fault due to technical issues, vacation, emergencies, etc, I may offer to reschedule the lesson on a case-by-case basis. I generally do not reschedule due to student internet problems, but I may do so if students rarely have this problem and do not abuse my refund policy.
Supply List
I will provide printable handouts and worksheets for students to practice their writing. If students do not have a printer, they will need to come prepared with a pen and notebook to class so they can take notes on the writing prompts and activities.
Language of Instruction
English
Sources
I will provide my own content for this class. I design slide presentations on Canva to share important points with students, and I also design the homework activities for them to practice their writing.
Joined June, 2021
4.9
83reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from United States Institute of Language and Clerical Studies
I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Language Education.
I have a TEFL/TESOL Certificate.
I was a published student author in my high school's creative writing magazine.
I have won several awards for my writing over the years, including a Certificate of Merit in the Scholastic Writing Competition. Reviews
Live Group Class
$85
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
25 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
2-6 learners per class
