Writing for Middle Schoolers (IEW Units 6-9 Level B)

Completed by 77 learners

Ages 11-14

Live Group Course

Specific skills needed for report writing, writing on demand, and five paragraph essays will be taught in this class.

Jennifer Crowe

Average rating:

5.0

Number of reviews:

(375 reviews)

Live video meetings

2x per week, 11 weeks

5-14 learners per class

55 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What's included

22 live meetings

20 hrs 10 mins in-class hours

Homework

1-2 hours per week. Expect to have between 1-2 hours of homework each week.

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8

Beginner - Intermediate Level

By middle school, students are often expected to write (and write well), but they may have never been taught specific skills and techniques. Writing is a skill that CAN be learned with incremental instructions.  Learning specific techniques gives students confidence to create their own work.  You will be prepared for high school essays after this class! 

For this class, you will need the IEW World History book.  We will begin this class at Unit 6.  To take the first part of this class, sign up here: 

https://outschool.com/classes/writing-for-middle-schoolers-iew-units-1-5-level-b-XXlkILJ7?refuid=xPqAuK2O

This class focuses on the latter units of an IEW year, the ones that are sometimes overlooked because you run out of time!  We will start with Unit 6, fusing sources and outlines to create reports.  Unit 7 teaches how to write "on demand" with a given subject; Unit 8 teaches an adaptable five paragraph essay.  We finish with Unit 9, a critique.  We will spend 2-3 weeks on each section.  

Weeks 1-3 Unit 6, Report writing
Weeks 4-5 Unit 7, Timed writing on demand
Weeks 6-7  Unit 8, Essay writing
Weeks 8-10 Unit 9, Writing a Critique


It is helpful if students have had some IEW Writing experience before taking this class, but it is not necessary.  Contact me if you are looking for earlier units as I have many ongoing classes that may fit what you need. 

Expect to have homework!  You can't learn a new skill without practicing it.    I do not "grade" papers in this class, but I always have individual sessions open if you are interested.  If you are enrolled in this class, my individual sessions are half-price during the weeks of this class. 

You will need the IEW History Book here:
https://iew.com/modern-world-history-based-writing-lessons-student-book-only

Syllabus

4 Units

22 Lessons

over 11 Weeks

Unit 1: Unit 6, Summarizing Multiple References

Lesson 1:

Unit 6, Summarizing Multiple References

55 mins online live lesson

Lesson 2:

Unit 6, Summarizing Multiple References

55 mins online live lesson

Lesson 3:

Unit 6, Summarizing Multiple References

55 mins online live lesson

Lesson 4:

Unit 6, Summarizing Multiple References

55 mins online live lesson

Other Details

External Resources

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Jennifer Crowe

Joined May, 2020

5.0

375reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

UPDATE FOR SPRING 2025: It's been almost three years since I made that video in fall of 2022. I started law school, and now I graduate in May 2025 and will take the bar exam this summer. 

I really like teaching here, and I will probably be back in late summer or fall of 2025.  However, I know many of my people will have found new writing teachers!  I will probably plan some kind of government/history/civics class here, eventually.  

I'll stop by for messages here once in a while.  Students can't message me if they are not in an active class, but parents will still be able to message me if you have questions about writing.  I'll be back in some way in the fall 2025! 

_________

I help children overcome their fear of failure, and I coach strong writers to continued excellence.  Once children grasp specific writing concepts, they can apply their skills to all content areas.  Mostly, I use the writing methods taught by the Institute for Excellence in Writing. 

My youngest daughter is dyslexic and in my search to help her organize and communicate her thoughts, I discovered the writing methods of IEW.   Over the last 17 years, I have studied and taught these writing methods at my kitchen table, in homeschool co-ops, and in private tutoring.  Most recently, I taught IEW for seven years to middle schoolers at a public charter school in Southern California.  I am currently a Registered Instructor with IEW. 

I graduated from the University of Maryland with an Elementary Education degree, but I've learned  way more from my own kids and hundreds of others than I ever learned in a college classroom. 

Having taught on two coasts, in public, private, charter, and homeschool co-ops, I have a breadth of experience.  

My classes are "pretty fun for a writing class," my students report, but they don't feel like recess. Students will practice significant writing, grammar, organizing, outlining, and speaking skills in my classes.  If your child needs support, recovery, or challenge, check out my classes.