***I'm taking a sabbatical from teaching until the Fall 2024 to recharge and pursue some personal projects. I'm looking forward to returning refreshed and energized.*** 



This course outline presents a comprehensive and ambitious curriculum designed to enhance the writing skills of advanced students through the exploration of a wide range of non-fiction subgenres. Here's an overview and analysis of the structure and educational goals of this class, along with potential benefits and challenges:

Course Structure
Diverse Non-Fiction Subgenres: The inclusion of 27 types of non-fiction writing, from history and philosophy to self-help and journalism, provides students with a broad spectrum of writing experiences. This diversity ensures that students gain proficiency in various writing styles and understand the unique conventions and audience expectations of each genre.

Vocabulary Building: The focus on integrating 48 "funny sounding vocabulary words" into writing is an innovative approach to vocabulary expansion. This method not only enriches students' linguistic repertoire but also encourages creative thinking and precision in word choice.

Writing and Revising Techniques: The use of quick writes, model writing, and structured peer review sessions emphasizes the importance of the writing process. Students are taught to rapidly generate ideas, refine their writing through targeted revisions, and engage in constructive feedback, fostering a supportive learning environment.

Educational Goals
Enhanced Vocabulary: By focusing on the integration of advanced and multi-syllabic words, the course aims to improve students' verbal expressiveness and ability to comprehend complex texts.

Mastery of Non-Fiction Elements: Students will learn to identify and apply the key elements of non-fiction across various subgenres, enhancing their analytical skills and adaptability as writers.

Genre-Specific Writing Skills: The targeted approach to writing in different non-fiction genres helps students develop specific skills and knowledge related to each field, preparing them for a wide range of writing tasks and careers.


Benefits
Skill Development: Students will emerge from this course with a well-rounded skill set, including advanced vocabulary, genre-specific writing abilities, and a deep understanding of non-fiction conventions.

Creativity and Engagement: The course's focus on fun, humor, and creativity makes learning enjoyable and encourages students to take risks in their writing.

Preparation for Real-World Writing: By covering a wide array of non-fiction genres, the course prepares students for the types of writing they will encounter in higher education, the workplace, and personal projects.

Challenges
High Level of Difficulty: The course is designed for advanced writers and features a high level of rigor. This intensity may be challenging for some students, requiring a significant commitment to keep pace with the coursework.

Time Management: The breadth of genres covered and the weekly introduction of new vocabulary and writing assignments may demand substantial time outside of class for reading, writing, and revision.


Conclusion
This course represents a comprehensive effort to equip advanced writers with the skills necessary to excel in non-fiction writing across a variety of genres. Its innovative approach to vocabulary learning, combined with deep dives into genre-specific writing practices, offers students a unique opportunity to enhance their writing skills in a challenging yet supportive environment. The course's emphasis on creativity, humor, and student engagement further distinguishes it as a valuable addition to the curriculum of aspiring writers.

Students will write in a variety of non-fiction subgenres: History, Philosophy, Theory Based Personal Experience, Science, Popular Science, Social Science, Essay, Self-Help, Business & Economics, Health & Wellness, Crafts & Hobbies, Travel Guide, Cookbook, Parenting & Family, Children's Non-Fiction, Educational Guide, Textbook, Language Book, Humor, Arts Book, Memoirs & Autobiographies, Biography, Travel Literature, and Journalism. 

Study is deep, intense, and full of laughs to offset the high level of challenge.

Students will create context to allow for the smooth transition of unfamiliar words into their own vocabulary when writing. This class is for advanced writers. This class is very challenging and has a high level of rigor. 
 
Part I should be taken before Part II and Part III as content and skill increases with each week. 

Fun and bubbly teacher promotes laughter and encourages quick thinking. I want to make writing your favorite hobby, or at least make it as pain-free as possible. I use short three-minute writings to drive instruction in improving tone and point of view within writing. This is an on-going class.

Structure:
As an example, these are the tasks from class #1
Identify components of Non-fiction
Name the five types of genre
Explain the purpose of non-fiction Writing
Build  background knowledge
Identify components of Non-fiction
Identify components of  historical non-fiction genre
Review an example
Dissect the example to show how this example fits the
Write in the style of non-fiction
Utilize unfamiliar vocabulary within writing

Students may join or leave at any time.


Week of Dec 19
                The mystery word starts with A 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  History
                Inconvenience word: abask

Week of Dec 26 No Class 

Week of Dec 19
               The mystery word starts with B
                Non-Fiction Focus:  History
                Inconvenience word: adultescent

Week of Jan 2
              The mystery word starts with I 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Philosophy
                Inconvenience word: baetyl

Week of Jan 9
                The mystery word starts with P
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Philosophy
                Inconvenience word: benthos

Week of Jan 16
                The mystery word starts with S
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Theory Based Personal Experience
                Inconvenience word: carucate

Week of Jan 23
                The mystery word starts with A
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Theory Based Personal Experience
                Inconvenience word: cerise

Week of Jan 30
                The mystery word starts with B 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Science
                Inconvenience word: echolalia

Week of Feb 6
                The mystery word starts with R
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Science
                Inconvenience word: embosk

Week of Feb 13
                The mystery word starts with J
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Popular Science
                Inconvenience word: floccipend

Week of Feb 20
                The mystery word starts with T
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Popular Science
                Inconvenience word: floriferous

Week of Feb 27
                The mystery word starts with A 
                 Non-Fiction Focus:  Social Science
                Inconvenience word: fritinancy

Week of Mar 6
                The mystery word starts with C
                 Non-Fiction Focus:  Social Science
                Inconvenience word: gegenschein

Week of Mar 13
                The mystery word starts with R 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Essay
                Inconvenience word: haruspex

Week of Mar 20
                The mystery word starts with U
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Essay
                Inconvenience word: hist

Week of Mar 27
                The mystery word starts with B 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Self Help
                Inconvenience word: ignivomous

Week of Apr 3
                The mystery word starts with C
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Self Help
                Inconvenience word: imago

Week of Apr 10
                The mystery word starts with S
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Theory Based Personal Experience
                Inconvenience word:  immiseration

Week of Apr 17
                The mystery word starts with A
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Theory Based Personal Experience
                Inconvenience word: immix

Week of Apr 24
                The mystery word starts with B 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Science
                Inconvenience word: immure

Week of May 1
                The mystery word starts with R
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Science
                Inconvenience word: impedimenta

Week of May 8
                The mystery word starts with M 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Business & Economics
                Inconvenience word: imputrescible 

Week of May 15
                The mystery word starts with S
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Business & Economics
                Inconvenience word: implumous

Week of May 22
                The mystery word starts with V 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Health & Wellness
                Inconvenience word: islesman

Week of May 29
                The mystery word starts with B
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Health & Wellness
                Inconvenience word: irenic

Week of Jun 5
                The mystery word starts with B 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Crafts & Hobbies
                Inconvenience word: izles

Week of Jun 12
                The mystery word starts with C
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Crafts & Hobbies
                Inconvenience word: izzard

Week of Jun 19
                The mystery word starts with D
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Travel Guide
                Inconvenience word: jimjams

Week of Jun 26
                The mystery word starts with N
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Travel Guide
                Inconvenience word: kalewife

Week of July 3  No Class

Week of July 10
                The mystery word starts with B 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Cookbook
                Inconvenience word: krummholz

Week of July 17
                The mystery word starts with C
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Cookbook
                Inconvenience word: luftmensch

Week of July 24
                The mystery word starts with S 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Parenting & Family
                Inconvenience word: meliphagous

Week of July 31
                The mystery word starts with W
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Parenting & Family
                Inconvenience word: moue

Week of Aug 7
                The mystery word starts with M 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Children's Non-Fiction
                Inconvenience word: nemophilist

Week of Aug 14
                The mystery texture word starts with S
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Children's Non-Fiction
                Inconvenience word: ocellus

Week of Aug 21
                The mystery word starts with C 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Educational Guide
                Inconvenience word:  paramnesia

Week of Aug 28 No Class

Week of Sept 4  
                The mystery word starts with S
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Educational Guide
                Inconvenience word:  rara avis

Week of Sep 11
                The mystery word starts with T 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Textbook
                Inconvenience word: sarcophile

Week of Sept 18
                The mystery word starts with T 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Textbook
                Inconvenience word: senectitude

Week of Sept 25
                The mystery word starts with P 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Language Book
                Inconvenience word: thanatosis

Week of Oct 2
                The mystery word starts with V
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Language Book
                Inconvenience word: thingmatropism

Week of Oct 9
                The mystery word starts with N 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Humor
                Inconvenience word: toadstone

Week of Oct 16
                The mystery word starts with R
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Humor
                Inconvenience word: truckle

Week of Oct 23
                The mystery word starts with A
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Arts Book
                Inconvenience word: urbia

Week of Oct 30 No Class

Week of Nov 6
                The mystery word starts with K
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Arts Book
                Inconvenience word: versicolor

Week of Nov 13
                The mystery word starts with H 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Memoirs & Autobiographies
                Inconvenience word: vivific

Week of Nov 20 No Class

Week of Nov 27
                The mystery word starts with C
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Memoirs & Autobiographies
                Inconvenience word: wheeple

Week of Dec 4
                The mystery word starts with K 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Biography
                Inconvenience word: xyloid

Week of Dec 11
                The mystery word starts with A
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Biography
                Inconvenience word: xenial

Week of Dec 18
                The mystery word starts with R
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Travel Literature
                Inconvenience word: yarak

Week of Dec 25 No Class

Week of Jan 1
                The mystery word starts with K
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Travel Literature
                Inconvenience word: zaftig or zoanthrophy

Week of Jan 8
                The mystery word starts with K 
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Journalism                
                Inconvenience word: zoetic

Week of Jan 15
                The mystery word starts with M
                Non-Fiction Focus:  Journalism                
                Inconvenience word: zoonic
**************************************************
Topics Repeat