This is a 15-week semester-long full curriculum course that develops students’ reading, analysis, and writing skills while exploring our course’s essential question: “How do individuals change the world?” A fitting option for students who are in homeschool or need a supplement to their school studies, this course is planned to empower students to see their ability to leave their mark on the world. While this is labeled "2nd Semester," taking the first semester is not mandatory.

Be aware that the course meets 3 times a week and 1-2 hours of homework is expected between each class meeting. The homework is typically reading and analysis that will aid class discussions, as well as work on students’ projects. The homework allows students to independently practice their skills as they further develop those skills during our collaborative class meetings.

Our course is divided into four units. At the end of each unit, students will demonstrate their understanding with a project that captures the concepts learned throughout the unit and course.

Unit One looks at the world of advertising. Students will read “Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know” by Shari Graydon and analyze a variety of advertisements to develop an understanding of rhetorical appeals, the parts of an argument, and rhetorical devices while taking a critical look at marketing. By the end of the unit, students will utilized the mentioned concepts to create and present an advertisement that targets a specific audience.

Unit Two introduces students to a variety of historical figures who fought for change in society. Students will become familiar with introduction paragraphs, conclusion paragraphs, supporting an argument, transitions, using direct quotes, and modal auxiliary verbs. By the end of the unit, students will utilized the mentioned concepts to write and present a persuasive essay that argues for the creation of a statue that honors one of the unit’s historical figures.

Unit Three explores artistic expression through the world of playwriting. Students will read and analyze a variety of short plays in order to develop an understanding of how plays are written and send messages to the audience. Students will also explore both sides of relevant debates, such as the use of nuclear energy and technological advancement. By the end of the unit, students will utilized the mentioned concepts to write and present a short play that supports their position on one of the relevant debates.

Unit Four further empowers students to speak about important issues. Students will view and analyze a variety of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) while revisiting skills and concepts from previous units. By the end of the unit, students will utilize the mentioned concepts to write and present a script that serves as a PSA for their chosen issue.

Students should be prepared to participate in class and engage with texts at grade level. I am here to aid students as they develop, but that can only happen if students are prepared to read our texts with moderate to minimal assistance.

By our first class meeting, students will need their own physical or digital copy of “Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know” by Shari Graydon. Others course texts will be provided during the course and be accessible via the Outschool Classroom.

Weekly Breakdown

Unit One: Advertising

Week 1 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; rhetorical appeals. Homework: Read assigned chapter
- Discussion; speech analysis; using rhetorical appeals. Homework: Read assigned chapter
- Discussion; parts of an argument. Homework: Read assigned chapter

Week 2 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; target audience; speech analysis; crafting an argument. Homework: Read assigned chapter
- Discussion; rhetorical devices; advertisement analysis. Homework: Read assigned chapter
- Discussion; rhetorical devices; advertisement analysis. Homework: Read assigned chapter

Week 3 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; advertisement analysis; advertisement work
- Advertisement work
- Presentations; unit wrap-up

Unit Two: Persuasive Speech

Week 4 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; civil rights; abolitionist movement
- Abolitionist movement continued
- Martin Luther King Jr.; I Have a Dream speech analysis

Week 5 (3 meetings)
- Suffrage Movement
- Labor and the National Farm Workers Association
- The Great Depression; The New Deal

Week 6 (3 meetings)
- FDR & Eleanore Roosevelt. Homework: Complete assigned readings
- Discussion; begin research
- Supporting an argument

Week 7 (3 meetings)
- Introduction paragraph; transitions
- Direct quotes; citations
- Conclusion paragraph

Week 8 (3 meetings)
- Modal auxiliary verbs
- Peer review; revision
- Presentations; unit wrap-up

Unit Three: Playwriting

Week 9 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; formatting a play; mini-plays comparison
- Comparing messages; stage directions; writing a setting
- Begin reading short play; Dialogue. Homework: Finish reading assigned play

Week 10 (3 meetings)
- Discussion; conflict; narrative arcs; splitting scenes
- Narrator; Technology & Privacy
- Nuclear Energy; Transportation. Homework: Begin outlining play

Week 11 (3 meetings)
- Writing characters; begin reading short play. Homework: Finish reading assigned play
- Discussion; Dialogue revisited; work time
- Freewrite; practice giving feedback

Week 12 (3 meetings)
- Peer review; revision
- Play rehearsals
- Performances; unit wrap-up

Unit Four: Public Service Announcements

Week 13 (3 meetings)
- Unit project preview; PSA introduction
- Target audience; PSA analysis; begin research
- PSA analysis; rhetorical appeals revisited; outlining

Week 14 (3 meetings)
- Screenplay analysis; writing a script
- Incorporating research; work on script
- Storyboarding

Week 15 (3 meetings)
- Work day
- Poetry as a PSA
- Presentations; course wrap-up