In this ongoing class, students will learn one grammar concept per class and will learn to write a well-written sentence. Students will write complex and compound-complex sentences in this class. This class meets once a week. The classes do not build upon each other so you can join the class anytime. 

***** Background Information on Mentor Sentences *****
This course uses a research-based strategy. Students will be presented with a well-written sentence, which is known as a mentor sentence. The mentor sentence is used as a guide when students are learning how to write a great sentence. Students analyze the mentor sentence for grammar concepts, sentence structure, and sentence style. They use the mentor sentence to create their own quality sentence. 

***** Purpose *****
The purpose of a mentor sentence is to teach students to write a good quality sentence. As students progress in their writing, they will be expected to write great sentences on their own. Mentor sentences are a simple way for students to learn how to recognize a well-written sentence and how to write their own good quality sentence. 

***** Class Information *****
In this course, I will present students with a well-written sentence, which is known as a mentor sentence. The students will discuss what they notice about the sentence. They will also learn about a grammar concept in the mentor sentence. Then, students will revise the mentor sentence to make it even better. At the end of each class, students will write their own quality sentence by using the mentor sentence as a guide. Below is a breakdown of each part in each lesson. 

***** Sentence and Discussion *****
At the beginning of each class, I will show the mentor sentence. The students will discuss what they notice. If students struggle to discuss the sentence, I will use the following questions as a guide:
- What do you notice about the sentence?
- What punctuation marks do you see?
- What can you tell me about the grammar concepts in this sentence (verbs, adjectives, nouns, etc.)?
- What do you notice about this sentence’s structure and style?

***** Grammar Skill Analysis *****
1.) Label Parts of Speech
We will look at the mentor sentence, and we will name the different parts of speech we know in the sentence. We will color each part of speech we name and label it. 

2.) Anchor Chart
I will introduce the grammar skill we will be focusing on. Students will learn about the grammar skill, and we will identify the grammar skill in the mentor sentence. We will fill out an anchor chart on the grammar skill. The anchor chart will include information and examples of the grammar skill. 

******* Revise the Mentor Sentence *******
Students will brainstorm ways to revise the mentor sentence. I will provide specific ways students can improve the mentor sentence. Then, the group will do a group brainstorming session. They will brainstorm ideas. Then, I will provide a sentence frame, where students will revise the mentor sentence by using the sentence frame. 

****** Imitate the Mentor Sentence ******
Students will imitate the mentor sentence. They will write their own sentence that is similar to the mentor sentence. Students will be using the same sentence structure and style as the mentor sentence when they write their own sentence. If time permits, students will write more than one sentence. As students write, they will share their sentence with me. 

******************************************************************************************************
This class is an ongoing class. You will pay a weekly subscription for this class. If you are unable to attend a week, you will need to unsubscribe before Sunday so you are not charged for the upcoming week. If you are unable to attend a class, I will share a lesson video with you so you can still complete your lesson.
******************************************************************************************************


**** Fall 2024 Topics ****

Week of September 8, 2024: Prepositions of Time
Week of September 15, 2024: Correlative Conjunctions
Week of September 22, 2024: Infinitives
Week of September 29, 2024: Present Participles
Week of October 6, 2024: Past Participles
Week of October 13, 2024: Gerunds
Week of October 20, 2024: Subordinating Conjunctions
Week of October 27, 2024: Dependent Clauses
Week of November 3, 2024: Independent Clauses
Week of November 10, 2024: Appositives
Week of November 17, 2024: Relative Clauses