This ongoing class meets once a week. Classes do not build upon each other in this course so you are welcome to join anytime. In this writing course, students will be given a story. They will also be given a writing task to complete. Students will write a paragraph in each class. 

***** WRITING TASK INFORMATION  *****
In this class, students will be given a writing task to complete. A writing task is an authentic writing activity. Writing tasks provide students with an opportunity to show their writing skills in a specific writing text type. Writing tasks are often part of district, state, and national writing assessments. This class will provide students with an understanding on how to complete a writing task. 

***** GRASPS STORY *****
Students will be given the writing task through a story. The story will be designed in the GRASPS format. Below is an explanation of the GRASPS format. 

G = Goal
R = Role
A = Audience
S = Situation
P = Product
S = Standards

Goal - Students will be given a goal or writing task that they must complete by the end of the class.

Role - Students will be given their role. This could be a job or something they are asked to do. 

Audience - Students will be given the audience they will be addressing in their writing. 

Situation - Students will be given any important context to their problem. They will also be given any challenges to the problem. 

Product - Students will be given the writing task information. They will also be given the purpose of the writing task. 

Standards - Students will be given the expectations for the writing task. Some of the expectations will include writing a paragraph, using correct grammar conventions, and meeting the expectations of the writing task. 

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                    ***** EXAMPLE OF A GRASPS STORY *****
Here is an example of a GRASPS story that students may encounter in this course:

 - GOAL - 
You must create an itinerary for an upcoming vacation.

 - ROLE - 
You are a travel agent. It is your job to create an itinerary for a client. 

 - AUDIENCE - 
Your client is a person who has never travelled before. She is willing to travel anywhere in the world. Your client is a planner and wants a detailed description of the trip. 

 - SITUATION - 
Your client is going on a week-long vacation. She also does not want to stay in the same city for the entire vacation. The challenge is to create an itinerary that includes multiple cities for the week-long vacation trip. 

 - PRODUCT - 
You will create a sequence of the events/places your client will visit. 

 - STANDARDS - 
Your sequence must include a detailed account of each place, descriptions of activities to do, and a list of materials your client must pack. Your itinerary needs to be written as a paragraph. 

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Each class will follow this structure:

***** INTRODUCTION *****
Students will be presented with a story at the beginning of each class and given the expectations for the writing task. This will follow a method called GRASPS.

***** BRAINSTORM *****
Students will brainstorm ideas using a graphic organizer. Graphic organizers will vary based on the text type students will be writing. 

***** WRITE *****
Students will create their writing task. Students will be given the expectations for the writing task. Expectations will change based on the text type and the writing task qualifications. 

Each writing task must include:
- One paragraph
- A topic sentence
- A conclusion sentence
- Writing task details

***** SHARE *****
At the end of the class, students will share their writing task with the group. 

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****** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ******
In this class, students DO NOT ....
           - Revise their writing
           - Edit their writing 

This class is a good fit for students who ...
          - Can write a paragraph
          - Are independent writers
          - Can think critically
          - Are ready for a challenge

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Common Core Standard Addressed in this Course:
    
              *** CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W3.4 ***
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. 

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MY CREDENTIALS 
         - Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education
         - Minor in Reading
         - Classroom teacher for 11 years
         - Online educator for 4 years
        - Reading and math intervention teacher for 3 years
        - Passionate about writing 

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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.
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*** FALL TOPICS ***
 


Week of September 15, 2024: Compare and Contrast
- You are a journalist.
- Create a newspaper article on fun family activities. 


Week of September 22, 2024: Sequence Writing
- You are a travel agent. 
- Create an travel itinerary for a client who has never traveled. 


Week of September 29, 2024: Informative Writing
- You are a cartographer.
- Write a description of a newly discovered island. 


Week of October 6, 2024: Procedural Writing
- You are a boss.
- Create a step-by-step guide for new employees. 


Week of October 13, 2024: Descriptive Writing
- You are an astronaut.
- Create a description of a new planet that you have discovered. 


Week of October 20, 2024: Persuasive Writing
- You are a cars salesman.
- Convince a customer to purchase the newest car. 


Week of October 27, 2024: Narrative Writing
- You are a music agent. 
- Write a newsletter about a recent concert event. 


Week of November 3, 2024: Compare and Contrast
- You are a zoologist. 
- Create a newsletter on two animals you are researching in the ocean.


Week of November 10, 2024: Sequence Writing
- You are an assistant.
- Create a schedule for your boss.


Week of November 17, 2024: Friendly Letter Writing
- You are a family member.
- Write a letter to a family member inviting him/her to a reunion. 


Week of November 24, 2024: NO CLASS

*** YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED. STAY ENROLLED TO SAVE YOUR SPOT. ***



Week of December 1, 2024: Story Writing
- You are a magazine columnist. 
- Write a story for your young readers. 


Week of December 8, 2024: Formal Letter Writing
- You are a music director.
- Write a formal letter to a famous concert hall requesting a tour with your band.