Writing is an essential learning tool that many students struggle to master. This class is designed to step students through the process with support and constructive criticism. Each week will begin with a mini-lesson designed to enhance grammar skills: varying sentences, using proper punctuation, fixing run-on sentences and fragments, adding descriptive language, correcting repetitiveness, and more. Then, the class will focus on the topics as outlined below. 

Rhetorical Devices & Intro to Persuasion (Weeks 1-4)
Students will use close reading skills to analyze how and why authors use various rhetorical devices, including elements of persuasion, to impact and/or sway readers. Sample SAT Essay prompts as well as student SAT response papers will be reviewed, studied, and discussed in class to further student understanding. Then, students will be tasked with reading a former SAT writing prompts and independently writing their own 1.5-2 page Analytic Response paper.

Advanced Persuasive Elements (Weeks 5-10)
The art of persuasive writing is dependent on a thorough understanding of ethos, pathos, and logos. Students will advance their knowledge and understanding of how ethical appeals, logical appeals, emotional appeals, as well as credibility are used by authors to influence readers. A variety of materials will be investigated and analyzed: advertisements, news articles, blogs, and more. Students will practice locating examples of persuasive techniques before learning to create their own. This section will wrap up with students writing their own 2-3 page Persuasive Essay.

Introduction to Research & Legitimate Sourcing. (Weeks 11-16)
Recognizing and determining legitimate sources has become harder and harder as technology advances. In this section, students will learn what to look for and how to determine the quality of a source in order to weed out those that may be erroneous. They will also learn the difference between a primary and a secondary source as well as the purpose for each. They will work together in groups/teams to research a topic, create a presentation, and teach the class about their findings.