“How do I teach students to write well?” is a daunting question for the seasoned teacher, let alone a teacher new to the field. While there is often too much or too little to be said, this course guide finds the middle ground. The course begins with the essential question, “What is an essay?” and encourages students to write passionately from their own experiences with the college application essay. The course ripples outward with self-to-world connections through the classification essay, then text-to-text and text-to-world connections through research writing. The course culminates with the literary analysis essay that prompts connections among self, texts, and the world. These essay modes equip students with the tools they need for college success. Through lessons aligned with state and national standards, students will learn effective strategies for developing essays throughout the writing process, including pre-writing, drafting, critiquing, polishing, and revising. Through the variety of essay modes students will focus on effectively conveying ideas with development, organization, voice, and conventions. Students will develop techniques to make decisions about the effectiveness of their own writing and evaluate the writing of others. Reading for the course includes sample essays for every assignment and a novel study of Alan Paton’s classic yet contemporary Cry, the Beloved Country. Interspersed within the major essays are activities designed to improve the writing and critical thinking skills of students. These activities include an independent vocabulary study, grammar and conventions study, short story and film study, and the creation of a web page or PowerPoint. A pacing guide, daily lessons plans, sample annotated essays, and a variety of creative activities put student engagement and learning at the forefront of learning, stimulating all levels of students to take the next step toward college success. |
