Composition 101 A

Composition 101 A is designed for the beginning writer and introduces students to the fundamentals of writing and a wide variety of genres. This class is for 6th graders and 7th graders with little or no previous writing experience.

$545.00

This class is designed for the beginning writer and introduces students to the fundamentals of writing and a wide variety of genres. Students begin the year with a review of paragraph writing, then are introduced to writing with voice. A variety of styles of writing are covered, including memoir, narrative, poetry, expository, and comparison.

Students will be able to write multi-paragraph pieces by the end of the course. The final unit of the course will include a multi-week research project. Students use a workshop approach to critique, revise, and edit one another’s work.

Composition 101 A & 101 B use the same online classroom and teach the styles of writing together with different assignment topics and expectations for each. This allows advanced students to slide from Level A to Level B in one year or spend a full year at each level.

Details

Requirements

Sample Syllabus

Time Expectation:

Classes have daily assignments. Some assignments span several days to give flexibility. Assignments are intended to take approximately 1 hour per day to complete.

Class Objectives:

Comprehend the basic mechanics of grammar
Create well developed paragraphs
Use sensory details in writing
Understand the purpose of a thesis statement
Revise a piece based on feedback

Class Features:

Students will submit their fictional story to a contest of their choice as part of the class
Students will have daily contact with a coach who evaluates mastery and skills and peers to discuss activities and workshop writingDaily contact with a coach who evaluates mastery and skills will be provided
Students will practice in-class timed essays and fully developed and revised papers.
An online classroom will teach students time management and appropriate cyber behavior in a controlled environment.
A Parent Handbook in ebook form is included. This handbook gives you tips and suggestions for how to help/guide your child in their work. Weekly parent suggestions are also given in the classroom materials.

Required Class Materials:

Write from the Heart: A Resource Guide to Engage Writers—available in our online store
One novel of the student’s choice
Three fiction short stories of the student’s choice (resources provided)
Collection of six poems of the student’s choice (resources provided)

Monday-Wednesday Complete these 3 tasks:

Look back at the comparison outline you wrote for your coach’s feedback. If it is approved, write the rough draft of your comparison essay. Review the assignment and make sure to follow all the criteria there.
Post your essay to Week 19 Board “Comparison– Rough Draft.”
When you post, ask peer questions so your partner can help with any areas you think are weak. You will get 10 points for posting your Rough Draft, and 10 points for asking questions. Use one of these days as a flex day! Remember, a flex day can be used to take one day off, to spend extra time writing, or to get ahead on an assignment later in the week (or next week).

Thursday Peer Review Day!! Go to the board called “Comparison – Rough Draft,” and critique a peer based on the points listed below. In order to receive full homework credit, you must provide answers to each item. Partners are listed in the “Partner Pairings” folder. Remember, you MUST do this, even if you didn’t post your own paper. This is worth 20 points. Your grade will reflect your ability to provide quality and thorough help. If an item does not need to be changed, specifically say so or your coach might think you forgot to check for it. Here is what you need to respond to:

Answer the questions your partner asked of you.
Answer the following questions as well:

Evaluate the thesis statement by answering these two questions:

Does the thesis statement reflect everything in the essay?
Does the essay develop everything in the thesis?
Ask quality questions to reveal what was left out
Tell where descriptive details are needed
Tell where inner ideas are needed

Partners are listed in the Course Information Board in the file called “Peer Partners and Paper Assignments. Friday You have three tasks.

Go to your Comparison Draft with peer comments and make the revisions to your own paper as suggested by a peer. In your paper, delete your partner’s comments as you go so you have a clean copy. Remember: if you doubt the necessity of something your peer suggests, turn it into a question for your next coach conference.
Come up with three or more questions to ask your coach about your paper.
Post your NEWEST version AND your questions for your coach in the CONFERENCE ROOM. This assignment is worth 25 points: you will get 5 points for posting on time; 10 points for asking your coach questions; and 10 points for attempting to revise from your peer’s review comments.