- Description
- Requirements
- Price
- Sample Syllabus
Description
Composition 104 is an honors composition class, designed for advanced students who have shown a strong mastery of voice and the structures of various types of writing. This class is recommended to students who have a recommendation from a coach or have shown a high level of skill in an equivalent class.
Students in this class will focus on refining their composition skills in a variety of styles, including description, memoir, narrative, exposition, comparison and persuasion. Students will learn skills to increase the richness of their voice. Research will be required for several assignments.
The final unit of the course will include a multi-week research project. Self-reflection and independence in writing are highlighted in this class. Timed essay tests are also practiced. Students use a workshop approach to critique, revise, and edit one another's work.
This class meets honors diploma requirements in most states. Please be sure to check your state guidelines to ensure honors credit for your student.
Objectives
● Demonstrate a proficiency at sentence variety, mechanics, and grammar
● Demonstrate a highly developed voice across all styles of writing
● Write in several different styles, including narration, exposition, comparison, poetry, and description
● Engage in self-evaluation as part of the revision process
● Display the specialized skills needed to complete timed essay tests
Features
● Students will submit their description essay, memoir, and fictional story to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards writing contest
● Daily contact with a coach who evaluates mastery and skills will be provided
● 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.
Class Requirements
Composition 104 is designed for 8th to 12th graders who have had structured writing instruction in the past or have successfully completed Composition 103 or equivalent class.
Time Expectation
Classes have daily assignments. Some assignments span several days to give flexibility. Assignments are intended to take approximately 1½ hours a day to complete.
Class Materials
● Writing with 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)
Price
$545
Payment Methods
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. All payments are securely processed through VeriSign/PayPal.
Week 7
Monday:
Today you need to finish the work from the end of Week 6. Make sure to post your newest version of your memoir in Memoir - Ready for Editing
Tuesday: Today you will edit a peer's paper. Go to the Week 7 Folder, Memoir - Ready for Editing and download your partner's paper. Then, using the checklist you were given, mark where they have errors in different colored ink. Partners are listed on the Partner Pairings Board. Save your edits and upload the attachment as a reply.
Wednesday: Today you have 3 tasks:
1) Go to the Conference Room and check your coach's feedback on your fictional story planning sheet. If further changes are necessary, make those changes and repost your NEW sheet in the Conference Room to get approval on your plans. You must have approved plans to begin writing your story.
2) Go to the Week 7 board Memoir - Ready for Editing and make editing changes as suggested by your partner. You can have an adult check your paper at this point. Your paper should be formatted as follows:
3) Post your completed memoir as an attachment in the Week 7 folder Memoir - Final Copy. When you submit your paper, only you and your coach can see your work. You will receive your graded rubric back in this same file, and your grade will appear in your gradebook, so you will know how you are being graded. Go to the Course Information Board and click on Rubrics and Memoir to view your grade. If you want, score yourself, and compare your scores to the ones you'll receive from your writing coach.
Thursday:
1) In the Writing with Heart Resource Guide, review the Dialogue section and review the portion called Dialogue Tips. Apply these techniques in the rough draft of your fictional story, and punctuate dialogue correctly as explained in that section.
2) Use your fictional story planning sheet (the one your coach approved) and begin writing the rough draft of your fictional story. You will have until Thursday of Week 8 to complete it. The reason you are being given this much time is because stories take a while to write. Work on it daily.
Use one of the days this week 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).
