Course Description

In this course, students will learn about the process of writing, audience, main ideas and details, staying on topic, writing a paragraph and active voice. Students will apply this knowledge to three different types of writing. Students will be guided through a step-by-step process to teach them how to write a story, how to write to inform, and how to write about an argument. This writing course follows Common Core state standards.

Writing a Story:
Students will write a descriptive paragraph, personal narrative, and a story. Students will start the unit by identifying and practicing how to write with sensory details. Then, students will use what they have practiced to create a descriptive writing piece and a personal narrative. After that, students will review what makes a story: parts of a story, setting, characters, dialogue, point of view. Students will explore and brainstorm ideas on how to create a realistic and fantasy story. Finally, students will choose one of the ideas they’ve brainstormed about and create a story using the writing process. 

Writing to Inform:
Students will learn multiple ways to write to inform readers by writing two different pieces of writing (How-to instructions, Informational report). Students will start the unit by doing multiple writing exercises about the following topics: spatial organization, comparing objects and characters, cause-and-effect, reporting an event, explanatory writing, and directions. Then, students will use skills they’ve learned to help them write a paper on how to do something. After that, students will focus on practicing more skills to aid them in writing an informational report. Students will learn to identify features of informational writing, use transition words, get reliable sources, use quotes and paraphrase, take notes, use an outline, cite sources, and use graphics and visual aids in a report. 

Writing an Argument:
Students will write a persuasive article about an issue they’re passionate about. In order to write their argumentative paper, students will identify what persuasive writing is. Then, students will practice writing facts, opinions, bias and emotional appeals. Students will also learn about the effect of using emotional appeal advertisements. After that, students will identify and write arguments, claims, problems and solutions through reading and responding to various writing prompts. Finally students will learn to use order of importance and put what they’ve learned together to write a persuasive article.