Course Description
This 32-week, live online literature and creative writing class for elementary and middle school students is designed to help beginning writers learn to “keep their readers reading!” That’s the number one goal of writing. Through creative, low-stress, personally meaningful writing assignments, students will discover and develop their own voices on paper while engaging their readers from beginning to end.
This class will serve as a writer’s community with instruction and feedback on each stage of the writing process. In this course, students will learn to build strong, descriptive sentences and clear, focused paragraphs, constructing them into interesting, informative 5-paragraph essays and fantastical short stories. The variety of writing assignments and genres is what makes this course so rewarding for the students. They can start this course never having written more than a paragraph and will finish this course having written creative stories, an essay, and biographies.
This course will also contain literature. Each semester, the students will read a classic novel and learn to analyze the setting, plot, characterization, and theme through reading the novel and various activities and assignments. Students will read Holes by Louis Sacher during the first semester, and during the second semester, Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo.
Course Structure
Our weekly online class meetings will serve as a writers’ group, where budding writers will learn and grow in their writing skills through lively group discussions, virtual skill-builders, and thematic games. Our writers’ group meetings also develop students’ presentation and public speaking skills, as writers are encouraged (never forced) to share their work with one another in this positive, encouraging, and safe environment.
Assignments are posted weekly on our course page, with daily reading/writing homework given (approximate homework time is 30-45 minutes per day). A weekly writing assignment is due the day before our next class meeting.
Homework is given each week after class, with assignments to be turned in the evening before the next class. Students can expect feedback on their work by Tuesday evening, the week it is turned in (Monday, for larger assignments). Final grades are based on class participation, weekly homework assignments, and major projects. I will send out a mid-year evaluation and end of year evaluation with additional parent communication as needed.
A highly recommended but optional add-on to this class has been created to assist students with writing, grammar, and vocabulary skills. To participate in this extra learning opportunity, students need to register separately. See Language Arts Lab CC1 for details and to register.
Who should enroll?
This class is geared towards middle school and junior high students, struggling writers, or older writers with little to no formal writing instruction/training. It is a perfect fit for creative and/or artistic students, or students who have previously struggled with a strictly formulaic writing program.
Class size is limited to 15 students.
Technology Requirements
- High speed, broadband Internet
- Sound card and microphone (for live sessions)
- Streaming video capabilities to watch recorded lectures
Evaluation and Feedback
Students will receive specific feedback on their work on Tuesday following each class meeting. They will also receive a letter grade and a numbered score provided on a reviewer’s rubric for each final draft of projects for your records. Parents can elect their students to receive a letter grade or certificate of achievement at the end of the course.
As your student’s writing coach, I will provide individualized instruction and guidance and targeted feedback on each stage of the writing assignments to ensure that assignments are completed to mastery for each student’s skill level. Emphasis on all writing will be on the strengths and weaknesses of each student’s individual work, encouraging personal progress and growth, with the final result being a strong writing portfolio demonstrating excellent composition achievement for the year.
Communication
The best form of communication is through email and I will respond to emails within 24 hours.
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