Join this advanced college-prep writing course and learn how to write in the nine rhetorical modes, with dozens of rhetorical techniques and devices to make your writing strong. Much of this course is equivalent to first-year college writing, so you can get what it takes to write excellent college-level essays and papers now. Be sure to sign up for 12-2 for a complete year of senior-level college-prep writing.

Note! This course is considered an advanced writing, pre-college course. As such, there is a greater amount of homework due each week -- and students are expected to have the skills of the 9-Series FOUNDATIONS courses and the 10-Series and 11-Series DEVELOPMENT courses here at the Aquinas Writing Advantage program. If you have not taken the previous courses, then it will help the student's success to watch (*or review) the 9-3 and 9-4 courses before taking this course.

Special Notes: This course only takes 15 students per time slot, so sign up early to ensure a seat. Choose the day and time that works best for your family. This is the first of a 2-part series. Continue with HS 12-2 in the spring for a full year of Advanced Writing. The 12-series courses are foundational for all high school students and essential for college-bound students.

This is a Foundational Course for All High School Students and Essential for College-Bound Students!

Special Notes: This is the first of a 2-part series. Continue with HS 12-2 in the spring for a full year of Advanced Writing. The 12-series courses are foundational for all high school students and essential for college-bound students. The Franciscan University of Steubenville recommends completion of this course before taking their dual-enrollment courses (www.franciscan.edu/homeschoolconnections).

Total Classes: 10

Starting Dates and Times:

Mondays, September 9 to December 2, 2024. No class Sept. 30, Oct. 28, & Nov. 25.

10:00 AM Eastern (9:00 Central; 8:00 Mountain; 7:00 Pacific)

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: Required: High School Essential Writing 1-4 (HS 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, & 9-4). Because this is an advanced course that assumes your student has key writing foundations and the advanced writing how-to's in place that are specifically taught at Aquinas Writing Advantage (AWA), 9-1 through 9-4 writing courses are required prerequisites. Recommended: High School Vocabulary and Writing 1 & 2 (HS 10-1 & 10-2). Students may take the prerequisites in Unlimited Access recording or LIVE. An alternative to the prerequisite: a passing assessment from the Aquinas Writing Advantage Assessment service. Please contact homeschoolconnections@gmail.com for any questions on permissions.

Suggested Grade Level: 10th to 12th grade, as long as the student has the required prerequisites.

Suggested Credit: One (1) full semester’s credit for Advanced Writing or English

Instructor: Maureen Ryan, BA

Course Description: Give your teen the advanced skills to make writing strong and clear. In this course, your student will learn how to use foundational college writing skills—including in-depth use of the nine basic forms of rhetoric (rhetorical modes); identifying and using major rhetorical strategies and figures of speech; and pre-writing, drafting, and editing a comparison and contrast paper. Students will also use advanced writing methods for a paper’s hook, thesis, introduction, body, conclusion, and key rewriting skills with specific, individual feedback from the instructor. Vocabulary related to upper-level writing will be introduced and integrated into the learning. Specific class time will be used to show how to edit and revise upper-level work. This course content is a prerequisite for many colleges for college-bound students.

Course Outline:

Class 1: The academic paper; advanced academic writing with strong thesis construction, hooks, and introductions
Class 2: Rhetorical Mode 1 - Narration; rhetorical strategies and figures of speech (tropes, aposiopesis, apostrophe, chiasmus, epithet)
Class 3: Rhetorical Mode 2 - Comparison and Contrast; creating a thesis and hook for your paper
Class 4: Rhetorical Mode 3 - Illustration and Exemplification; rhetorical strategies and figures of speech (litotes, zeugma, euphemism, idiom)
Class 5: Rhetorical Mode 4 - Description; drafting your paper’s outline
Class 6: Rhetorical Mode 5 - Process Analysis; rhetorical strategies and figures of speech (hyperbole, metonymy, metaphor, mixed metaphor, extended metaphor); prewriting for papers
Class 7: Rhetorical Mode 6 - Definition; rhetorical strategies and figures of speech (bathos, caricature, Deus ex machine, epiphany), and your paper’s rough draft
Class 8: Rhetorical Mode 7 - Cause and Effect; advanced methods of draft revision 1
Class 9: Rhetorical Mode 8 - Division and Classification; advanced methods of draft revision 2; formatting advanced academic works (brief style guide introduction)
Class 10: Rhetorical Mode 9 - Argumentation and integrating rhetorical strategies into upper-level writing

Course Materials:

Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Success, by Erin Brown Conroy:
Buy the hard copy of the book here: http://amzn.to/2FMCose
OR buy the Kindle version of the book here (Download the FREE Kindle app to easily read on your computer, tablet, or mobile device): https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B7AB90W/catholictreas-20
Microsoft Word or the ability to convert a document to a Word-compatible document is required. If you do not own Microsoft Word, you can use a system such as Google Docs that converts to Word documents FREE.

Homework: LIVE and Instructor Access students will have weekly writing assignments with grading and direct feedback from the instructor (parents will grade Recorded students’ work) with an estimated four (4) to five (5) hours per week for homework (outside of class time) that includes reading, writing, and responding to instructor feedback.

Fee: For all 10 classes: $257 if you register on or before July 15, $277 if you register after July 15. (Registration closes one week before the first day of class. After that date, registrations are not guaranteed. There is a $20 surcharge for late enrollments after the course is closed.)

SPECIAL NOTES 
Important! Read the following before the first class!
1.  No Pre-Work Needed
There are no activities and no assignments to turn in before Week 1. Simply come to Class 1 ready to listen, take notes, and learn.

2. Opening Weekly Content
Each week's content will be "opened" after the week's class is taught, to allow students to focus on the week at hand.

3. Assignment Due Dates
Assignments are due at the start of the class as noted. Assignments uploaded after the date/time of the start of the class will lose one grade level's worth of points. For example, if an assignment is due Week 2 at the start of the class and is uploaded after the class begins or anytime within the week, an "B" grade moves to a "C." 

Even if you miss a deadline, turn in the work! Some points are better than no points.

4. Extenuating Circumstances for Extending Assignment Due Dates
Acceptable reasons for extending a due date are illness, accident, or death in the family/close friend. Simply contact the instructor, Professor Brown, at ebconroy@homeschoolconnections.com and discuss the situation for an extension.

5. Student Expectations -- Parent Expectations
Before the course begins, please read the pages on "expectations" that are provided for you here. Thank you!

6. Questions and Contacting the Instructor
Both parents and students are welcome to email with questions. If taking the course LIVE and you have questions, please email the instructor sooner than later. Email responses are within 24 to 48 business day hours. Questions about assignments must be emailed before Friday at noon, to get a response before the next class begins. 

7. Organize your Materials, Be Prepared, and Come Prepared
This is an advanced, pre-college writing course. As such, you're expected to read and complete all of the materials and assignments in a timely, responsible way and engage in the class. Come prepared to class with all of the previous work completed, all readings printed and saved in a notebook (with annotations and highlights), and a blank notebook and writing tool for taking notes.

As a former college professor who cares about your success, to prepare you for college and beyond, I expect your kind and focused attention, great questions, and your best work. Writing is rewriting -- so it's expected that you do not turn in a first draft but, instead, work through two or more drafts before turning in your work. Teachers and professors don't give grades; grades are earned -- so it's up to you to give your best.

And if you have ANY questions or at any time feel lost or need a word of encouragement, reach out right away! You'll find I'm here for you, to do your best.