In this advanced-level essay writing course for middle school students, help your student master essay writing with advanced concepts leading the student into high school writing. Taking the concepts learned in the 7/8-1 and 7/8-2 courses, the successful student finishing this course has the tools and is ready for successful high school essay writing. Take the 7/8-4 course with this course to gain a full semester’s credit for writing.

Total Classes: 8

Class Dates and Starting Times:

Wednesdays, January 8 to February 26, 2025. 

2:30 PM Eastern (1:30 Central; 12:30 Mountain; 11:30 Pacific)

Prerequisite:

Registration in Simplified Writing for Middle School 2: Introduction to Essays & Papers I (MS 7/8-2). If your student is unable to take the previous courses LIVE, then at a minimum, he or she can watch the recordings on Unlimited Access before taking this course. 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: 7th and 8th grade

Suggested Credit: One-half (½) of a semester's credit for Writing or English. Follow with 7/8-4 for a full semester's credit for writing.

Instructors:

Natalie M. Schira, BA with Ryan Starrett grading

Course Description: It’s time to help your student dive into longer essays and advanced writing concepts! In this course, your student will take the skills learned in the Simplified Writing 1 and 2 courses (7/8-1 and 7/8-2) to write short essays, receiving specific feedback and coaching regarding how your student’s writing can improve. Your student will go through the start-to-finish process of creating an academic essay, with specific instruction regarding the use of strong rhetoric, diction, and syntax (words and order). While previous classes taught the “how and why” of writing skills (with first-time introductions to ideas), this course gives your student critical practice – under the tutelage of a teacher and professional writer – to prepare for high school writing and beyond.

Course Outline:

• Class 1: Types of essays – an introduction to rhetoric and choosing an essay topic

• Class 2: Narrowing topics (from last class); brainstorming content for your topic and creating the thesis statement

• Class 3: Analyzing and improving thesis statements (from last class); creating outlines

• Class 4: Analyzing and improving outlines (from last class); creating introductions

• Class 5: Creating rough drafts

• Class 6: Revising the essay

• Class 7: Editing the essay

• Class 8: Formatting for the academic essay; an introduction to style guides

Course Materials: Materials are provided FREE within the course.

Homework: Weekly writing assignments, with grading and direct feedback from the instructor. Estimated three (3) to five (5) hours per week for homework outside of class time, depending on the student’s ability.

Note: All student work needs to be 100% the student's own work and the student's own writing. Nothing can be copied from anywhere else unless a source for the text is given on the assignment. Any students who copy work from elsewhere will receive a zero on the assignment. Repeated copying will result in failure of the course.

Fee: $187 if you register on or before November 15. $207 after November 15 for all 8 classes. (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.)