About Before Epics Come Essays

Before Epics Come Essays was created at the same time as Before Papers Come Paragraphs.  Like that course, it has been taught in both the classroom and online and is level 2 of The Denim Beret Writing Program.  The online option is a hybrid model of correspondence and teacher interaction.  Using the Google platform, including Gmail, Classroom, Hangout, Meet, and Drive, students study lessons independently, complete assignments, and submit them for grading.  They have unlimited teacher access through email, Classroom stream, and instant messaging, and they have regular teacher-student video chats to ensure understanding and progress.  

Is level 2 right for your student?

Parents should be aware that Before Epics Come Essays is significantly more challenging and time-consuming than Before Papers Come Paragraphs.  I do not reteach any of the level 1 material, so students must be comfortable with the skills taught in Before Papers Come Paragraphs first.  In addition, the assignments are longer and more complex, including not only the usual lesson practice exercises but also an editing exercise and a style mini-lesson.  In the second half of the course, students also begin reading and responding to published essays from The Seagull Reader:  Essays, by Joseph Kelly.  All students must purchase this book as part of their supplies for the course.

Course Options

At this time the correspondence course is the only option available for 2021-22.  A live, online course may be offered in the fall of 2022 if the live beta-test version of Before Papers Comes Paragraphs is successful.

Scope-and-Sequence

(Prerequisite for all levels)  Introductory Unit:  Page One--The Very Beginning
This introductory unit is designed to lay a solid foundation for the study of writing. Students who complete this preparatory unit will better understand the why's behind the how's of writing, and they will also be introduced to concepts that are foundational to all three levels of The Denim Beret Writing Program. This unit also covers important preliminary concepts such as how to use a writing notebook. 

1 -- Picking Up the Pen: The Academic Writing Notebook
2 -- Elbow Grease and Black Berets: The Dual Nature of Writing (​sample)
3 -- Why Writing Well Matters in the Real World (2 parts)
4 -- Good vs. Bad Writing: What's the Difference? (3 parts)
5 -- Understanding the Writing Process (or How to Write a Building in Six Steps)

Unit 1:  Beginning Well
This unit continues the study of prewriting that was begun in level 1. 

1 -- Introduction to the Multi-paragraph Essay (sample)
2 -- Break It Down:  Making Sense of Writing Prompts (with a mini-lesson on word pictures) 
3 -- Composition in a Nutshell:  The Thesis Statement (with a mini-lesson on sentence rhythm) 
4 -- A Map for the Journey, part 1:  The Formal Outline (with a mini-lesson on purple prose)
5 -- A Map for the Journey, part 2:  The Functional Outline (with a mini-lesson on beige prose)
Workshop--Comprehensive Prewriting Review

Unit 2:  Pour It On the Page -- Drafting the Multi-paragraph Essay
This unit focuses on basic drafting skills important for developing strong essays.  

6 -- You Only Have a Moment:  How to Hook Your Reader (with a mini-lesson on trimming the fat, part 1) (sample)
7 -- Making Your Thesis Crystal Clear:  The Outline Statement (with a mini-lesson on trimming the fat, part 2)
8 -- Pack Power in Your Punch: The Art of Concluding an Essay (with a mini-lesson on strong verbs) 
9 -- Outlining is Not Enough:  The Nine Methods of Organization (with a mini-lesson on adjectives and nouns) (sample)
10 -- Developing the Middle:  How to Develop an Essay of Substance (with a mini-lesson on show, don't tell)
11 -- Enhancing the Middle:  Three More Elements of a Strong Essay (with a mini-lesson on active vs. passive voice)

Unit 3:  Go Out With Style
This unit takes students a little deeper into revision, editing, proofreading, and publishing skills. The assessment is designed to ensure that students are ready for the unit 4 workshops and level 3.

12 -- Windows on Your Writing, part 1:  Learning to Listen (with a mini-lesson on artistic fragments and parallelism)
13 -- Windows on Your Writing, part 2:  Macro-revision (with a mini-lesson on tone)
14 -- Windows on Your Writing, part 3:  Micro-revision (with a mini-lesson on artistic repetition) 
15 -- Putting on the Polish:  Finishing Your Essay Well (with a mini-lesson on style concepts review)
Units 1-3 Assessment

Unit 4:  Workshops on Essay Variations (optional, priced separately)
Once students have finished their study of basic expository writing, it is time to explore some of its many variations. This final unit is a set of workshops, rather than lessons, which means that students will spend less time receiving instruction and more time working on essays. In this unit they will study three essay variations that do not require sophisticated research skills.  Each workshop includes detailed guidance and feedback throughout the writing process, as well as a mini-lesson ("spotlight") on a concept related to that essay variation.  

Workshop 1 -- The Personal Essay (plus a spotlight on storytelling)
Workshop 2 -- The Literary Analysis Essay (plus a spotlight on quotations)
Workshop 3 -- The Persuasive Essay (plus a spotlight on plagiarism) (sample 1) (sample 2) (sample 3)