This is a mastery-learning program, structured so that it may be finished within a single year. With a mastery-learning approach, students do not move on to the next lesson until they have shown sufficient mastery of the previous lesson. This means that they receive constructive feedback and revise low-grade assignments until this mastery is achieved. The final grade for every lesson should therefore always be a high grade. Low and average grades are only given when the student does not follow instructions or put in the required effort to understand the lessons.
A note about upperclassmen: Most junior and senior students have little time to spare before they face college entrance exams and the more complex writing required in some high school courses. These students may be better served if they complete only the lessons from level 1 that target their weaknesses.
SCOPE-AND-SEQUENCE OF Before Papers Come Paragraphs: A Beginner's Writing Course (level 1):
(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. I have learned over the years, both in my experience as a student and as a teacher, that it is helpful for students to understand why they are asked to learn what we require of them. It is my hope that students who complete this preparatory unit will better understand the why's behind the how's of writing. 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: It Takes a Strong Foundation
This unit establishes basic prewriting skills that all students need to master. More prewriting skills, such as formal outlining and thesis statements, are taught in level 2.
6 -- Everybody Has a Lightbulb: Finding a Topic
7 -- So Just What Are You Trying to Say?: Determining the Main Idea (sample)
8 -- Shaping Your Ideas: The Informal Outline
Unit 2: One Perfect Paragraph
Because all types of literature are built upon the paragraph, a solid mastery of paragraph writing is essential. Surprisingly, however, I have found that many students are assigned multi-paragraph writing before they are ready for it. In this unit, students will study the six elements of the paragraph. They will write a variety of single-paragraph essays throughout the course and be well-prepared for multi-paragraph writing by the final workshop.
9--Paragraph in a Nutshell: The Topic Sentence
10--Paragraphs Have Legs: Supporting Ideas
11--Wrapping It Up: The Basics of Conclusions (sample)
12--Stop for the E's: Expanding the 3-sentence Paragraph
13--Like Links on a Chain: Paragraph Transitions
14--Hook Your Reader First: The Importance of Introductions
Workshop--Mastering the Paragraph (intensive review of unit concepts)
Unit 3: Polishing the Gem
This unit leads students through the rest of the writing process: revision, editing, proofreading, and publishing. These steps are important for crafting a polished manuscript, and there is a great deal to learn in order to complete them well. In Before Papers Come Paragraphs, however, I teach only a few introductory lessons to help ease students into these concepts.
15--Good vs. Bad Writing: What's the Difference? (part 2)
16--The Next Draft: How to Be Your Own Editor
17--Language Matters: Introduction to Editing
18--A Splash of Panache: The Least You Need to Know
19--Make it Beautiful: The Basics of Proofreading and Publishing
Workshop--Review and Final Project
Unit 4: Workshops on Essay Variations
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 four essay variations that work well within a single-paragraph framework. Workshop 4 also begins the transition to multi-paragraph writing by introducing the two-paragraph structure. 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 Summary Essay (plus a spotlight on storytelling)
Workshop 2--The Descriptive Essay (plus a spotlight on word choice) (sample)
Workshop 3--The Cause and Effect Essay (plus a spotlight on coherence)
Workshop 4--The Compare-Contrast Essay (plus a spotlight on paragraph breaks)
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A note about upperclassmen: Most junior and senior students have little time to spare before they face college entrance exams and the more complex writing required in some high school courses. These students may be better served if they complete only the lessons from level 1 that target their weaknesses.
SCOPE-AND-SEQUENCE OF Before Papers Come Paragraphs: A Beginner's Writing Course (level 1):
(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. I have learned over the years, both in my experience as a student and as a teacher, that it is helpful for students to understand why they are asked to learn what we require of them. It is my hope that students who complete this preparatory unit will better understand the why's behind the how's of writing. 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: It Takes a Strong Foundation
This unit establishes basic prewriting skills that all students need to master. More prewriting skills, such as formal outlining and thesis statements, are taught in level 2.
6 -- Everybody Has a Lightbulb: Finding a Topic
7 -- So Just What Are You Trying to Say?: Determining the Main Idea (sample)
8 -- Shaping Your Ideas: The Informal Outline
Unit 2: One Perfect Paragraph
Because all types of literature are built upon the paragraph, a solid mastery of paragraph writing is essential. Surprisingly, however, I have found that many students are assigned multi-paragraph writing before they are ready for it. In this unit, students will study the six elements of the paragraph. They will write a variety of single-paragraph essays throughout the course and be well-prepared for multi-paragraph writing by the final workshop.
9--Paragraph in a Nutshell: The Topic Sentence
10--Paragraphs Have Legs: Supporting Ideas
11--Wrapping It Up: The Basics of Conclusions (sample)
12--Stop for the E's: Expanding the 3-sentence Paragraph
13--Like Links on a Chain: Paragraph Transitions
14--Hook Your Reader First: The Importance of Introductions
Workshop--Mastering the Paragraph (intensive review of unit concepts)
Unit 3: Polishing the Gem
This unit leads students through the rest of the writing process: revision, editing, proofreading, and publishing. These steps are important for crafting a polished manuscript, and there is a great deal to learn in order to complete them well. In Before Papers Come Paragraphs, however, I teach only a few introductory lessons to help ease students into these concepts.
15--Good vs. Bad Writing: What's the Difference? (part 2)
16--The Next Draft: How to Be Your Own Editor
17--Language Matters: Introduction to Editing
18--A Splash of Panache: The Least You Need to Know
19--Make it Beautiful: The Basics of Proofreading and Publishing
Workshop--Review and Final Project
Unit 4: Workshops on Essay Variations
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 four essay variations that work well within a single-paragraph framework. Workshop 4 also begins the transition to multi-paragraph writing by introducing the two-paragraph structure. 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 Summary Essay (plus a spotlight on storytelling)
Workshop 2--The Descriptive Essay (plus a spotlight on word choice) (sample)
Workshop 3--The Cause and Effect Essay (plus a spotlight on coherence)
Workshop 4--The Compare-Contrast Essay (plus a spotlight on paragraph breaks)
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