Intermediate Writing, Level I
The Intermediate Writing, Level I class for grades 7th to 10th uses the first half of WriteShop ©II (lessons 17 – 23) curriculum and focuses on style techniques in descriptive and narrative writing. Along with WriteShop lessons, student will focus on writing, responding to, and analyzing poetry, analyzing characterization using The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, writing and presenting (using PowerPoint) an expository researched paper using primary as well as secondary sources and an introduction to persuasive essay writing. Students are introduced to sentence variations, sentence types and other stylistic and grammar topics using handouts and an on-line grammar program. Writing assignments are interesting, purposeful and engaging. Besides writing instruction, students will learn how to or continue to learn self-editing skills so they are less reliant upon their teachers and better able to confidentially produce quality work. Each class also includes one or two grammar / sentence structure activities each week. All assignments are evaluated and graded.
Class Topics
- Sentence Construction
- Paragraph Development
- Descriptive Writing
- Narrative Essays
- Sentence Varieties & Types
- Poetry (reading, writing, analyzing)
- On-line Grammar Assignments
- Literary Study: The Prince and the Pauper (focus on characterization)
- MLA Research Report & Presentation (using primary & secondary sources)
- Opinion /Persuasion
- Grammar, Mechanics & Usage (GUM)
- Information Literacy as it pertains to research
High School Credit: ½ to ¾ credit (adding a few Literature units (i.e. Progeny Press or Total Language Plus) and Vocabulary (i.e. Wordly Wise) will complete your English program)
Prerequisites: Introduction to Writing or an understanding of parts of speech, sentence structure, and paragraph development.
Required Texts:
- WriteShop II
- Synonym Finder (J.I. Rodale)
- Blue Book of Grammar (12thedition)
- Various Handouts (provided by teacher)
Tuition Cost: $640.00 per year for first child, $590.00 if paid in full on or before the day of class orientation or monthly payments of $67.50. Sibling Discount Available
Locations: Monday Indian Trail Town Hall 10:15 am – 11:15 pm
Tuesday Live Online 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Wednesday Indian Trail Town Hall 12:40 pm – 1:40 pm
Testimonies
My son has become such a better writer and has built more confidence because of this class. It’s challenging, and in my opinion, it’s preparing him for college! C. Bellinger
As a homeschool family that moved to the Charlotte area with no prior knowledge of area homeschool resources, we were apprehensive about quality options for outsourcing a writing class. Numerous families recommended Mrs. Gartrell’s classes. Her gentle and encouraging approach make the hesitant writer a confident one. She lovingly challenges the confident writer to greater writing. Under her instruction, the writing classes were exactly what our children needed to flourish.” (3rd year - students in WriteShop Jr. Intro, Level I, Level II & Literary Analysis) H. Morris