Course Overview:

In this course we will be working to develop and improve your writing skills. The first quarter will emphasize basic writing skills including grammar and conventions. We will also be working on multi-paragraph writing. We will be concentrating on the writing process more in the 2nd quarter. There will be several essays required and you will be graded on many steps of your writing. You will also complete an essay on a career. We will be writing this in a research paper form.

We will be studying a unit on vocabulary each week. A broad vocabulary will help you to become a better reader and a better writer. You will be given a packet on Monday and it needs to be completed by Thursday. We will have a test on the material after every 3 lessons.

Reading:

Reading is important in order to broaden your vocabulary and to see how others write. You will be required to read at least 400 pages, per quarter, outside of class. Up to 600 pages can result in no more than 5% added to your grade each quarter. Reading fewer than 400 pages per quarter will severely impact your grade. You will lose 5% of your total grade for every 200 pages you don’t read. During the 2nd quarter you will read a memoir that will count as a regular assignment and outside reading. Your outside reading will be based on all or some of the following: reading journals, book conferences, and written book reports.

Grading:

Grades are based on the total number of points accumulated over the course of each quarter. Assignments will be worth varying points. You will have a variety of assignments and tests to gauge your understanding of the material. These assignments will include, but are not limited to: journal prompts, short essays, quizzes, major papers, grammar worksheets, and rough draft writing samples. The points that you accumulate will be divided by the points possible. Your semester grade will be weighted, 50% for 1st quarter and 50% for second quarter. The following grading scale will be used: