Writing Program Overview
Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.
— Gene Fowler
There’s an old joke among musicians: Q: "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" A: "Practice, practice, practice."
To be a writer, a good writer, you must also practice, practice, practice. Many students assume that speaking a language fluently means that writing papers, essays, stories, and so forth in that language will come naturally and easily when needed – usually during an all-night paper-writing session. That assumption does not hold true any more than being able to drive a car makes you a mechanic, or being able to walk makes you a marathoner.
Fortunately, you can learn to write well by practicing. That is why the Scholars Online writing curriculum is based on practice. The courses encourage you to look at your own writing critically. We teach you the skill of writing by using the discipline of re-writing. We also teach you how to apply peer reviews and instructor’s edits without becoming defensive.
… Then anyone who leaves behind him a written manual, and likewise anyone who receives it, in the belief that such writing will be clear and certain, must be exceedingly simple-minded…
— Plato
No matter what field of study you intend to pursue, you will be required to write. Outstanding writing will set you apart as an outstanding student or worker — even in Math class, or as a professional engineer. Any discipline requires you to organize your thoughts; writing helps you to visualize the thoughts and present them clearly for others to understand or apply.
Our goal is to help you to present your thoughts plainly and concisely, but also understand and respect the conventions of scholarly and professional writing.
Individual courses
Writing for the College-Bound is especially suitable as a composition supplement for Scholars Online literature and history courses, with topic options coordinated to course content.
If you would like to see a couse not yet listed, please use the EMAIL US link below to contact Scholars Online Administration with your course request.
Students who were enrolled in courses from previous years will find the teacher, text, and course description information available from the student's unofficial transcript, which can be reached from the parent's Account Management Center, or from an alumni's own Account Management Center.
To see details about an individual course, click on the black triangle to the left of the course name
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Molding Your Style • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 10 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Bruce McMenomyClasses meet from June 12, 2008 to August 7, 2008Thursday 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ETTuition: $200.00
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Website
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Description
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| | "Molding Your Style" introduces students to the almost inexhaustible range of possibilities for stylistic manipulation, by recasting a given source passage (about a page) into the style of one or another of the great stylists of the English language. Along the way they learn some of the tools of stylistic analysis and criticism, as well as ways of recasting their writing to create different moods and effects. The course is accordingly good preparation for both writing and critical literary study.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | At the beginning of the summer, each student selects one source passage from a list provided; each week he or she recasts that passage in the style of the author of the week, and posts the resulting exercise to the bulletin board for the class. Students write extended critiques of each other's work throughout the summer; depending on the size of the class, students may be asked to write on all the other students' work, or just one or two.
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Prerequisites
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| | No formal prerequisite, but some awareness of prose style as a deliberate and controlled phenomenon is essential. It is highly recommended that the student have taken at least some literature course.
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Recommended background
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| | Builds naturally on "Molding Your Prose" and "Molding Your Argument"; almost any background in literary reading and writing is likely to prove beneficial, and it is probably particularly suitable to those who are pursuing creative writing generally. Students have taken the course several times with profit.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | No external materials required.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Molding Your Prose • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 7 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Bruce McMenomyClasses meet from June 10, 2008 to August 5, 2008Tuesday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ETTuition: $200.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | This course fosters familiarity with the writing process by asking the student to write a sequence of exercises based on the same basic narrative material. Along the way, students learn that written material does not steer itself: it can be adapted almost infinitely to a variety of forms and requirements. In this respect, it is an introduction to both other writing courses and to literary study.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | At the beginning of the summer, each student chooses a simple story, like a fairy tale or a classic fable. Each week throughout the course, he or she rewrites the story according to a different set of criteria, and posts it to the bulletin board for the course. Students are assigned one other student's story each week to review for the next week's discussion in class, on a round-robin basis so that, over the course of the summer, most students have reviewed most other students' work.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | Any previous writing experience would be helpful, though advanced writers might profit more from another course in the "Molding Your..." sequence
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Instructor's Notes
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| | "Molding Your Prose" has served as an introductory writing course, and an introduction to Dr. McMenomy's courses for the last ten years.
No materials are required for this course.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Molding Your Argument • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 8 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Bruce McMenomyClasses meet from June 12, 2008 to August 7, 2008Thursday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ETTuition: $200.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | Modeled on "Molding Your Prose", this course involves developing a sequence of arguments from the same topics by varying their structure to correspond to a range of pre-defined forms, from simple thesis statements and simple paragraphs, through the five-paragraph essay, the Thomistic scholastic model, and the Roman rhetorical outline applied by Cicero and his contemporaries.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | At the beginning of the summer, each student selects a controversial position on which he or she will be willing to argue both sides. We therefore tend to exclude morally volatile issues.
Each week, students present their arguments from one side or another of the question, according to the formula for that week, and post them on the class bulletin board. They then prepare critiques of each other's work in round-robin fashion, and discuss how each work fulfills the demands of the form.
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Prerequisites
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| | None, though this course naturally builds on "Molding Your Prose". The course may be re-taken with profit.
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Recommended background
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| | Some familiarity with writing about expository matters is useful, but not required.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | No materials are required for this course. The course has been offered to enthusiastic classes for three years previously.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Introduction to Writing for the College-bound • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 6 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 8, 2008 to June 5, 2009Friday 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM ETTuition: $420.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | In this introduction to the writing process, students will learn the basic steps required to write quality work in a variety of styles such as various forms of essays, news articles, letters (or e-mails), and basic short fiction and poetry if time allows. We will review the stages of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revision, and presentation/publication), and discuss the mechanics of writing in the context of the student's own work.
We will focus on short pieces in this class to keep the student writing regularly and to encourage quality in small works so the student is prepared to work on longer pieces in future classes.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | Homework includes: weekly lessons (in class and online reading) on mechanics, the "art" of writing, and types of writing; weekly short essays or stories in various styles; periodic in-class discussions of each student's work (the "author's chair"); and a mid-term and final portfolio of the students work.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Students are encouraged to incorporate topics from other courses where appropriate.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Rhetoric, Grammar, and Style • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 7 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 8, 2008 to June 1, 2009Monday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $400.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | This class focuses on the elements of the craft of writing: rhetoric, grammar, and style. Students will study how to meet a rhetorical end through the effective use of words and their structural relationships (grammar), and through pleasing and clear arragements of those words (style).
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | This course will include weekly reading and assignments such as exercises/lessons, stylistic analyses of classic works, and writing. The writing includes mid-term and final essays and exams, and shared writing in forums and blogs.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | The text for this course requires advanced reading skills. Sutdents in grades 7, 8, and 9 may enroll only with the instructor's permission.
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Textbooks and Materials
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Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects (Edition: 5)
Martha J. Kolln
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0321397231
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Writing Poetry • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 7 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from June 16, 2008 to July 21, 2008Monday 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM ETTuition: $200.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | This course will keep your imagination moving over the summer by introducing — or perhaps reintroducing — you to the basic elements of poetry. You will also get a chance to try your hand at writing different kinds of poetry, from limericks to sonnets.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | Weekly reading and writing assignments. We will try to write one at least poem a week, but that can vary depending on whether the student wants to write very short poems or wants to work on one or two very long poems.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Textbooks and Materials
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Writing Poetry
Shelley Tucker
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 1596470933
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Practical Grammar • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 7 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from June 16, 2008 to July 21, 2008Monday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $200.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | Review the rules of standard written English by revising your own work. By the end of the course students will be able to write with more confidence.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | Weekly readings on the parts of speech, sentence structure, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation. Weekly assignments: lessons, quizzes, self-editing, or editing instructor-assigned examples.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Textbooks and Materials
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Painless Grammar
Rebecca Elliott, Ph.D.
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0812097815
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Writing for the College-bound • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 7 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 8, 2008 to June 1, 2009Monday 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM ETTuition: $420.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | In this introduction to dialectic writing course you will:
- Write short articles and essays in various non-fiction forms such as exposition, argument, description, narration, memoir, and scientific/technical writing.
- Gain knowledge by editing your own and others' work, receiving feedback from the instructor, and reading authors who are masters of the various forms.
- Learn the essentials of non-fiction writing: Voice, thesis, organization, development, semantics, and logic.
- Revise, revise, revise!
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | One to two essays per month; two peer evaluations of each assigned essay; weekly readings; weekly lessons or quizzes; class meetings once a week. For each type of paper students receive a suggested list of topics. For many papers, students may choose an alternate but related topic that coordinates with Dr. McMenomy's literature classes.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | Introduction to Writing for the College-bound (or equivalent course/experience). Familiarity with basic English grammar.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | The focus each year will be different enough from the focus of the previous year that students may re-take this course and learn new information.
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Textbooks and Materials
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The Elements of Style
William Strunk, Jr., E.B. White
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 020530902X
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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The Norton Field Guide to Writing
Richard Bullock
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0393977765
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
Other information: This is also referred to as "Package edition (September 18, 2005)." The Norton Field Guide to Writing With Readings is not required for this course.
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Writing Workshop II • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 7 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from February 1, 2009 to June 7, 2009Dates and times to be arranged with enrolled students.Tuition: $120.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | The writing workshop is a place where students can get unbiased opinions to answer the burning questions: "Is this piece of writing good?" and "How do I make it better?" Students post writing projects and receive helpful suggestions from the instructor and other students about ways to improve their work. The work the students post can be fiction or non-fiction and the source of the writing can be assignments from other classes, topics based on materials from Scholars Online literature courses, or writing the student is doing on his or her own. There are links to ideas for new writing projects if the student does not have anything currently in work.
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Meetings
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| | Please contact instructor for information on how often the course will meet online in chat.
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Homework
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| | Students will post work once per month, and do at least two assessments of others' work once per month (depending on the number of students in the class). The work is posted anonymously. The work can be a different piece each month, revised versions of the same piece, or part of a large piece. Students will be limited to posting 10 pages per month -- no posting an entire novel at once! Students are expected to read posted information about the basics of various genres in order to give intelligent critiques of the variety of writing that will be posted. Students can do this reading at the time they critique a piece in a specific genre.
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Prerequisites
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| | No special background required.
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Students will sign up for the workshop on a half-yearly basis, and may sign up for either or both (Writing Workshop I for September through the end of January; then Writing Workshop II for February through the beginning of June) Students are expected to follow the course's guidelines for peer reviews. Students should also be willing to give and take recommendations with grace.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Advanced Writing for the College-bound • 2008 listing - for reference only • Grade 8 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 5, 2008 to June 5, 2009Friday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $420.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | This course builds on the lessons learned in Writing for the College-bound, but takes students to a higher level of skill and refinement in writing. The class focuses on research and academic writing, writing for publication (magazines, journals), and writing in an area of the student's choice such as various forms of fiction, poetry, technical writing, scientific writing, journalism, or creative non-fiction.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | The homework will be somewhat dependent on the needs and desires of each student. However, this is an advanced course, so students can expect to spend several hours a week doing research, reviews, reading, and writing. The work will include three to four long papers or several short papers (depending on the student's choice), regular reading and in-class discussions (students might be called upon to lead discussions), and regular reviews of work done by students in Introduction to Writing for the College-bound.
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Prerequisites
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| | Writing for the College-bound 2006
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Recommended background
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| | Students must have taken Writing for the College-bound, have taken an equivalent course, or have equivalent writing experience. It is also highly recommended that students take Rhetoric, Grammar, and Style before or concurrently with this course, or at least plan to take an equivalent course before entering college.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Students are encouraged to use writing topics based on other courses. Students may repeat this course as desired.
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Textbooks and Materials
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Handbook for Academic Authors (Edition: 4)
Beth Luey
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0521891981
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing
Claire Kehrwald Cook
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0395389445
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Writer's Market 2008
Robert Lee Brewer (Editor), Chuck Sambuchino (Editor)
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 1582974969
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Student Publications • Offering for 2009 • Grade 7 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 10, 2009 to May 27, 2010Thursday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $425.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | Students will have hands-on experience in producing three publications: a student newspaper, an end-of-year literary magazine, and a yearbook. Students develop abilities in gathering information; writing copy, captions, and headlines; doing different types of editing and assessment; understanding components of quality photography and design. Students assume responsibility for planning and producing the publications.
At the completion of the course, students will be able to:
- develop story ideas, write, and publish a newspaper under deadline pressure,
- manage others and/or work as effective team members,
- compile a portfolio containing published work.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | Students' assignments will vary according to the number of students in the class and according to the roles and responsibilities the students choose to take on. Weekly assignments might include writing, editing, or information-gathering.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Textbook information will be added later.
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Textbooks and Materials
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Scholastic Journalism (Edition: 11)
Rolnicki, Tate, and Taylor
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 1405144157
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Molding Your Argument • Offering for 2009 • Grade 8 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Bruce McMenomyClasses meet from June 17, 2009 to August 12, 2009Wednesday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ETTuition: $140.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | Modeled on "Molding Your Prose", this course involves developing a sequence of arguments from the same topics by varying their structure to correspond to a range of pre-defined forms, from simple thesis statements and simple paragraphs, through the five-paragraph essay, the Thomistic scholastic model, and the Roman rhetorical outline applied by Cicero and his contemporaries.
|
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
|
|
|
|
Homework
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| | At the beginning of the summer, each student selects a controversial position on which he or she will be willing to argue both sides. We therefore tend to exclude morally volatile issues.
Each week, students present their arguments from one side or another of the question, according to the formula for that week, and post them on the class bulletin board. They then prepare critiques of each other's work in round-robin fashion, and discuss how each work fulfills the demands of the form.
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|
Prerequisites
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| | None, though this course naturally builds on "Molding Your Prose". The course may be re-taken with profit.
|
|
|
|
Recommended background
| |
| | Some familiarity with writing about expository matters is useful, but not required.
|
|
|
|
Instructor's Notes
| |
| | No materials are required for this course. The course has been offered to enthusiastic classes for three years previously.
|
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Textbooks and Materials
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|
There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Molding Your Prose • Offering for 2009 • Grade 7 or above • [Summer course]
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Bruce McMenomyClasses meet from June 16, 2009 to August 11, 2009Tuesday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ETTuition: $140.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | This course fosters familiarity with the writing process by asking the student to write a sequence of exercises based on the same basic narrative material. Along the way, students learn that written material does not steer itself: it can be adapted almost infinitely to a variety of forms and requirements. In this respect, it is an introduction to both other writing courses and to literary study.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | At the beginning of the summer, each student chooses a simple story, like a fairy tale or a classic fable. Each week throughout the course, he or she rewrites the story according to a different set of criteria, and posts it to the bulletin board for the course. Students are assigned one other student's story each week to review for the next week's discussion in class, on a round-robin basis so that, over the course of the summer, most students have reviewed most other students' work.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | Any previous writing experience would be helpful, though advanced writers might profit more from another course in the "Molding Your..." sequence
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Instructor's Notes
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| | "Molding Your Prose" has served as an introductory writing course, and an introduction to Dr. McMenomy's courses for the last ten years.
No materials are required for this course.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Introduction to Playwriting • Offering for 2009 • Grade 9 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 8, 2009 to May 24, 2010Monday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $425.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | The class begins with writing short pieces such as skits, and progresses to longer pieces such as one-act plays or full-length plays. Students also read scripts of classic and modern plays, watch them on DVD or video, write reviews, and compare notes with classmates. For extra credit students can recruit actors and direct and film one skit; recruit enough actors (friends/relatives) to do a reading of the short one-act play and revise the play based on the reading; or attend a live play and write a review of the play. By the end of the year students will have a grasp of basic playwriting, a working knowledge of some classic and modern plays, and an appreciation for the potential of drama as ministry.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | Weekly writing and reading assignments that will lead to completing progressively longer pieces. Monthly play-reading/play-watching assignments and written reviews. Weekly meetings with classmates and teacher.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Students should have access to a video or DVD player, and a good source for videos or DVDs that you're not likely to find in the average video store. Students should also have a source for a variety of scripts -- they will have a long list of choices for doing their monthly reviews. I recommend Netflix and a good library.
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Textbooks and Materials
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The Art and Craft of Playwriting
Jeffrey Hatcher
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 1884910467
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore; amazon.com
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Rhetoric, Grammar, and Style • Offering for 2009 • Grade 9 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 11, 2009 to January 15, 2010Friday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $325.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | This class focuses on the elements of the craft of writing: rhetoric, grammar, and style. Students will study how to meet a rhetorical end through the effective use of words and their structural relationships (grammar), and through pleasing and clear arrangements of those words (style).
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | This course will include weekly reading and assignments, stylistic analyses, and writing. The writing includes one or two major papers and a final essay and exam.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | Students in grade 8 may enroll only with the instructor's permission.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | This is a one-semester course. Textbook information to be added later.
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Textbooks and Materials
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Rhetorical Choices: A Reader for Writers (Edition: 2)
Gilyard, Holdestein, Schuster
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0321444922
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace (Edition: 8)
Williams
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0321288319
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
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The Elements of Style
Strunk and White
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| | This text is recommended; purchase and use is optional.
ISBN: 0205313426
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
Other information: Any edition is acceptable.
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Introduction to Writing for the College-bound • Offering for 2009 • Grade 6 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 9, 2009 to May 25, 2010Tuesday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $425.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | In this introduction to the writing process, students will learn the basic steps required to write quality work in a variety of styles such as various forms of essays, news articles, letters (or e-mails), and basic short fiction and poetry if time allows. We will review the stages of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revision, and presentation/publication), and discuss the mechanics of writing in the context of the student's own work.
We will focus on short pieces in this class to keep the student writing regularly and to encourage quality in small works so the student is prepared to work on longer pieces in future classes.
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | Homework includes: weekly lessons (in class and online reading) on mechanics, the "art" of writing, and types of writing; weekly short essays or stories in various styles; periodic in-class discussions of each student's work (the "author's chair"); and a final portfolio of the students work.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | No special background required.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Students may take this course in asyncrhonous mode by doing all the coursework but not attending the live chat sessions. Students would be expected to read the log of the chat sessions. Instructor's permission is required.
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Textbooks and Materials
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There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.
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| | Check instructor's notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.
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Writing for the College-bound • Offering for 2009 • Grade 7 or above
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Primary Instructor
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Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
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| | Section 1 Instructor: Jill ByingtonClasses meet from September 10, 2009 to May 26, 2010Wednesday 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM ETTuition: $425.00
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Website
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| | There is currently no teacher website for this course.
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Description
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| | In this introduction to dialectic writing course you will:
- Write short articles and essays in various non-fiction forms such as exposition, argument, description, narration, memoir, and scientific/technical writing.
- Gain knowledge by editing your own and others' work and receiving feedback from the instructor.
- Learn the essentials of non-fiction writing: Voice, thesis, organization, development, semantics, and logic.
- Revise, revise, revise!
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Meetings
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| | This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
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Homework
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| | One to two essays per month; two peer evaluations of each assigned essay; weekly lessons or quizzes; class meetings once a week. For each type of paper students receive a suggested list of topics. For many papers, students may choose an alternate but related topic that coordinates with Dr. McMenomy's literature classes or other outside class.
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Prerequisites
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Recommended background
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| | Introduction to Writing for the College-bound (or equivalent course/experience). Familiarity with basic English grammar.
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Instructor's Notes
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| | Students are encouraged to incorporate topics from other courses where appropriate. Students may take this course in asyncrhonous mode by doing all the coursework but not attending the live chat sessions. Students would be expected to read the log of the chat sessions. Instructor's permission is required.
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Textbooks and Materials
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The Norton Field Guide to Writing
Richard Bullock
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| | This text is required.
ISBN: 0393977765
Best sources: Scholars Online Bookstore
Other information: This is also referred to as "Package edition (September 18, 2005)." The Norton Field Guide to Writing With Readings is not required for this course.
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Related courses
The following courses in other sequences may also be of interest to students of writing. You will find each course listed on the enrollment form under its own sequence.
| To enroll in any of the courses listed above, log into your Scholars Online Account Management Center using the login link at the bottom of any page and select the member you wish to enroll. If you do not have an account, you may create one using the Membership and Enrollment link in the SiteMap to the left of any page. |
