(083) Academic Writing (9-10)
This course will introduce students to the art of writing – creative, academic, expository, literary analysis, and researched writing. Students will learn to identify and articulate a text’s central issue and argument (the art of argumentation), create their own central issues and arguments, and express and practice argumentation in several genres of writing styles (again, creative, academic, expository, literary analysis, and researched writing). Students will master secondary-school writing, writing for test-taking, and collegiate level writing. Students will write creative works, master the art of the five-paragraph or expository essay (for high school, college, and test-taking), write succesful literary analyses, and produce shorter and longer researched essays. We’ll use an array of techniques to internalize these skills. We’ll write in every class period. We’ll read critical works about writing and writing skills. And, we’ll produce our own writings for homework, major assignments, and tests. Students will master the art of writing for high school, test-taking, and college and acquire a sense of artful writing which will be of use to them in the scholastic, professional, scholarly, and creative worlds.
(075) College Writing and Presentation (11-12)
This course is designed to prepare students for the rigors of college writing. Students continue to work with MLA format and are introduced to APA format. Students learn to enhance their writing skills by focusing on format and development of details. A writing workshop-style of teaching is used, requiring students to complete multiple steps including peer and self-edits. This course prepares students for public speaking and presentations that will be expected of them in college, and encourages students to overcome public speaking anxiety and develop strong delivery skills.
(076) Graduate Capstone Project (12-PG)
This course is designed to develop college-level writing skills with a focus on research. Students will learn to be aware of the perspectives of others and use those perspectives to examine their own insights on strong topics. They will practice making intentional choices while learning to defend and justify their logic while connecting ideas and concepts across disciplines. Students will choose and explore a topic, issue, or idea of individual interest while designing a year-long study to answer a research question in 5,000 words or more.
(084) Graduate Seminar (12-PG)
Graduate Seminar is designed to allow PG students an opportunity to explore a wide variety of personal and academic topics that will assist them in their future academic and professional careers. Some topics include: test taking and college preparatory skills, collegiate learning strategies, time and stress management skills, ethics, conflict resolution, and mindfulness will be explored through real-world simulations and in-class exercises. Upon completion of this class, students will be prepared to enter their respective colleges and universities with an increased level of confidence in their organizational, academic, and life-management skills.