Description
Course Description:
This class is intended for students who need practice with the mechanics of writing. These are the tools they need in order to do well on the ACT and SAT, and also to write papers at college.
The class will cover punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, and proofreading using a variety of online, self-grading resources. (For the resources that require paid subscriptions, this will be included as part of the cost – you don’t need to pay anything more). It also includes instruction relating to literary devices so that students have the knowledge they need to write analytical essays.
Students will learn to write the following 4 types of essays:
- Personal
- Comparative
- Persuasive
- Analytical
Students will learn to peer review each other’s essays, make improvements and then be graded by a teacher.
Instructor: Meryl van der Merwe (Meryl@fundafunda.com)
For: Grades 8 -9
Hours: 4 – 5 hours each week
Credit Hours: 1 High School Credit
Syllabus: Available here
Fall Dates: August 19 – Dec 13 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)
Spring Dates: January 6 – May 2 (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)
View One Module Here
Kate Passwater –
This was a very helpful writing class. I took this class my first semester as an 8th grader (Fall 2020), and now as an incoming freshman I feel confident and prepared for high school English.
The grammar component of this class was hard and rigorous, but I learned a lot from it, even after taking grammar since second grade.
The essay portion was very well explained, and since I had never written an analytical, persuasive, or comparative essay before, this class explained how to write each style of essay in detail through videos and websites. Peer reviews were really helpful when writing the first draft of an essay, and after submitting the final draft, Mrs. van der Merwe gave really helpful comments on making the essay better.
The website used for the vocabulary was fun to use and there were always interesting lists like cooking words or words used for hearing.
This class taught me a lot, and I would highly recommend it.