Subject Area:             English           

Course Title:              Senior Composition               

Course Length:          Year

Grade Level:              12       

 

Major Concepts:

The student will be able succeed at college freshman writing by learning to use writing as a tool for personal and academic inquiry.  Emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking skills.

 

Content:

The content shall include but is not limited to the following:
  • Review of the writing process, especially revision
  • Descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and expository writing
  • Researchable questions
  • Fully-documented research paper
  • APA and MLA documentation
  • Field of Dreams as myth
  • Hamlet
  • “To Build a Fire”
  • “The Scarlet Ibis”
  • Seven college bound novels
  • College writing project
  • ACT review
  • 20 Patterns for styling sentences

 

Special Note:

This class is designed for students who are planning to attend college and are capable of working independently from time to time.  Students taking this course should be willing to devote two to three hours a week to homework in order to succeed in the class.

 

Intended Outcomes:

After successfully completing this course, the student will be able to:

  • Write a well-supported, grammatically correct essay with a thesis, development and unity showing understanding of descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and expository writing that goes beyond the five paragraph format.
  • Compare/contrast and synthesize ideas from a variety of literature selections
  • Analyze character, point of view, setting, theme, structure, and style
  • Research and write a seven to ten page, fully documented paper

 

Grading:

Students will be graded on the following criteria:

  • Basic proficiency at writing essays and other purpose-driven writing forms
  • Quizzes and tests measuring knowledge of a skill, concept, or plot
  • Daily journal as a means of developing writing fluency
  • Semester writing portfolio accompanied by a reflective essay