Talk to me about your HS Writing curriculum

[theelfqueen]

So, I'm thinking we may need something a little more formal than what we are doing now but we're not really interested in an online class (Don't want the schedule restrictions that may impose). I overheard someone going over some lessons with their children at our co-op/enrichment group that sounded interesting. The kids had short readings that they were identifying certain qualities within, and doing some specific rewrites for more active voice and more specific adjectives, etc. I don't know what it was but it was in a 3ring binder and sounded kind of appealing.

 

If you're using writing spines, or purchased but self-implemented curricula, tell me about it.

 

What kind of work is your kid doing? What's the approximate workload? How do you feel about it?

Edited February 17, 2016 by theelfqueen

[8filltheheart]

This yr I am going through Patterns for College Writing with my 8th and 11th graders. It has been a good resource for talking about strengths/weaknesses of various styles.

https://porterewhs.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/89919356/Patterns_For_College_Writing_Laurie_G_Kriszner_12th_Edition.compressed.pdf

(Fwiw, I own a hard copy of the book.)

 

ETA: I do not give them writing assignments from the book. We take the structures being discusses and apply them to assignments from their own courses (lit or history.)

Edited February 17, 2016 by 8FillTheHeart

[SilverMoon]

Writing With a Thesis could work. My teens have both used parts of it. We read through the small samples and discuss them. Then they'd practice the skill in an assignment I'd give them.

[freesia]

I have my eye on Sharon Watson's Power in Your Hands for my second.

 

My first used Writing Aids from Tapestry, but that's curriculum specific. He also did 6 weeks of classes from Attune-up online. This year he is doing IEWs Student Writing Intensive Course C. He is doing persuasive essays, re-writes in different styles, a research paper, biographical writing, essay test skills, interview essay and literary analysis. We have scheduled it so it averages about 2 hours a week.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Shannon has worked through Writing With a Thesis this year in 8th, but it would definitely be appropriate for high school (it's a college level rhetoric book).  It focuses on the rhetorical purpose of writing, and then goes through 10 different types of essays, talks about how to write them, and provides 1 student sample and multiple professional samples.  We've gone through the book in ~20 weeks, taking two weeks with each chapter, one to read and discuss the instructions and the models, and one for her to write each type of essay. It's been awesome. Her essay-writing skills have really developed over the course of the year.

 

Next up, I think we'll go through A Rulebook for Arguments, and then They Say, I Say.  Patterns for College Writing is on my radar for later, as is The New Oxford Guide to Writing.

[helena]

We're working through They Say, I Say.  :thumbup1: