Writing and Research for High School
Course Overview
In this course, student will be taken step-by-step through the process of writing three types of academic research papers. In the first unit, they’ll complete a close reading of a literary passage and then use that as the basis for writing an organized literary analysis essay. The focus of this unit will be teaching students the basics of organizing any academic essay. They’ll learn the function and components of introduction and conclusion paragraphs, all of the structural elements of body paragraphs, how to select and embed high quality evidence, and how to write effective analysis.
In the second unit, students will add in the research component. They’ll learn how to navigate research databases, how to conduct internet searches, and how to evaluate the sources they find there. They’ll learn all about citation—creating works cited pages, creating in-text (parenthetical) citations, and even writing annotated bibliographies. They’ll revisit the basic organizational components of academic writing, and they’ll learn how expository analysis differs from argumentative analysis. They’ll wrap up this unit by learning how to format their papers using the MLA stylebook.
In the final unit, students will learn how to write an argumentative research paper. They will use all of the technical knowledge they’ve already gained to help them make a more complex argument. They’ll begin by learning how to write an effective research question. Then they’ll return to the research process to learn how to more closely evaluate sources. They’ll learn both to vet an author of a research source, and how to evaluate the quality of the argument and an author’s line of reasoning. From there, students will learn how to present their arguments in this more complex essay type for maximum effectiveness.
Throughout each unit, students will read and evaluate real student samples, be tasked with completing their own writing projects, and be guided through editing and review of their work. By the close of the course, students will have written three full academic research papers.
This course includes:
• 3 UNITS
• 23 VIDEO LESSONS
• 13 WRITING PRACTICE REVIEW VIDEOS
• 8 ONLINE QUIZZES
• 8 QUIZ KEYS
• 44 COURSE DOCUMENTS
• 20 ADDITIONAL PRACTICE EXERCISES
• 10 HOURS OF VIDEO LESSONS
Course Goals
Upon course completion, students will be able to:
o Conduct internet and database research
o Evaluate the reliability of sources
o Evaluate the quality of arguments
o Evaluate the reliability of authors
o Write bibliographic entries
o Write annotated bibliographies
o Embed and cite sources
o Format papers according to MLA stylebook rules
o Write quality research questions
o Write clear thesis statements
o Select effective evidence
o Write high-quality analysis
o Organize a standard academic essay
o Organize an argumentative research paper
o Write focused, effective introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions
o Carefully edit and review their writing
Target Audience
This video-course is primarily intended for high school students in grades 9-12.
Course Requirements
Students taking this course will need to have a working knowledge of sentence structure and the rules of grammar and mechanics prior to starting the course. In order to have success in this course, it will be important for students to:
o watch all video lessons carefully (and repeat if necessary)
o complete the writing assignments
o carefully review written work along with the review videos
o get comfortable with re-reading and changing your work!
Course Units
Unit 1: Writing a Single-Source Literary Analysis Essay
Lesson 1A: Analysis of a Literary Passage
Lesson 1B: Writing an Introductory Paragraph
o Lesson 1: Review
Lesson 2: Selecting Evidence and Writing Analysis
o Lesson 2: Review
Lesson 3: Organizing Body Paragraphs
o Lesson 3: Review
Lesson 4: Integrating Quotations
o Lesson 4: Review
Lesson 5: Writing Conclusion Paragraphs
o Lesson 5: Review
Unit 2: Writing an Expository Research Paper
Lesson 1: Database Research
Lesson 2: Internet Research
Lesson 3: Works Cited Basics
o Lesson 3: Review
Lesson 4: Citing Print Sources
Lesson 5: Writing an Annotated Bibliography
o Lesson 5: Review
Lesson 6: Organizing and Outlining a Research Paper
o Lesson 6: Review
Lesson 7: Writing Introductory Paragraph for Expository Essays
o Lesson 7: Review
Lesson 8: Introducing and Embedding Quotations and Creating Parenthetical Citations
Lesson 9: The Structure of Body Paragraphs
Lesson 10: Writing Analysis for Expository Essays
o Lesson 8-10: Review
Lesson 11: Writing Conclusion Paragraphs
o Lesson 11: Review
Lesson 12: MLA Formatting
o Lesson 12: Review
Unit 3: Writing an Argumentative Research Paper
Lesson 1: Writing a Research Question
o Lesson 1: Review
Lesson 2: Vetting the Author
Lesson 3: Evaluating your Sources
Lesson 4: Writing an Argumentative Thesis
o Lesson 4: Review
Lesson 5: Organization of Argumentative Essays
o Lesson 5: Review
Lesson 6: Writing Introductory Paragraphs
o Lesson 6: Review
Lesson 7: Presenting Pros and Cons
o Lesson 7: Review
Lesson 8: Writing Conclusion Paragraphs
o Lesson 8: Review
Lesson 9: Final Notes
