Elegant Essay

Description

Suppose your junior or senior high student has been through Level B or C of the Student Writing Intensive (SWI) seminar and has a good understanding of how to write a paragraph using topic and clincher sentences. He may even have a little bit of experience with essay writing but you feel he needs more instruction and practice with essays. This course is for you! Focusing specifically on the structure and content of essay writing, it's an extension and refinement of IEW's Unit VIII (the formal essay). Utilizing a four-step teaching strategy which includes preliminary instruction, modeling, practice with help, and "on your own" work, this ten-week course by Lesha Myers takes the student step-by-step through the essay-writing process. Teaching units include thesis statements, essay organization, transitions, introductions, and conclusions and end with descriptive and persuasive essay practice. Revised for 2011, the Teacher's Manual is now separate from the Student Book and includes additional teacher material specifically useful for co-op classes - class schedules and more information on teaching methods. Student Books contain the student pages from the previous edition with additional pages for taking class notes. The two books are designed to be interactive, and both are required to complete the course successfully.

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.