Composition I Invention & Persusasion

Description

The most impressive thing I noticed about this program from Veritas is the variety of assignments. The writing prompts are well thought-out and well-directed, but the topics are both timely and timeless. In a lesson on the effectiveness of advertising, students remark on a popular chicken restaurant and their animal-centered ads. Being a critical reader leads to being an effective writer, and the lessons mix traditional writing instruction with engaging text. Students are encouraged to have opinions and communicate them effectively. A strong writer can pretty much use this course independently. The parent/teacher role is to give specific feedback, encourage your writer, and be an audience for them. There are 40 lessons and the teacher guide has reduced student pages plus tips for the lessons below. Suggested schedules in the back include a 2-day option and a 5-day plan. Basic grading rubrics in the teacher guide offer loose guidance for grading essays. Instruction is from the writers of World Magazine, so it is recommended that you have it or other magazines with images and ads, plus a dictionary and thesaurus. For a student interested in pursuing journalism, this will likely be their favorite course! The hardbound teacher guide is 357 pages, and the softbound student text is 312 pages. ~Sara

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.
Religious Content
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
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.