Senior Course (14 yrs and up), $325, 14 week course– Prerequisite: Intro to High School Writing
(If an interested student can demonstrate sufficient writing ability at a high school level, they can contact Nicole Noster, nicole@wisdomhomeschooling.com, for a possible exemption from the prerequisite.)
Sharpen the sword of your thought and make it clear, strategic, and effective! Writing an essay is so much more than cover pages and footnotes – it's the process of bringing truth to life in ink on the page! This simple, hands-on course demystifies the essay-writing process, walking students through the mechanics of writing argumentative, research, personal, and literary essays in a practical way. Students complete a writing assignment every week and study stellar examples of great writing to inspire their own work. They meet in class with other students to discuss the writing process, and receive a short private tutorial time weekly with the tutor.
Extra private 30 minute tutorials are available upon request. (Cost: $25/tutorial)
Please contact Nicole Noster to receive more information or to book additional tutorials: nicole@wisdomhomeschooling.com
All readings and course material are provided to students in an online format below.
Practice Week: Strong Thesis Statements, Pt. 1 (Write several strong theses with counter arguments)
- Lesson: Strong Thesis Statements
- Readings:
- The Cynic: Can't We Be Cynical About Cynicism? (Peter Kreeft, The Journey: A Spiritual Roadmap for Modern Pilgrims, Chapter Three)
- Argument (The Writing Centre at UNC-Chapel Hill)
- Audience (The Writing Centre at UNC-Chapel Hill)
- Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument (The University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)
Week 1: Testing and Refining Your Argument (Write a mock Summa article)
- Lesson: Testing and Refining Your Argument
- Readings:
- Tips for Reading Summa Articles
- Three Articles from The Summa Theologica (Whether All Vows Are Binding, Whether There Is a Sin in Lack of Mirth, Whether the Fellowship of Friends is Necessary for Happiness – Thomas Aquinas)
Week 2: Outlining as Thinking & Body Paragraphs (Write the outline for a short paper on the same topic as last week's summa-style argument)
- Lesson: Outlines & Body Paragraphs
- Readings:
- The Good Schoolmaster (Thomas Fuller)
What is the structure of the argument? How are the paragraphs related to one another? - Writing an Outline
- Paragraphs (UNC Chapel Hill)
- The Good Schoolmaster (Thomas Fuller)
Week 3: Paragraphing: Transition Paragraphs, Introductions, Conclusions (Write the essay for last week's outline)
- Lesson: Introduction & Conclusion Paragraphs
- Readings:
- Arete & Achilles: Homer as the Foundation of Ancient Greek Education
The point of this reading is to understand the structure of the essay–where is the thesis? How many paragraphs is the introduction? What is the function of each? Does each body paragraph have a thesis statement? Which paragraphs are transitions? How does the writer conclude? You do not need to read the entire essay to understand the structure. Try printing it and reading quickly with a pencil in hand–mark each element, answering the questions, as you read. Try to get through at least 2-3 pages. - Introductions (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, College of Arts and Sciences, Writing Centre)
- Conclusions (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, College of Arts and Sciences, Writing Centre)
- Transitions (AIMS Community College Online Writing Lab)
- Arete & Achilles: Homer as the Foundation of Ancient Greek Education
Week 4: The Compare & Contrast Essay (Write a compare & contrast essay with an interesting title)
- Lesson: The Compare & Contrast Essay
- Readings:
This week you must read two accounts of King Arthur's death. The situation is this – Mordred, King Arthur's villainous son, has come to challenge his father in battle with a great army.
- Le Morte d'Arthur: The Death of Arthur (Thomas Malory)
- Idylls of the King: The Death of Arthur (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)
- Comparing and Contrasting (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Centre)
- MLA style (Purdue OWL) Please look over the "in text citation" section and the "bibliography" section before class.
Week 5: The Research Paper, Part 1: Finding & Refining a Research Question (Formulate a research question, begin research, write half of an annotated bibliography)
***Talk to your parents about planning a trip to your local library (or a university library, if available!) this week or next!***
- Lesson: Research & Proper Citation, Part 1
- Readings:
- How to Write a Research Question (George Mason University)
- 10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research Project (Scribbr)
- A Guide to Annotated Bibliographies (George Mason University)
- How to Evaluate Information Resources (Memorial University)
- How to Evaluate Web Pages (Memorial University)
You do not need to read the following references for class, but you will find them essential for knowing how to write citations for your upcoming assignments.
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- MLA In-Text Citation: The Basics (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing a Book (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing a Periodical (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing a Web Source (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing an Interview or Personal Communication (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- How to Cite the Bible
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Week 6: The Research Paper, Part 2: Deepening Research (Finish annotated bibliography and write a detailed outline; visit to a college/university library is highly recommended)
- Lesson: Research & Proper Citation, Part 2
- Readings:
- A Bitter Penance (Forbes)
- Google Scholar: The Ultimate Guide (Paperpile)
- 8 Tips for Effective Internet Research (Web Writer Spotlight)
- How to Search Academic Databases (The Nature of Writing)
- Library Resources for Alberta, Canada (Please familiarize yourself with these sources–you won't use all of them, but they are all good sources to help you find additional information about your research topic.)
Week 7: The Research Paper, Part 3: Writing Your Paper, Citing Your Sources (Write the research paper)
- Lesson: Research & Proper Citation, Part 3
- Readings:
- Excerpts from The Epigrams (Martial)
Martial was a Roman poet (from what is now Spain) who lived in the first century AD. - Plagiarism – What It Is and How to Avoid It (Indiana University Bloomington)
- MLA Formatting Quotations (Purdue OWL)
- Review MLA Citation from Week 5
- MLA In-Text Citation: The Basics (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing a Book (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing a Periodical (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing a Web Source (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- Citing an Interview or Personal Communication (MLA) (Purdue Writing Lab)
- How to Cite the Bible
- Excerpts from The Epigrams (Martial)
Week 8: The Expository Essay (Write an expository essay; focus on writing in sections, varying sentence and paragraph length, and using vivid examples)
- Lesson: The Expository Essay
- Readings:
- The Music of the Spheres, or the Metaphysics of Music (Robert R. Reilly)
This is a really fascinating essay in its content, but do also pay attention to its structure: What is its thesis? How long is the intro? How many sections is the general argument broken into? How does Reilly transition from section to section, from paragraph to paragraph? - The Ambition of the Short Story (Steven Millhauser)
Please read this with an ear for vivacity of expression and images.
- The Music of the Spheres, or the Metaphysics of Music (Robert R. Reilly)
Week 9: The Cause & Effect Essay (Write a cause & effect essay)
- Lesson: The Cause & Effect Essay
- Reading:
- Cause and Effect Essay (Essay Info Writing Guides)
- Slippery Slope Fallacy (The Nizkor Project)
- Post Hoc Fallacy (Fallacy Files)
- Spurious Correlations (Tyler Vigen)
Week 10: The Personal Essay (Write a personal essay)
- Lesson: The Personal Essay
- Reading:
- On Running After One's Hat (Chesterton)
- Transfiguration (Annie Dillard)
Please read the introductory notes "The Writing Process" and the essay, "Transfiguration." The final part, "How I Wrote the Moth Essay–And Why," is a helpful reflection on the process of writing a personal essay, and it is recommended, but not required, reading. - On Keeping a Notebook (Joan Didion)
Where in this essay does Didion get to "the point"? - Her Pillow and Memorial Dayand Memorial Day (Brian Doyle)
Week 11: Revision (Choose a paper from this semester to revise)
- Lesson: Revision
- Readings:
- How to Write with Style (Kurt Vonnegut)
- The Elements of Style (William Strunk)
Please at least skim the "Elementary Rules of Usage," even if you think you are grammatically proficient. Do read the "Elementary Principles of Composition" thoroughly and thoughtfully as well as the final chapters. - Revision Checklist 1 (Writing Centre at UNC Chapel Hill)
- Revision Checklist 2 (Centre for Writing, University of Minnesota)
Week 12: Essay Synthesis, Part 1 (Write a paper proposal, proposed bibliography, and begin research)
- Lesson: Essay Synthesis, Part 1
- Readings:
- Why I Love Writing Essays (Emilio Ghloum)
- Example Essay Proposal
Week 13: Essay Synthesis, Part 2 (Write a paper outline and a rough draft)
- Lesson: Essay Synthesis, Part 2
- Readings:
- The White Rose, A Lesson in Dissent (Jacob G. Hornberger, Jewish Virtual Library)
- The Fourth and Sixth Leaflets (The White Rose Society, 1943)
Week 14: Essay Synthesis, Part 3 (Finish final draft of paper)
- Lesson: Essay Synthesis, Part 3
- Readings: (Review readings from Week 11 below.)
- How to Write with Style (Kurt Vonnegut)
- The Elements of Style (William Strunk)
Please at least skim the "Elementary Rules of Usage," even if you think you are grammatically proficient. Do read the "Elementary Principles of Composition" thoroughly and thoughtfully as well as the final chapters. - Revision Checklist 1 (Writing Centre at UNC Chapel Hill)
- Revision Checklist 2 (Centre for Writing, University of Minnesota)