Course Sample for Our Writing Life: Learn to Write Well Homeschool Course
UNIT 1
Introduction to Writing: Writing for Life, for school, and for basic skills
Week 1: The importance of writing well in all walks of life
Welcome! You are starting a year-long curriculum that will help prepare you for your future careers in two ways:
- Writing with publication in mind: becoming a professional writer
- Writing well: good written skills will improve your performance in whatever career you choose
Let’s start with point #2. The better you can express yourself verbally and in writing, the further your career can progress. You can speak for yourself, sell your product, train others, verbalize ideas, write reports, make sense of statistics, or even prepare a speech that helps a candidate win an election.
The written word also increases your chances for success at school. As you complete high school, and possibly go on to college and graduate school, you will do more and more writing. We’ll spend a week in this unit reviewing writing skills needed for a successful education.
Before we learn how to write better, however, we have to begin at the starting line. You probably already have the first two writing tools in your possession. First, a writer must first read, read, read. Secondly, a writer must write, write, write.
To that end, you will be asked to read one book during each unit and to write a book report (later we’ll ask for a book review). For this first unit, I recommend a book of between 250–300 pages. For this unit, I place no restrictions on your choice of book.
The best way to establish the writing habit is to keep a daily journal. Writing longhand or typing online, it’s your choice. I like to work with a pretty journal cover myself. Write a minimum of five minutes a day or up to three pages. Turn them in at the end of each week.
Your teacher may choose to give you a journal prompt. My suggestion is to learn to simply let your thoughts flow, and they don’t have to make sense. It’s even okay to write, “I don’t know what to write about.” Your entry might read something like “I was going to have the last packet of bananas and cream oatmeal, but my brother ate it first. He’s always borrowing my things. Boy, that football game he played in was exciting. I wonder if my favorite team will go to the Super Bowl this year.”
Weekly Assignments:
- Write and turn in your daily journal pages.
- Choose your book for this unit’s book report.
- Choose five career fields. Research the job requirements and skills. Is communication of some sort included, whether video, written, or spoken. If so, what are they looking for?
- Write a 500-word essay detailing what you learned about writing as part of adult life.
Extra Credit:
- Write a 500-word essay about how writing well would improve your grades and help you to learn more.
Enhanced Learning Activities:
- Interview two or three people in different occupations. If possible, find someone in the field you are interested in pursuing as a career. Ask them about the role of writing/communication in their job.
- Study resumes online (https://www.livecareer.com/resume-search/) and track the importance placed on writing, such as: research assistant, fleet maintenance supervisor, patient communication specialist, fresh food associate at Walmart, national television copy coordinator.
To view a full sample of this course, click here.
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