This eight-week class will introduce middle school writers to the art of descriptive writing. Through the course lessons, students will learn the difference between narrative and descriptive writing, and the importance of specific detail, clarity, conciseness, and unity. In addition to an initial diagnostic assignment, students in this course will compose two descriptive papers in three drafts each.

Note: The assignments and lesson content of this course significantly overlap Middle School Writing 1. We therefore do not recommend this course for students who have completed Middle School Writing 1.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students who complete the course will be able to…

• write effective descriptive papers.

• respond to coach feedback on their writing through revising and proofreading.

• understand and apply concepts like specific detail, clarity, conciseness, and unity.

• engage the writing process by employing the following five steps in composing every paper: prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, publishing.

• improve their descriptive writing across a wide range of broad evaluative areas, including content, style and form.