Core Language Arts Classes
Students learn
- How to recognize more complex parts of speech
- How to build a variety of sentences
- How to revise sentences both for cleaner and more complex writing
- How to use more formal vocabulary for academic writing
- How to write effective essays following an organized (five paragraph or otherwise) essay structure
- How to further develop introductory paragraphs and conclusions
- How to make sure that each body paragraph ties back to the thesis statement and offers adequate support for points raised
- How to write short research papers using MLA citation style (2-5 pages)
- Skills for revision as well as for critiquing the writing of others and offering constructive feedback
- How to write under timed conditions
- Basic strategies for overcoming writer's block
- How to discuss writing styles
- How to build on foundational skills as applied to creative and real-world writing, so that students can produce more sophisticated creative work
- Understand the basic/classic forms of rhyme patterns and meter
- How to identify symbolism and motifs
- Use of the basic literary terminology listed above in writing about or discussing works of literature
- Reinforce basic literary terminology, such as protagonist, antagonist, foreshadowing, imagery, mood/climate, alliteration, metaphor, flashback, simile, stanza, verse, pun, onomatopoeia, meter, rhyme, rhythm, genre, point of view, as well as the plot terms: exposition, attack, rising action, conflict, crisis, resolution and denouement.
- More advanced literary terminology: M.D.Q. (most dramatic question), assonance, blank verse, consonance, allusion, connotation, denotation, diction, voice, hyperbole, oxymoron, personification, inference, dramatic irony, verbal irony, situational irony, catastrophe, style, tone, allegory, analogy, round and flat characters, foil characters, prologue, epilogue, parody, repetition, cliché, figurative language (as a category), iamb, iambic pentameter
- Development of SAT vocabulary
- How to write a basic 2-4 page short story, poetry in various forms, a scene using script format and writing for a visual medium(such as plays, movies, print advertisements, etc.) versus strictly print media
- How to write a more advanced literary essay (more complex thesis, interesting introduction and conclusion, 3 body paragraphs with at least one example of text evidence for each paragraph. 2–4 pp. in length)