This eight-week course will walk middle school writers through a basic research paper, from the initial stages of developing a topic through research, note-taking, outlining, drafting and revising. As this is an introductory course, the student will be limited to a 5-8 page paper. Although the writing coach will be available to make suggestions and offer direction, the subject matter of the paper will be up to the student.

Note: By selecting different topics, this course may be profitably taken multiple times.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students who complete the course will be able to…

• craft a clear and concise thesis.

• locate and identify appropriate material for research.

• use the note card system for taking notes.

• organize and outline a paper in preparation for a first draft.

• properly cite sources according to MLA standards.

• create a properly-formatted Works Cited page.

• draft an original, research paper.

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