This is an introductory course about descriptive writing. Students enrolled in this course will receive an overview of basic descriptive elements such as sense description and comparison. Students will then learn how to apply these descriptive techniques to a variety of writing formats. Level I students will learn how to apply basic descriptive techniques to accomplish 5 major tasks:

• A series of detailed sense descriptions
• A descriptive passage
• A descriptive paragraph with a controlling idea
• A descriptive acrostic
• A descriptive character sketch

Throughout the course, students will participate in extensive email exchanges with their distance instructor for every assignment. Students are then expected to apply their instructor’s comments about the previous assignment to their current revisions.

This is an advanced course about descriptive writing that focuses on creating a clear and effective dominant impression within a descriptive passage. Students will continue to learn how to apply sense imagery and figurative language to academic/professional writing in a more focused, mature and effective manner. Level III students will use the writing process to accomplish 5 major tasks:

• A formal descriptive paragraph with a dominant impression
• A series of brief passages utilizing sense imagery and advanced figurative language techniques
• A descriptive character sketch
• A descriptive narrative
• A variety of descriptive poems

Throughout the course, students will participate in extensive email exchanges with their distance instructor for every assignment. Students are then expected to apply their instructor’s comments about the previous assignment to their current revisions.

This is an introductory course about persuasive writing where students will receive a didactic overview of basic persuasive elements such as sentence images, purpose, audience, supporting reasons, etc. Once assimilated, students will then learn how to apply these persuasive elements to a variety of writing formats and projects. Level one students will learn how to apply persuasive techniques to accomplish 5 major tasks:

• A persuasive letter
• A persuasive poem
• Persuasive ads (radio commercial /billboard/ excerpts)
• Persuasive speech
• Persuasive article

Throughout the course, students will participate in extensive email exchanges with their distance instructor for every assignment. Students are then expected to apply their instructor’s comments about the previous assignment to their current revisions.

This is an advanced course that gives students the opportunity to hone their persuasive skills. Students will build upon basic persuasive techniques by learning to anticipate and respond to counter-arguments as well how to utilize formal argumentative devices. Students will progress through the writing process in order to produce a formal, extended persuasive essay on a topic of personal interest that is supported by research and by the argumentative techniques learned in the course. At the end of the course, students will have:

• learned a variety of formal argumentative devices
• learned to anticipate and answer counter-arguments
• learned strategies for organizing a persuasive essay
• researched a topic of personal interest
• produced a high-quality persuasive essay

Throughout the course, students will participate in extensive email exchanges with their distance instructor for every assignment. Students are then expected to apply their instructor’s comments about the previous assignment to their current revisions.

This course is recommended for junior-high students. Students will learn elements of short story and practice writing them. A Short Story tells about a happening or a series of connected events. It is a narrative that is designed to interest, amuse, or inform the hearer or reader.

Throughout the course, students will participate in extensive email exchanges with their distance instructor for every assignment. Students are then expected to apply their instructor’s comments about the previous assignment to their current revisions.