Description
The four-part Master Classes Writing Program is based on the premise that the writing of professional writers can provide students an excellent opportunity to develop their own critical reading and fluent writing skills. By following the Master Classes’ creative instructional plan, teachers can integrate excerpts from masterpieces of literature into activities designed to enhance student writing in a variety of areas. The Apprentice Level for an English I (9th grade) course includes study of such skills as sentence length and variety, diction, tone, and figurative language while demonstrating how such elements of strong composition improve effective communication. Each subsequent level – The Journeyman Level (English II/10th grade), The Craftsman (English III/11th grade), and The Master Level (English IV/12th grade) – follows a similar pattern and presents teachers and students activities focused on such skills as Voice, Precision, Being Specific, Compare/Contrast, Balance, and Argument Development, and all continue to employ sentences and paragraphs from powerful and engaging professional writers. The Master Classes Writing Program is appropriate for all college-readiness and academic classes, as well as for Pre-AP/AP and other advanced courses.
Applied Practice offers a six-hour professional development workshop using content from The Master Classes Writing Program. In the workshop, an experienced facilitator guides teachers in their implementation of these effective ELA tools. Each participant in the workshop receives a copy of the appropriate grade-level guide as well as opportunities to collaborate on best practices for a student-centered writing course with peers and the facilitator.
