Writing is a crucial skill that many graduating students lack today. It not only serves the purpose of clear communication, but also of clear thinking and understanding. Writing about a given topic involves rigorous training in logical thinking, and the net result is a much clearer understanding of the topic. Although students will be required to write in all the other curriculum components, including math, a separate writing course is an essential part of a proper curriculum.
The writing component of the curriculum has two basic parts: a) writing assignments, and b) writing exercises. Writing assignments will be given for the eight main types of writing: 1) descriptive, 2) narrative, 3) expository, 4) persuasive, 5) letters (business and friendly), 6) news articles, 7) fiction, and 8) poetry. The standard steps involved for each assignment will be as follows:
- Choosing a topic or theme.
- Brainstorming (free-writing; making lists or charts of things to include)
- Making an outline.
- Writing the first draft.
- Editing.
- Writing subsequent draft(s)
- Editing each subsequent draft.
- Writing and submitting the final version.
Various types of writing exercises will be given throughout the course. These exercises focus on various aspects of writing. The exercises will include the following:
1) Sentence construction exercises:
There are many different types of complex sentences that good writers use effectively. The type of sentence depends on its components and structure. The components can be one or more of the following Parts of Sentences: appositives, paired adjectives, verbals, various types of phrases, and various types of clauses. Students will be asked to construct specific types of complex sentences, either from simple sentences and fragments or from scratch. They will learn the value of each type of sentence in terms of emphasis and clarity.
2) Paragraph exercises:
In general, a paragraph should be integrated around a single theme. The theme is often stated explicitly in one of the sentences, referred to as the “topic sentence.” Students will practice analyzing paragraphs to identify either the theme, or topic sentence, or any sentence(s) which doesn't belong. They will practice writing topic sentences for paragraphs without one. They will practice condensing paragraphs into an outline of points (expressed as fragments) and also writing paragraphs from an outline of points. Students will practice creating their own topic sentence, making an outline, writing the draft paragraph and then editing it for different types of writing. This involves teaching them to select the appropriate level of abstraction that can be handled by a single paragraph.
3) Editing exercises:
Editing is an essential aspect of good writing. Writers often edit in stages where the first stage is for overall structure, the second stage is for paragraph structure, and the third stage is for grammar, spelling and word choice. The student will be required to edit many examples of writing that is in need of editing.
4) Outlining exercises:
Students will be given examples of other writers' writings and be asked to condense each piece into an outline of points. Then, the student will be asked to identify the theme and evaluate the outline in terms of its logical structure and integration to the theme. In cases where the outline is poor, the student will be asked to correct the outline. This exercise will help the student learn to analyze his or her own writing.
5) Contrasting exercises:
One way to grasp what makes a piece of writing good writing is by contrasting it with writing that is not so good. The student will be asked to contrast good writing with not-so-good writing and to identify what it is that makes the good writing good.
