Foundations of Essay Writing
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    Course Details:

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    • Live Class Schedule Varies Per Section
    • 10 Live Classes
    • Live Class Length: 55 minutes
    • 15 seats per section
    • Homework is assigned
    • Formal grades
    • Materials

    The teacher will provide all materials. Students will need to use Google Docs.

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    Foundations of Essay Writing: Build Critical Skills

    $249.00

    In this upbeat, interactive class, students learn to independently generate, organize, and express elaborated ideas in an effective essay. Students receive explicit instruction, teacher modeling, guidance, and authentic feedback toward mastery of essential writing skills.

    Section Options / Enroll:

    Description

    🧐 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝟓-𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝 𝙀𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙮!

    Many students know how to organize a five-paragraph essay but struggle to generate ideas that fully support their thesis. They aren’t quite sure how to develop body paragraphs that are clear, fully elaborated, and effective. Some find it impossible or difficult to write an introduction and conclusion that are more than just a few sentences. While students will certainly learn how to organize an essay, we teach skills that equip learners to embrace any writing task with confidence and skill. This happens when they are explicitly taught how to do something, followed by guidance and feedback on their independent practice. Students must understand and master these foundational skills for high school, college, and work success.

    📝 CLASS SYLLABUS:
    ✔ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭-𝟮–Students learn to differentiate between writing genres. They will annotate example essays to see how they are structured and organized. Direct instruction includes aspects of expository, narrative, and opinion writing and the organization of an expository piece.
    ✔ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯-𝟳–Students learn how body paragraphs are structured with topic sentences, concluding sentences, and organized ideas. Direct instruction includes generating ideas using brainstorming, sorting, two rules of thumb, and four elaboration techniques. Writing is thinking, and the skill of organizing thoughts is essential. Students also learn how to generate research questions and then find answers, a process that improves their essay’s ideas and interest level. Students practice these techniques and then write their body paragraphs independently, all while receiving helpful feedback from the instructor. We use workshop time once they start writing their essay on Day 5.
    ✔ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟴–Students learn the most difficult component of the essay: the introduction. They learn six different techniques for hooking their readers, how to write an effective thesis statement, and how to bridge the gap between the hook and thesis statement. Students practice writing parts of introductions, and they write their own introductions independently with helpful feedback from the instructor.
    ✔ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟵-𝟭𝟬–Students learn how to write a concluding paragraph that leaves their reader thinking by using four different techniques. These techniques are practiced, and they write their own conclusions independently. The instructor will teach various techniques to strengthen students’ essays with powerful word choices and unique and stylish sentence structures. They will learn how to format an essay to follow the MLA style guide, including a Works Cited page.

    🌻 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮 𝙒𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙡 – #TheLemons-AidWay 🍋

    𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺–Learners participate in interactive lessons during their homework time, which includes competitive quizzes. This class utilizes competition in the first couple of weeks, which is highly motivating for many. For those that don’t enjoy competition, they can sit back and watch. It’s all okay! We use “workshop time” so students will write while the teacher “visits” them on their Google Document. The immediacy of the feedback/revision cycle with the instructor helps writers improve rapidly. Additionally, once we started using this method, we saw nearly a 100% completion rate in student essays!

    Homework–Students can expect to have homework after each live class. They will work 15-45 minutes, depending on the assignment and how quickly they work. Students receive authentic and constructive feedback from the instructor that helps students correct their mistakes and fine-tune their skills. We integrate grammar in all aspects of instruction, and we hold students to a high standard of academic writing. We achieve this through daily mini-lessons and practice with sentence writing and using various sentence starters.

    Graphic Organizers–Students need graphic organizers to help them see the structure of a paragraph or essay and the writing process. This is how they learn to develop coherent ideas. They don’t figure out how to do this magically; the graphic organizers and the intentional, explicit teaching help them learn the skills!

    Student Mastery--Each class includes explicit, direct instruction with teacher modeling. Students are guided toward mastery of multiple writing skills and understandings so that they grasp the concepts and become independent. Students are held to a high standard of academic writing, including the use of grammar and the construction of sophisticated sentences.

    Teacher Feedback–The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if it is done well. We follow best practices in this area with how we design class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, • effective writing feedback (or grading) is:
    • Specific, not general
    • Immediate, not postponed
    • Routine with a revision / feedback cycle
    • Explanatory
    • The right amount
    • Targeted to the most critical issues
    • Varied (written, audio, and video comments)
    • Holding students accountable

    For a Self-Paced Sync version (self-paced with teacher support) of this class, click the link below. Students receive just as much feedback from the instructor as the live class.

    Self-paced Version of the Class

    For students that need a little more practice with these skills, they can take Essay Writing 911.
    Essay Writing 911 Class

     

    Lesson Schedule

    coming soon…

    Class Introduction Video

    Coming soon…

    Taught From a Christian Perspective

    Our mission is to equip learners’ minds and shepherd their hearts. We want them to have saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and then develop a biblical worldview. This means they view their world, themselves, and God in a way that aligns with what the Bible teaches. This brings great peace and understanding to the believer because we serve a good, sovereign God. This course is taught with these goals in mind. In class, we may pray, read scripture, and discuss how to view the content from a Christian perspective.

    We have adopted The Master’s Seminary Doctrinal Statement.

    ENGLISH:

    The most essential reason people must become competent readers is to read the word of God. This is how God communicates with His people, and literacy is critical for developing a biblical worldview. Competent readers can engage in the Word of God and other texts with much thinking and reflection. Readers should be able to decode, understand, remember, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, make inferences, make connections, and apply learning from reading to other subject areas and the rest of life. Readers grow in knowledge and wisdom and can let the Word of God renew their minds and transform their hearts, becoming thinkers who can engage the world for Christ.

    When writing, we are turning ideas into words that communicate. Written communication should be functional, truthful, orderly, coherent, creative, and beautiful, all traits present in God’s written words in the Bible, which we want to emulate.

    Communication skills are essential for believers. The communication skills taught in English will help learners communicate with others and to be confident public speakers. These skills are essential when sharing the gospel message. Our voices are tools that help us show Jesus to others as we witness to the world through what we say–and what we don’t say (see Colossians 4:6, James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:29, and Proverbs 10:19). We serve a creative God who has given us all kinds of tools to help communicate His message.

    LITERATURE:

    Stories often serve as powerful vehicles for truth. For example, the prophet Nathan used a parable to reveal King David’s sin in 1 Samuel 12:1-4. Similarly, Jesus frequently used parables to teach profound spiritual lessons. Literature clearly offers timeless insights that reflect the complexities of life, guiding us toward His wisdom and understanding.

    All truth is God’s truth. Even unbelievers use universal themes in their writing that clearly point to deeper truths about life and the human condition. For example, authors often use theme concepts related to justice, love, or integrity. These concepts reveal a glimpse of God’s truth– whether the author acknowledges it or not–because all truth originates from God (John 17:17).

    Throughout English and literature courses, learners will read about individuals who made flawed decisions. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Literature provides a window into humanity’s fallen nature, allowing students to learn from the mistakes and successes of characters. By engaging with literature, students will gain timeless insights into the complexities of life, as reflected in Proverbs 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

    MATH:

    God has created our brains with the ability to study and comprehend amazing, complex things! Math is such a unique subject to study and master. We can see math in God’s creation, and we can appreciate His order through the complex skills we learn.

    CODING / TECH:

    The fact that humans have the knowledge and ingenuity to create something as complex as the Internet and the various languages and protocols that make it work is a testament to God’s role as the Creator. It is further proof that we were created in His image and given just a small fraction of His abilities to serve as stewards of His world.

    MUSIC:

    Celebrating God’s Creation Through Music

    Music is a beautiful part of God’s creation. Students learn to appreciate its complexity and beauty, reflecting Psalm 150:4, “Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with the strings and pipe.”

    Using Talents for God’s Glory

    Inspired by the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), this course encourages children to discover and develop their musical gifts, teaching them to use these talents to glorify God and serve others.

    Building a Musical Community

    Reflecting Romans 12:4-5, group activities foster a sense of unity and teamwork, helping students appreciate and respect each other’s musical abilities.

    Expressing Faith Through Music

    Colossians 3:16 guides students to use their musical skills for worship, enhancing their participation in church and personal devotion, making music a powerful form of expressing their faith.

    Developing Musical Discipline

    Hebrews 12:11 highlights the importance of discipline. Consistent practice in music teaches perseverance and dedication, valuable traits for spiritual growth and character development.

    Embracing God’s Creativity

    Ephesians 2:10 encourages creativity. Through composing and performing music, students reflect the creative nature of God, understanding their musical creations as a reflection of His image.

    A Holistic Musical Journey

    Musical Explorers integrates musical education with biblical principles, nurturing both musical skills and spiritual growth. Your child will grow as a musician and a young believer, equipped to see and appreciate the world from a biblical perspective through the lens of music. Join us on this enriching journey!

    SPANISH:

    Nelson Mandela once said, “If you speak to a man in a language he understands, you speak to his head. If you speak to him in his language, you speak to his heart.” The purpose of learning a language is to communicate, which means knowing vocabulary, phrases, and verbal and non-verbal cues to meet needs and share ideas with those who speak the language. There are many benefits to learning a second language, such as increasing memory and attention span, opening more career options, and even improving cognition in the later years of life. While these reasons matter, at Lemons-Aid, our top focus in learning a language is to meet the Great Commission as stated in Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV),

    Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The ability to speak two or more languages widens the ministry field and helps create better connections and meaning for people.

    SCIENCE

    Our mission is to equip learners’ minds with knowledge of God’s creation. Each lesson features a Bible verse about God’s creation and the lesson topic. This allows students to learn more about the world while ensuring they develop a Biblical worldview. Through learning about and appreciating God’s creation, we learn more about God and grow closer to him. Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things were created through him and for him.” All creation points to God, as Psalm 1:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

    ENTREPRENEURSHIP:

    These courses help learners view entrepreneurship through the lens of God’s design for creativity, stewardship, and serving others. From a biblical perspective, entrepreneurship is more than just making money—it’s about using our God-given talents to meet the needs of others, solve problems, and bring value to the world. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that we are made in God’s image, and just as God is the ultimate Creator, He has gifted us with the ability to create and work with purpose.

    Throughout our entrepreneurship and business courses, students learn how to take the gifts and passions God has given them and turn those into something that serves others, echoing the command in 1 Peter 4:10 to “use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” As they develop their business ideas, they are encouraged to think about how their product or service can be a blessing to their community, reflecting the biblical call to love and serve our neighbors.

    The deeper significance lies in realizing that business, like every other aspect of life, can be an act of worship and a way to fulfill God’s command to work diligently (Colossians 3:23), honor Him with our resources (Proverbs 3:9), and love others through service (Galatians 5:13).

    THEATER:

    Communication skills are essential for believers. The skills taught in this class will help learners gain confidence in speaking in front of others. These skills are essential when sharing the gospel message. Theater helps learners prepare for the unexpected. Likewise, 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us to be “instant in season and out.” We never know when God will give us an opportunity to share his message with others! Our voices are tools which help us show Jesus to others as we witness to the world through what we say–and what we don’t say (see Colossians 4:6, James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:29, and Proverbs 10:19). We serve a creative God who has given us all kinds of tools to help communicate His message.

    SOCIAL STUDIES (history, government, economics):

    This is in our hearts and minds and we’re working to get it written down for you! Stay tuned. This section is in the works.

    The Lemons-Aid Way: Our Approach to Teaching and Learning is Explicit!

    Explicit teaching is a method of instruction students desperately need! It is the opposite of a constructivist philosophy whereby students try to construct meaning themselves.

    Instead of leaving students to magically figure out how to write an essay or read or do a geometry proof, we teach explicitly, which is backed by a large body of evidence, and it’s how Mrs. Lemons teaches her undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates in college to teach! We do it this way because it’s how kids learn.

    Explicit instruction is “a structured, systematic, and effective methodology for teaching academic skills. It is called explicit because it is an unambiguous and direct approach to teaching that includes both instructional design and delivery procedures. Explicit instruction is characterized by a series of supports or scaffolds, whereby students are guided through the learning process with clear statements about the purpose and rationale for learning the new skill, clear explanations and demonstrations of the instructional target, and supported practice with feedback until independent mastery has been achieved.”
    -Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching by Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes.

    Anita Archer trained Mrs. Lemons in workshops, and it changed her teaching. Read a little more about the research behind explicit teaching here and here.

    To read more about your teaching and learning methods, read Mrs. Lemons’ blog.

    We have adopted The Master’s Seminary Doctrinal Statement.

    The Lemons-Aid Team

    Lemons-Aid teachers have a few things in common.
    ❤️ They love their students and value each of their unique strengths and personalities that make our classes special. Our classes can be described as fun, personal, academic, challenging, and supportive.
    🤩 We work to keep learners engaged, so there is always a degree of student accountability for their attention and focus, whether that be through asking them direct questions or by using the chatbox.
    💭 We know all kids can learn, but sometimes things are hard! To support students, we teach them how to develop effective thinking and learning habits that will bring them success in class and in life.
    🌟 Building relationships with students so they know we care about them helps us balance the high expectations we have for them regarding their effort, work quality, and behavior. Our students are encouraged, cared for, and they achieve!

    𝙆𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙊𝙉𝙎: English Language Arts
    #High-Energy #Skilled #Experienced #Relational #Fun
    Karen is the Founder of Lemons-Aid. She has a bachelor’s degree in English, a minor in Education, and a master’s degree in Education Administration from Liberty University. With a teaching certificate and a principal’s license in both Washington and Colorado, she has many years of experience teaching English Language Arts and History / Social Studies at the middle school and high school levels. Additionally, she is TESOL and TEFL certified and enjoys teaching English Language Learners from all over the world. She has worked in private and public schools at every level and is currently an affiliate faculty member at Colorado Christian University, supervising teacher candidates in their undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs. She is a teacher of teachers. A homeschool mom herself, she admits that teaching other people’s kids is easier than teaching her own teenage boys! She lives in the Denver, Colorado area where she cheers on the Broncos, Avs, and the Rockies, but her favorite athletes are her own kids who play hockey and baseball!
    🎥 Karen’s Intro Video

     

    𝑱𝑬𝑵𝑵 𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑳𝑬: English Language Arts
    #Experienced #Knowledgeable #Empowering #Patient #Rises Above the Ordinary.
    As a certified English teacher, Jenn has taught in some capacity over the course of the past twenty-five years. She has taught middle school and high school English classes in both private and public school settings, tutored international ESL students online, developed and taught literature and public speaking classes for a local homeschool co-op, and homeschooled her own two children. Jenn has a bachelor’s degree in English Education. A strong believer in lifelong learning, Jenn has also taken several graduate-level courses related to teaching. Jenn enjoys spending time with her husband, Mark, and their two teenagers. She enjoys taking day trips close to where they live in upstate New York. In her spare time, Jenn enjoys singing and performing in plays. Additionally, she enjoys curling up on the sofa to read a good book. More than likely, one of her four cats will be curled up at her feet.
    🎥 Jenn’s Intro Video

    𝙆𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙉 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙈𝘼𝙉: Elementary
    #Fun #Inspiring #LoveForLearning
    Kristen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education with a minor in child psychology from Liberty University. For nearly a decade, she has worked in elementary school classrooms, as a private tutor, and as an online ELL teacher. While passionate about education in general, her favorite subjects to both study and teach are reading, grammar, and writing. She and her husband are actively involved in a church where she works as a Sunday School teacher and Children’s Ministry teacher to ages 4-6. No matter where she is teaching, Kristen tries to find ways to connect with her students and to create an exciting classroom that builds a passion for education. It is her desire to not only teach a subject but also to foster a love of learning which inspires students to want to learn more even once the class is completed. Kristen lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and their new baby boy! In her spare time, Kristen loves to create teaching content such as interactive lesson plans, worksheets, and more! She also enjoys doing family outings and crafting.
    🎥 Kristen’s Intro Video

    𝙈𝙍𝙎. 𝘼𝙇𝙄:
    Elementary
    #Engaging #Fun #Patient #Kind #Encouraging
    Ali has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked with children over the last 11 years. She taught for 6 years in public school, 2 years in Kindergarten and 4 years in First Grade. She has worked as a reading tutor and ESL teacher online for the last 4 years; she has also tutored children in-person in reading, writing, and STEM. Ali believes that every child is a natural learner; she believes that an educator’s goal is to engage each child in the way that they learn best! She is passionate about creating a safe and FUN environment that teaches the whole child. Each time she enters a classroom, whether it is in-person or online, you can find her singing, playing games, and making learning fun. Ali lives in Missouri, near St. Louis with her husband and fur-child (an 80 lb. German Shepherd who doesn’t know how big he is). In her free time she loves reading, writing, crafts, hiking, working out, and spending time with my family.
    🎥 Ali’s Intro Video

    𝙆𝙄𝙈𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙔 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙄: English
    #Energetic #Kind #Encouraging #Authentic #Enthusiastic #Guide
    Kim loves life, loves people, and loves learning! She views each student as a team member with his or her own unique talents, skills and life experience to bring to the group. She loves helping students expand their knowledge and sharpen their skills to reach their greatest potential. Kim has a Bachelor’s degree from Cairn University in secondary Education with certification in English (NY and PA) and endorsement in music. Her classroom experience has focused on English, PE and Bible education, but she has tutored in a variety of areas including ESL, special ed, math, history, science and music (piano and voice). She lives in northeast PA with her wonderful family. She has homeschooled all of her seven children. The youngest five are still in school and ensure that every day is an adventure. Kim also coaches intramural and competitive sports throughout the year. She loves music, sports, reading and taking long walks up her dirt road admiring wildflowers, listening to birds and reflecting on what she is learning in life!
    🎥 Kim’s Intro Video

    Christian Teachers on Outschool

    We want to serve you on Lemons-Aid! For first-time learners on Lemons-Aid, you can use the coupon code Newbie20 to get $20 off your first class.

    However, if the schedule doesn’t work for you, we will happily teach you on Outschool, but we can’t talk about Jesus.

    Use this referral code and get $20 off your first class on Outschool: LEMONSA2020

    Christian Outschool Classes

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    High School Writing Series

    This class is part of a series that prepares students to do dual enrollment college classes or are entering college. The series gets progressively more difficult and are scheduled in order. You can still jump in whenever you’d like! Completion of all of these classes, which takes about 6 months will cover all necessary high school writing! They make up a complete high school writing plan.