Advanced Composition

Description:

The focus of this course will be refinement of writing skills in preparation for college-level writing. The course assumes students already have a solid understanding of basic paragraph and essay structure, as well as basic grammar. This course will focus on helping students take their writing skills to the next step and will focus on preparing students for college-level writing in all courses. Students will work on advanced writing skills, such as using grammar powerfully to help advance one's purpose, creating unity and coherence within paragraphs and the essay as a whole, and constructing forceful and effective introduction and conclusion paragraphs. For the most part, the course will exclude analysis of literature; instead, students will read nonfiction essays and articles on history, science, current events, and culture, and will respond to these essays in their own writing. Students will also formulate their own arguments on important cultural issues and will learn principles of rhetoric that will help them to argue effectively in a world that often opposes the Christian perspective. The course is aimed at 11th and 12th graders, preparing for writing at the college level.

Texts:

The Norton Reader, Shorter 11th Edition (2004), by Linda H. Peterson and John C. Brereton. Published by W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN: 0393978079.

Rhetorical Grammar, 3rd Edition (1998), by Martha Kolln. Published by Longman. ISBN: 0205283055

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition (2009). Published by MLA. ISBN: 1603290249.

All texts are available at Amazon, AbeBooks, and Half.com. Used copies, if the correct edition, are fine. The Rhetorical Grammar text includes exercises, which we will complete over the course of the year, so look for a copy that doesn't have the exercises already completed.

Tutor: Megan Swartz

Writing Assignment for All Students Seeking Entrance to Mrs. Swartz’s Advanced Composition Course

If you have not previously taken Composition & Rhetoric with Mrs. Swartz, you must submit a writing sample to Mrs. Swartz BEFORE registration day. This writing sample should be an essay written for another course (either at Cornerstone or outside of Cornerstone). The essay should consist of at least four paragraphs. Submit the teacher's assignment along with your essay (what the purpose of the essay was, etc.). If you have taken Composition & Rhetoric with Mrs. Swartz, contact her by email for approval for this course. You need Mrs. Swartz's OK to take Advanced Composition PRIOR to registering. Writing samples may be submitted by email to or contact Mrs. Swartz to ask for her snail mail address.