In this comprehensive high school writing curriculum guide, I explain necessary components of planning a writing for a year.
Writing is an essential skill that students need to develop in high school. Part of teaching this essential skill is encouraging, inspiring, and mentoring.
However, not all writing curriculums are created equal. A well-structured writing curriculum can help students understand the fundamentals of writing, improve their skills, and explore their creativity.
High School Writing Curriculum: A Comprehensive Guide
Honesty time: I do not suggest one entire curriculum but rather, pieces from several sources. Many tools can get you to meeting standards, encouraging young writers, and working through common struggles. However, as someone who has taught in various capacities for over twenty years, one set curriculum will probably not work. You will need to incorporate pieces of your own to address the learners in front of you and modify it each semester.
Therefore, in this blog post, I’ll explore the components, considerations, and requirements for high school students.
Why are you writing about a high school writing curriculum?
If you have followed me for a few years, you were with me while I finished my second master’s degree, one in English Literature. Now, I teach dual-credit writing courses at my high school in coordination with a local community college. Many of my subscribers teach a similar class for high school credit.
The previous seven years, I taught freshmen and worked with those standards. Therefore, my teaching load focuses on standards for seniors, a shift for me.
As I create and build my high school writing curriculum, these considerations come into play.
Understanding the Essentials of a High School Writing Curriculum
A comprehensive high school writing curriculum will address students’ writing skills and grammatical knowledge. Meeting language skills alongside the writing standards can happen naturally.
A well-rounded high school writing course will also address essential aspects such as argumentative writing (sometimes referenced as persuasive writing), informative, and creative/narrative writing, providing students with a holistic understanding of the writing process.
Here is my teacher’s guide to incorporate all these factors.
Importance of a Structured Approach to Writing
A structured approach to writing is essential in a writing curriculum. In my teaching career, I have taught several semester-long courses like public speaking, creative writing, and English 101. My #1 learned lesson: Have an overarching project that builds community in classes. For public speaking, speakers set goals for public speaking. In creative writing, writers compile a journal with writing prompts.
In a standard writing class, we use images to write about mentor sentences and fun topics. Images help young writers envision their responses, and the images work as a form of scaffolding. An ongoing activity, a habit, allows writers to reflect on their writing process, figurative language use, and sentence structure. Take time to reflect with students.
Diverse Writing Assignments
Instilling excellence in writing skills and grammar instruction is essential for an effective writing curriculum. One research paper and one narrative alongside “drill and kill” grammar will not produce an engaging high school writing curriculum.
A few of my favorite writing assignments for high school:
- Mini-memoirs (narrative standards)
- Response to informational text (an assortment of standards)
- Argumentative RAFT (argumentative standard)
- Researched famous events (expository standards)
If you look at the mentor texts (below) and provide excerpts to your classes, you will also create diverse writing assignments from those inspired pieces.
Calendar of Writing
Map out your calendar of dates. No amount of researching and organizing will help us creators of a high school writing curriculum: We must sit down with a calendar.
My high school writing curriculum contains two large-ish type assignments, one due about six weeks into the semester and another at about fourteen weeks. I space them out so that students understand my expectations and feedback, so that we have worked through our standards together, and so that large assignments are not due when students are already overwhelmed. Spacing out assignments in this manner also provides me time to provide meaningful feedback.
If you are interested in looking at my outline for a creative writing course, you can make a copy on Canva (for free).
If you have floated around my blog for a bit, you’ll realize that my preference is not to teach grammar with worksheets. A grammar workbook and worksheets have their place, sure. But once classes understand the basics of language, I branch into additional resources.
For instance, with my high school grammar activities, students use interactive pieces to practice punctuations, to add types of clauses to sentences, and to experiment with difficult concepts. The pieces allow writers to take their own writing and implement lessons. In doing so, they are experimenting with language.
Another addition to any writing program will be addressing grammatical errors. My suggestion is to assign paragraph writing and while grading, note common errors. Then, provide direct instruction and practice correcting the errors.
Any grammar curriculum will connect grammar to writing. One of my goals is to approach language in a positive way so that my brave writers feel empowered instead of crushed by grammar rules.
Meeting Standards with Writing
Writing standards define the expectations for what students should be able to do at each grade level. These standards aim to develop clarity, coherence, and effective communication through writing.
However, meeting these standards can sometimes be a challenge for both students and teachers. Below, I explain what helps me as my students and I work to meet writing standards.
Importance of Writing Standards
Writing standards are guidelines that outline the skills and knowledge students should acquire in writing. They provide a common framework for teaching writing skills, ensuring consistency across classrooms and grade levels.
Be prepared to breakdown standards with students in sensible ways. For instance, in my creative writing activities, I break down pieces like implementing pacing and external conflicts into smaller lessons. With those smaller activities, we can dive deep into the standards.
Overall, writing standards promote clarity, coherence, and effective communication, which are essential skills in the 21st century.
Implementation of Standards
The more you build your writing curriculum, the more engrained and natural the standards will be.
To start, align writing activities with specific standards. By doing so, you ensure that the writing skills targeted are directly tied to the standards. This alignment helps reinforce the skills and knowledge necessary for students to meet the standards effectively.
Additionally, incorporating a wide range of writing skills into lesson plans allows you to address multiple standards simultaneously, providing a comprehensive writing instruction experience for students. In the example above, pacing and external conflicts will occur in smaller activities and then implemented into larger one.
Don’t fear breaking down a standard with students. (Some teachers call this process “unpacking the standards”). The more you discuss writing expectations that derive from the standards, the more meaningful discussions you and your students will have.
Considering mentor texts.
Mentor texts are simply example texts that work well for providing example of structure, vocabulary, language use, and any other piece of writing. Below, I have included books from which I pull pieces. Included are explanations of ways I use the excerpts.
Plus, university writing courses often use excerpts, so using them is a great way to prepare classes. If you read a publication like the New York Times, keep your eyes open to pieces you can add.
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This book might be the most loaned book from my classroom library. Dashka Slater is a journalist who wrote The 57 Bus, a story told from two perspectives of what became a hate crime.
Michelle Good’s novel portrays the lives of residential school survivors. The uses for Five Little Indians is diverse. Dialogue, setting, and pacing shine through in this story.
Monica Potts’ memoir weaves research into a narrative. The story covers rural women and their limited options. When older students write narratives, I encourage them to add research and use Potts’ memoir as a mentor text.
I’ve written about The Sun Does Shine before. Pieces from Anthony Ray Hinton’s story have been in my American literature class too. For a writing class, chapter two, “All American,” works well for modeling background and flashback.
Chapter twenty-seven, “The Symbols of Caste” works as a model for comparing two situations. Isabel Wilkerson compares America’s response to slavery to Germany’s response to the Holocaust. Her pacing and transitions serve as strong examples.
Douglas A. Blackmon’s book provides examples of incorporating primary sources into research. The end to the chapter, “New South Rising” has a short piece to analyze with writers.
The chapter, “Took Over the OxyContin Belt” serves as a mentor text for narrative nonfiction. From its hook to its powerful concluding paragraph, this short chapter helps me to model narratives.
Patient H. M. is about lobotomies, written by the grandson of a famous doctor who performed them decades ago. Luke Dittrich incorporates interviews into research. You can also use excerpts to model writing about delicate topics.
Excerpts from larger books provide authentic texts for young writers and if they are interested, you can loan them the book. Incorporating mentor texts into your high school writing curriculum provides young writers with inspiration and examples.
For those readers who are designing a homeschool writing curriculum, you can ask your local librarian for suggestions regarding books of varying genres.
In conclusion, a high school writing curriculum should provide a structured approach to writing that covers key components such as grammar, vocabulary, and essay writing. It should also offer options that cater to different learning styles and preferences.
While most writing curriculums have their merits, it is important to incorporate creative elements to engage and inspire today’s high schoolers with your own touch. By tailoring the curriculum to your student’s needs and interests, you can make the learning experience more enjoyable and effective.
Replace a student workbook with excerpts, webinars, and audio pieces to diversity the curriculum.
Remember, the goal is to equip them with the necessary skills to express themselves confidently and effectively in various writing formats. You can see details of my high school writing curriculum as a foundation for your classes.
Katika kitabu hiki kina kinachohusu masomo ya shule ya sekondari, ninaelezea mambo muhimu ya kupanga maandishi kwa mwaka mmoja. Kuandika ni ustadi muhimu ambao wanafunzi wanahitaji kukuza katika shule ya sekondari. Sehemu ya kufundisha ustadi huu muhimu ni kutia moyo, kuchochea, na kuongoza. Hata hivyo, si mipango yote ya masomo ya uandishi iliyoundwa sawa. Mpango wa masomo wa uandishi ulio na muundo mzuri unaweza kuwasaidia wanafunzi kuelewa misingi ya uandishi, kuboresha ustadi wao, na kuchunguza ubunifu wao. "Mafundisho ya Kuandika ya Shule ya Upili: Mwongozo wa Ukomavu: ""Sipendekeza mtaala mmoja mzima, bali vipande kutoka vyanzo kadhaa.""" Vifaa vingi vinaweza kukufanya ufikie viwango, kuwahimiza waandishi wachanga, na kufanya kazi kupitia mapambano ya kawaida. Hata hivyo, kama mtu ambaye amefundisha katika uwezo mbalimbali kwa zaidi ya miaka ishirini, moja seti ya mtaala pengine si kazi. Unahitaji kuingiza vipande vya yako mwenyewe ili kushughulikia wanafunzi mbele yako na kurekebisha kila muhula. Kwa hiyo, katika chapisho hili la blogi, nitachunguza vipengele, kuzingatia, na mahitaji kwa wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari. Kwa nini unaandika juu ya mtaala wa kuandika wa shule ya sekondari? Kama umenifuata kwa miaka michache, ulikuwa pamoja nami nilipomaliza shahada yangu ya pili ya uzamili, moja katika Fasihi ya Kiingereza. Sasa, ninafundisha kozi za uandishi wa mikopo miwili katika shule yangu ya sekondari kwa uratibu na chuo kikuu cha jamii cha eneo hilo. Wengi wa wanachama wangu hufundisha darasa kama hilo kwa ajili ya mikopo ya shule ya sekondari. Miaka saba iliyopita, niliwafundisha wanafunzi wa mwaka wa kwanza na kufanya kazi kulingana na viwango hivyo. Kwa hiyo, mzigo wangu wa kufundisha unazingatia viwango kwa wazee, mabadiliko kwa ajili yangu. Kama mimi kuunda na kujenga shule yangu ya sekondari kuandika mtaala, kuzingatia hizi kuja katika kucheza. Kuelewa misingi ya shule ya sekondari ya kuandika mtaala wa shule ya sekondari ya kuandika mtaala wa jumla utazungumzia ujuzi wa kuandika wa wanafunzi na maarifa ya sarufi. Kukutana na ujuzi wa lugha pamoja na viwango vya kuandika inaweza kutokea kwa kawaida. "Mtaala wa maandishi ya shule ya sekondari pia utazungumza mambo muhimu kama vile maandishi ya hoja (wakati mwingine hujulikana kama ""maandishi ya kushawishi"), maandishi ya habari, na maandishi ya ubunifu, na kutoa wanafunzi na uelewa wa jumla wa mchakato wa kuandika." Hapa ni mwongozo wa mwalimu wangu wa kuingiza mambo haya yote. Umuhimu wa mbinu ya kuunda kwa kuandika mbinu ya kuunda kwa kuandika ni muhimu katika mtaala wa kuandika. Katika kazi yangu ya ualimu, nimefundisha kozi kadhaa za muhula mrefu kama vile kuzungumza hadharani, uandishi wa ubunifu, na Kiingereza 101. Somo la kwanza: Kuwa na mradi wa jumla ambao hujenga jamii katika madarasa. Kwa mfano, wasemaji wa umma wanaweza kuweka malengo ya kuzungumza. Katika uandishi wa ubunifu, waandishi hukusanya jarida lenye maagizo ya kuandika. Katika darasa la kawaida la uandishi, tunatumia picha kuandika juu ya sentensi za mshauri na mada za kufurahisha. Picha huwasaidia waandishi wachanga kutabiri majibu yao, na picha hufanya kazi kama aina ya ngazi. Shughuli inayoendelea, tabia, huwawezesha waandishi kutafakari juu ya mchakato wao wa kuandika, matumizi ya lugha ya mfano, na muundo wa sentensi. Chukua wakati wa kutafakari pamoja na wanafunzi. Kazi mbalimbali za Kuandika Kuingiza ubora katika ustadi wa kuandika na mafundisho ya sarufi ni muhimu kwa mtaala mzuri wa kuandika. Karatasi moja ya utafiti na hadithi moja pamoja na <unk>drill na kuua<unk> sarufi si kuzalisha kuvutia shule ya sekondari kuandika mtaala. "Kama vile ""Mini-Memoirs"" (Vipimo vya Hadithi) ""Jibu kwa Maandishi ya Habari"" (Vipimo vya Maelezo) ""Arguementative REFT"" (Vipimo vya Majadiliano) ""Utafiti wa Matukio maarufu"" (Vipimo vya Maelezo) ""Ukitazama maandishi ya mshauri (chini) na kutoa vifungu kwa madarasa yako, utaunda pia kazi mbalimbali za uandishi kutoka kwa vipande hivyo vilivyoongozwa." Kalenda ya Kuandika Ramani kalenda yako ya tarehe. Hakuna kiasi cha utafiti na kuandaa itasaidia sisi waumbaji wa shule ya sekondari kuandika mtaala: Ni lazima kukaa chini na kalenda. Mtaala wangu wa shule ya sekondari una kazi mbili za aina kubwa, moja inapaswa kuwa karibu wiki sita katika muhula na nyingine karibu wiki kumi na nne. Nitawaweka mbali ili wanafunzi waelewe matarajio yangu na maoni yangu, ili tufanye kazi kupitia viwango vyetu pamoja, na ili kazi kubwa zisipate wakati wanafunzi tayari wamejaa. Kupanga-panga kazi kwa njia hiyo pia hunipa wakati wa kutoa maoni yenye maana. Kama una nia ya kuangalia muhtasari wangu kwa ajili ya kozi ya uandishi wa ubunifu, unaweza kufanya nakala juu ya Canva (kwa bure). Kama umekuwa kuelea kuzunguka blogu yangu kwa kidogo, wewe <unk>ll kutambua kwamba upendeleo wangu si kufundisha sarufi na karatasi za kazi. Kitabu cha kazi cha sarufi na karatasi za kazi zina mahali pake, bila shaka. Lakini mara tu madarasa yanapoelewa misingi ya lugha, mimi hujiunga na rasilimali za ziada. Kwa mfano, katika shughuli zangu za sarufi za shule ya sekondari, wanafunzi hutumia vipande vya maingiliano kufanya mazoezi ya alama za alama, kuongeza aina za vifungu kwenye sentensi, na majaribio na dhana ngumu. Vipande hivyo huwawezesha waandishi kuchukua uandishi wao wenyewe na kutekeleza masomo. Kwa kufanya hivyo, wao ni majaribio na lugha. Ongezeko jingine kwa programu yoyote ya uandishi litakuwa kushughulikia makosa ya sarufi. Pendekezo langu ni kuagiza kifungu kuandika na wakati wa grade, kumbuka makosa ya kawaida. Kisha, toa maagizo ya moja kwa moja na ufanye mazoezi ya kurekebisha makosa. Mpango wowote wa masomo ya sarufi utaunganisha sarufi na uandishi. Moja ya malengo yangu ni kukaribia lugha kwa njia chanya ili waandishi wangu wa ujasiri wahisi kuwa na nguvu badala ya kukandamizwa na sheria za sarufi. Kujiunga na viwango vya kuandika Viwango vya kuandika hufafanua matarajio ya kile wanafunzi wanapaswa kuwa na uwezo wa kufanya katika kila ngazi ya darasa. Viwango hivi vinakusudia kukuza uwazi, mshikamano, na mawasiliano yenye ufanisi kupitia uandishi. Hata hivyo, nyakati nyingine inaweza kuwa vigumu kwa wanafunzi na walimu kutimiza viwango hivyo. Chini, naeleza kile kinachonisaidia mimi na wanafunzi wangu kufanya kazi ili kutimiza viwango vya uandishi. Maadili ya uandishi ni kanuni za uandishi ambazo zinaonyesha ujuzi na maarifa ambayo wanafunzi wanapaswa kupata kwa uandishi. Wao kutoa mfumo wa kawaida kwa ajili ya kufundisha ujuzi wa kuandika, kuhakikisha uthabiti katika madarasa na ngazi ya darasa. Kuwa tayari kuvunja viwango na wanafunzi kwa njia zenye busara. Kwa mfano, katika shughuli zangu za uandishi wa ubunifu, mimi huvunja vipande kama kutekeleza kasi na migogoro ya nje katika masomo madogo. Kwa shughuli hizo ndogo, tunaweza kupiga mbizi ndani ya viwango. Kwa ujumla, viwango vya uandishi huendeleza uwazi, mshikamano, na mawasiliano yenye ufanisi, ambayo ni ujuzi muhimu katika karne ya 21. Kuanzisha Mazoezi ya Kuandika: Kadiri unavyojenga mtaala wako wa kuandika, ndivyo viwango vitakavyokuwa vya asili na vya kawaida. Kuanza, kulinganisha shughuli za kuandika na viwango maalum. Kwa kufanya hivyo, wewe kuhakikisha kwamba ujuzi wa kuandika walengwa ni moja kwa moja kushikamana na viwango. Utaratibu huu husaidia kuimarisha ujuzi na maarifa muhimu kwa wanafunzi kukidhi viwango kwa ufanisi. Kuingiza ujuzi mbalimbali wa kuandika katika mipango ya masomo hukuruhusu kushughulikia viwango vingi kwa wakati mmoja, kutoa uzoefu wa mafunzo ya kuandika kwa wanafunzi. Katika mfano hapo juu, pacing na migogoro ya nje itatokea katika shughuli ndogo na kisha kutekelezwa katika moja kubwa. Usiogope kuvunja kiwango na wanafunzi. (Walimu fulani huita mchakato huu "kufungua viwango".) Kadiri unavyozungumza juu ya matarajio ya kuandika yanayotokana na viwango, ndivyo wewe na wanafunzi wako mtakavyofanya majadiliano yenye maana zaidi. Kuangalia maandishi ya mshauri Nakala za Mwalimu ni maandishi ya mfano ambayo hufanya kazi vizuri kwa kutoa mfano wa muundo, msamiati, matumizi ya lugha, na kipande kingine chochote cha uandishi. Chini, nimeorodhesha vitabu ambavyo ninavuta vipande kutoka. Miongoni mwao kuna maelezo ya njia ninazotumia vifungu hivyo. Kwa kuongezea, kozi za uandishi wa chuo kikuu mara nyingi hutumia vifungu, kwa hivyo kuzitumia ni njia nzuri ya kuandaa madarasa. Ikiwa unachagua gazeti la habari kama New York Times, unapaswa kuwa na macho wazi kwa vipande vya habari ambavyo unaweza kuongeza. Viungo hivi vyote vya ushirika vinakuongoza kwenye Amazon. Unaweza kusoma ufunuo wangu kuhusu viungo vya washirika. Huenda kitabu hiki ndicho kitabu kilichokopwa zaidi katika maktaba ya darasa langu. Dashka Slater, mwandishi wa habari wa Marekani, ameandika kitabu The 57 Bus, ambacho kinaelezea jinsi watu wanavyohusiana na ubaguzi wa rangi. Riwaya ya Michelle Good inaonyesha maisha ya waokokaji wa shule ya makazi. Matumizi ya Wahindi Watano Wadogo ni mbalimbali. Mazungumzo, mazingira, na mwendo huangaza katika hadithi hii. Kitabu cha kumbukumbu cha Monica Potts huunganisha utafiti na hadithi. Hadithi hiyo inazungumzia wanawake wa vijijini na chaguzi zao ndogo. Wanafunzi wakubwa wanapoandika hadithi, ninawatia moyo kuongeza utafiti na kutumia kumbukumbu ya Potts kama maandishi ya mshauri. Nimekuwa nimeandika kuhusu The Sun Does Shine kabla. Vipande vya hadithi ya Anthony Ray Hinton vimekuwa katika darasa langu la fasihi ya Marekani pia. Kwa ajili ya darasa kuandika, sura ya pili, <unk>All American,<unk> kazi vizuri kwa ajili ya modeling background na flashback. Sura ya ishirini na saba, "The Symbols of Caste" inafanya kazi kama mfano wa kulinganisha hali mbili. Isabel Wilkerson analinganisha majibu ya Marekani kwa utumwa na majibu ya Ujerumani kwa maangamizi makuu. Mwendo wake na mabadiliko yake ni mifano yenye nguvu. Kitabu cha Douglas A. Blackmon hutoa mifano ya kuingiza vyanzo vya msingi katika utafiti. Mwisho wa sura, <unk>New South Rising<unk> ina kipande kifupi cha kuchambua na waandishi. Sura, "Took Over the OxyContin Belt" hutumika kama maandishi ya mshauri kwa hadithi isiyo ya uwongo. Kuanzia sehemu ya mwisho hadi sehemu ya mwisho yenye nguvu, sura hii fupi hunisaidia kuiga hadithi. Mgonjwa H. M. ni kuhusu lobotomies, iliyoandikwa na mjukuu wa daktari mashuhuri ambaye alifanya yao miongo kadhaa iliyopita. Luke Dittrich huingiza mahojiano katika utafiti. Unaweza pia kutumia vifungu ili kuiga uandishi kuhusu mada nyeti. Sehemu za vitabu vikubwa hutoa maandishi halisi kwa waandishi wachanga na ikiwa wanapendezwa, unaweza kuwapa kitabu hicho. Kuingiza maandishi ya mshauri katika mtaala wako wa kuandika shule ya sekondari huwapa waandishi wachanga msukumo na mifano. Kwa wale wasomaji ambao wanaunda mtaala wa kuandika shule ya nyumbani, unaweza kuuliza maktaba yako ya eneo lako kwa mapendekezo kuhusu vitabu vya aina mbalimbali. Kwa hivyo, mtaala wa kuandika wa shule ya sekondari unapaswa kutoa mbinu iliyoundwa ya kuandika ambayo inashughulikia vipengele muhimu kama vile sarufi, msamiati, na uandishi wa insha. Inapaswa pia kutoa chaguzi ambazo zinakidhi mitindo tofauti ya kujifunza na upendeleo. Wakati wengi kuandika mtaala kuwa na sifa zao, ni muhimu kuingiza vipengele ubunifu kushiriki na kuhamasisha leo's shule ya sekondari na kugusa yako mwenyewe. Kwa kurekebisha mtaala kwa mahitaji na maslahi ya mwanafunzi wako, unaweza kufanya uzoefu wa kujifunza kuwa wa kufurahisha na ufanisi zaidi. Badilisha kitabu cha kazi cha mwanafunzi na vifungu, webinars, na vipande vya sauti ili utofauti wa mtaala. Kumbuka, lengo ni kuwapa ujuzi unaohitajika ili kujieleza kwa uhakika na kwa ufanisi katika muundo mbalimbali wa uandishi. Unaweza kuona maelezo ya mtaala wangu wa kuandika wa shule ya sekondari kama msingi wa madarasa yako.