Prerequisites:
Entering 6th grade
Able to compose a simple sentence
Able to identify parts of speech
A knowledge of sentence parts is also helpful

Course Description

Students in this course will experience a gentle introduction to the art of rhetoric while enjoying four fairytales and three classic children's novels. As we work through the first four essays of Lost Tools Level 1, we will learn to consider the actions of others with care and to communicate the truth to others with clarity. Our literature studies will strengthen our ability to attend as we notice important details and make connections within and across the stories we read. In addition, we will practice the important skills necessary to succeed in our studies: completing and turning in assignments, participating in a class discussion, and communicating with a teacher.

Students will attend a live class twice per week. On Day 1, students will participate in an interactive Lost Tools of Writing lesson, while Day 2 will include picture studies, poetry readings, and literature discussions. Attendance at both live sessions is critical to the successful completion of this course.

Please note: this course is a 28-week course rather than Kepler's standard 32-week course. Credit requirements for diploma-track students are satisfied.


Course Objectives

Students will be able to:

Gather facts by asking questions using the Five Common Topics.
Consider an Issue from both Affirmative and Negative positions.
Organize ideas into a 5-paragraph persuasive essay with Exordium, Thesis, Proofs, and Amplification.
Express ideas with beauty and clarity using parallelism and active, precise verbs.
Delight in good stories through annotation and discussion.

Weekly Time Commitment
2 hours participating in a live-interactive class
1-1.5 hours completing LTW assignments
1-1.5 hours reading and annotating the assigned text
1 hour revising assignments as requested