In this course, students refine their composition skills and begin to develop a personal “voice” with the help of robust and personalized feedback provided by the instructor and their peers.

Honors Composition is designed for high school students who are confident in their ability to write an academic “five paragraph” essay as taught in Language Arts 4.  The course assumes a firm grasp of grammar and punctuation, though some class time will be spent reviewing grammatical nuances and the purpose, in general, of grammar and writing mechanics as they contribute to effective writing.  Students without this base may be better served by enrolling in Fundamentals of Academic Writing.

There are three pillars of this course:

• Grammar & Mechanics. There will be weekly grammar review quizzes that reinforce the basics of applied grammar and focus on interesting nuances of application. Some class time is spent on discussing the more difficult applications in the context of understanding the role of grammar and punctuation for effective writing.
• Imitative Writing. Students practice emulating the voice of effective authors from a variety of periods by closely examining tone, arrangement, diction and syntax.  Students practice emulating the voice of effective authors from a variety of periods by closely examining tone, arrangement, diction, and syntax, then trying to reformulate their own ideas in these “foreign” voices.  In the spring semester, this will be expanded to include various modes of appeal and the role of applied logic in effective writing.
• Writing Process. According to poet and philosopher Walther Kaufman, “Writing is thinking in slow motion.”  With that quote as a backdrop, students will delve into the writing process with targeted projects around invention, arrangement, elocution, and scale.  The focus here is on each student developing his or her own effective “voice” in a way that can be applied at any scale and in any course.

Most assignments will be based on relatively short outside reading selections or on topics of the student’s own choice.  Where possible, both the readings and the writing topics will leverage enrollment in other WHA courses, especially The Great Conversation series.  Students will also be encouraged to reflect often on their own writing journey as they proceed through the course.

Homework Habits: Students typically spend 2-4 hours working outside of class each week, mostly in writing their own compositions and analyzing the texts used for imitation. Those with weaknesses in grammar, writing mechanics, or reading comprehension may require more time.

Suggested Grade Level: 9 or 10