Essay Writing Skills Weekly Plan

 

8th Grade ELA Homeschooling Program

Focus: Essay Writing Skills

A bite-sized course to master active reading, prewriting, sentence/paragraph structure, and thesis statements.

Designed for Monday–Saturday


Course Overview

Goal: Develop skills for writing effective high school-level essays tailored to specific purposes and audiences.

  • Active Reading: Analyze texts to identify key ideas and support arguments.
  • Prewriting Strategies: Brainstorm, outline, and organize ideas effectively.
  • Sentence & Paragraph Structure: Craft clear, cohesive sentences and paragraphs.
  • Thesis Statements: Create strong, specific thesis statements to guide essays.
  • Modeling: Study model essays to understand structure and style.

Schedule: 6 days/week (Mon–Sat), 45–60 min/day.


DaySubjectTaskYouTube LinkCompletion StatusNotes
MondayELAWatch grammar video, practice sentence typesSentence Types (engVid)Not Started
TuesdayELARead model essay, outline a persuasive essayWriting a Paragraph (engVid)Not Started
WednesdayELAWrite thesis statement, practice transitionsTransitions (engVid)Not Started
ThursdayELADraft essay introduction and first paragraphSentence Types (engVid)Not Started
FridayELARevise draft, focus on paragraph structureWriting a Paragraph (engVid)Not Started
SaturdayELAComplete essay, compare to model essayTransitions (engVid)Not Started
SundayRestDay off--Relax and reflect!

Monday: Sentence Types & Active Reading

Objective: Understand sentence types and practice active reading.

  • Grammar (15 min): Watch Sentence Types by Rebecca [engVid]. Take notes on declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.
  • Active Reading (20 min): Read a short article (e.g., from CommonLit.org). Highlight main ideas and supporting details.
  • Writing Practice (25 min): Write 5 sentences (mix of types) summarizing the article.

Check-in: Update the Google Sheet with completion status.


Tuesday: Prewriting & Paragraph Structure

Objective: Learn prewriting strategies and paragraph structure.

  • Grammar (15 min): Watch Writing a Paragraph by Rebecca [engVid]. Note the topic sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentence.
  • Prewriting (20 min): Brainstorm a persuasive essay topic (e.g., “Should school uniforms be mandatory?”). Create a mind map.
  • Writing Practice (25 min): Write an outline for a 5-paragraph essay based on your topic.

Check-in: Update the Google Sheet with completion status.



Wednesday: Thesis Statements & Transitions

Objective: Craft a thesis statement and use transitions effectively.

  • Grammar (15 min): Watch Transitions by Rebecca [engVid]. List 5 transition words/phrases.
  • Writing Practice (20 min): Write a thesis statement for your persuasive essay (e.g., “School uniforms promote equality and reduce distractions.”).
  • Modeling (25 min): Read a model persuasive essay from Purdue OWL. Compare your thesis to the model.

Check-in: Update the Google Sheet with completion status.



Thursday: Drafting the Essay

Objective: Draft the introduction and first body paragraph.

  • Grammar (15 min): Review Sentence Types by Rebecca [engVid]. Practice varying sentence types in a short paragraph.
  • Writing Practice (30 min): Write the introduction (include thesis) and first body paragraph for your persuasive essay.
  • Modeling (15 min): Compare your draft to a model essay from Time4Writing.

Check-in: Update the Google Sheet with completion status.



Friday: Revising & Paragraph Structure

Objective: Revise your draft, focusing on paragraph coherence.

  • Grammar (15 min): Review Writing a Paragraph by Rebecca [engVid]. Check your paragraphs for topic sentences and supporting details.
  • Revision (30 min): Revise your introduction and first paragraph. Add transitions and vary sentence structures.
  • Peer Review (15 min): Share your draft with a parent or peer for feedback (use Google Slides commenting feature).

Check-in: Update the Google Sheet with completion status.



Saturday: Final Draft & Modeling

Objective: Complete the essay and compare to a model.

  • Grammar (15 min): Review Transitions by Rebecca [engVid]. Ensure transitions are used effectively.
  • Writing Practice (30 min): Complete the remaining paragraphs and conclusion for your essay.
  • Modeling (15 min): Compare your final draft to a model essay from Purdue OWL. Note strengths and areas for improvement.

Check-in: Update the Google Sheet with completion status.



Additional Resources

Use these resources to deepen your essay writing skills:

Tip: Revisit model essays to understand how to structure arguments and use vivid language.





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