Once Upon a Pen

ABOUT THE COURSE

Before Epics Come Essays is offered as both a correspondence course and a live course. Like level 1, the level 2 correspondence course is a hybrid of independent study and teacher interaction.  Students complete the lessons on their own; submit their work to me for grading; and meet with me via video chat once each month. During these chats, students have the opportunity to review trouble spots, ask questions, and look ahead to coming lessons. Students may receive help anytime through email.

The level 2 live course is a once-weekly class that follows most of the same scope-and-sequence as the correspondence course and also includes the level 3 material, however. Because the live course is still in its beta phrase, the exact scope-and-sequence is still being finalized.

Like Before Papers Come Paragraphs, BECE is designed for homeschooled students. It is flexible enough, however, that students enrolled in traditional schools may also take the course.  Parents should be aware that while Before Epics Come Essays has a similar structure to Before Papers Come Paragraphs, it is significantly more challenging.  It should not be used as a supplement to a different writing program. All the essays in level 2 will be multiple paragraphs, and the assignments will have the following additional features:

*editing exercises to reinforce grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills

*mini-lessons on basic style concepts, such as sentence rhythm and purple prose

*a light study of several published essays from The Seagull Reader:  Essays, by Joseph Kelly.  Students must obtain a copy of this book by unit 4.

LIVE  OPTION:
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR ’25-26

SUBSCRIBE TO MY UPDATES EMAILS!

NOTE: This course is still in development, so it has a reduced tuition for the ’25-26 year only. All students must have a Google account with regular access to the necessary apps. Also, for a class size of only one student, the time per meeting may be reduced, depending on the student’s abilities.

* Open to students in grades 7-12 (best sequence:  level 1 = gr. 6-8; level 2 = gr. 7-9; level 3 = gr. 8-11)

* schedule: Two 16-week semesters beginning the week of August 25; 1x/week for one hour on Thursdays OR Fridays, depending on students’ availability; time of day TBD based on students’ availability

* technical requirements:   webcam, microphone, headset or speakers, scanner or digital camera for handwritten assignments, and the following Google apps:  Gmail, Chat, Meet, Drive, and Classroom.

*Class size: 1-8

* This course begins where the live level 1 course ends, including both the remaining lessons of level 2 and all of level 3. For practical reasons, however, the scope-and-sequence is adjusted to better serve the live, online setting.

Tuition: $400+ $25 non-refundable registration fee (special beta edition price).

To register, please complete this form:  https://forms.gle/KGyZ8gu8CpQCg2HQ6

Questions? Contact me here.

CORRESPONDENCE OPTION:

This is my original hybrid course in which students complete lessons independently and meet with me in a video chat once each month to review trouble spots, ask questions, and look ahead to coming lessons. Students may receive help anytime through Gmail and Chat.

NOTE: All students must have a Google account with regular access to the necessary apps.

* open to students in grades 7-12 (best sequence:  level 1 = gr. 6-8; level 2 = gr. 7-9; level 3 = gr. 8-11)

* year-round start date; level 2 must be completed within one calendar year (grades 8-12) or within two calendar years (7th grade and special circumstances)

*Technical requirements:   webcam, microphone, headset or speakers, scanner or digital camera for handwritten assignments, and the following Google apps:  Gmail, Chat, Meet, Drive, and Classroom

Tuition: $450 + $25 non-refundable registration fee. 

To register, please complete this form:  https://forms.gle/KGyZ8gu8CpQCg2HQ6

Questions? Contact me here.

Not sure? Ask me for a sample lesson of your choice! Grading is not offered for sample lessons, but you will receive the entire lesson to examine at no cost. Please note that sample lessons do not include workshops.

SCOPE & SEQUENCE

Prerequisite:  Introductory Unit See the Level 1 Scope-and-sequence for a description of this unit.

Unit 1:  Beginning Well
This unit continues the study of prewriting that was begun in level 1. 

1 — Introduction to the Multi-paragraph Essay
2 — Break It Down:  Making Sense of Writing Prompts (with a mini-lesson on word pictures) 
3 — Composition in a Nutshell:  The Thesis Statement (with a mini-lesson on sentence rhythm) 
4 — A Map for the Journey, part 1:  The Formal Outline (with a mini-lesson on purple prose)
5 — A Map for the Journey, part 2:  The Functional Outline (with a mini-lesson on beige prose)
6–Outlining is Not Enough: The Nine Methods of Organization (with a mini-lesson on adjectives and nouns)
Workshop–Comprehensive Prewriting Review

Unit 2:  Pour It On the Page–Drafting the Multi-paragraph Essay
This unit focuses on basic drafting skills important for developing strong essays.  

7 — You Only Have a Moment:  How to Hook Your Reader (with a mini-lesson on trimming the fat, part 1)
8 — Making Your Thesis Crystal Clear:  The Outline Statement (with a mini-lesson on trimming fat, part 2)
9— Pack Power in Your Punch: The Art of Concluding an Essay (with a mini-lesson on strong verbs) 
10 — Developing the Middle:  How to Develop an Essay of Substance (with a mini-lesson on show, don’t tell)
11 — Enhancing the Middle: Three More Elements of a Strong Essay (with a mini-lesson on active vs. passive voice)

Unit 3:  Go Out With Style
This unit takes students deeper into revision, editing, proofreading, and publishing. The workshop ensures that students are ready for unit 4 and level 3.

12 — Windows on Your Writing, part 1:  Learning to Listen (with a mini-lesson on artistic fragments and parallelism)
13 — Windows on Your Writing, part 2:  Macro-revision (with a mini-lesson on tone)
14 — Windows on Your Writing, part 3:  Micro-revision (with a mini-lesson on artistic repetition) 
15 — Putting on the Polish:  Finishing Your Essay Well (with a mini-lesson on style concepts review)
Workshop: Final Assessment

Unit 4:  Workshops on Essay Variations 
Once students have finished their study of basic expository writing, it is time to explore some of its many variations. This final unit is a set of workshops, rather than lessons, which means less lesson and more activity. In this unit they will study four essay variations. Each workshop includes detailed guidance and feedback throughout the writing process, as well as a mini-lesson (“spotlight”) on a concept related to that essay variation.  In this unit students will also begin reading and analyzing critically-acclaimed essays from The Seagull Reader:  Essays, by Joseph Kelly.

Workshop 1 — The Personal Narrative and Personal Opinion Essays (plus a spotlight on storytelling)
Workshop 2 — The Literary Analysis Essay (plus a spotlight on quotations)
Workshop 3 — The Persuasive Essay (plus a spotlight on propaganda)