Writing for College Success   (#1009370)

Version for Academic Year:

Course Standards

General Course Information and Notes

Version Description

This course is targeted for grade 12 students whose test scores on the Postsecondary Educational Readiness Test are below the established cut scores for writing, indicating that they are not "college-ready" in writing. This course incorporates language study, the practice of writing craft strategies, and the analysis of writing selections to develop critical writing skills necessary for success in college courses, preparing students for successful completion of Florida college English courses requiring extensive grade-level writing. The benchmarks reflect the Florida College Competencies necessary for entry-level college courses and are also related to the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards, the exit standards of Florida’s K-12 Florida Standards.

General Notes

The content should include, but not be limited to, the following: writing effective sentence structures; effectively implementing patterns of paragraph development; recognizing and solving common sentence development problems; reading and modeling mentor essays; and understanding and using language, grammar, and mechanics effectively.

Instructional Practices: Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students’ content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any purpose. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning.

  1. Reading assignments from longer text passages, as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
  2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
  3. Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
  4. Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
  5. Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

The College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards and grade-specific standards are necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity—that together define the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate at each grade level. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each succeeding year’s grade specific benchmarks, retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades, and work steadily toward meeting the more general expectations described by the CCR anchor standards.

General Information

Course Number: 1009370
Abbreviated Title: WRTNG COLL SUCCESS
Number of Credits: Half credit (.5)
Course Length: Semester (S)
Course Type: Core Academic Course
Course Status: Course Approved
Grade Level(s): 9,10,11,12
Graduation Requirement: English, Electives

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this course.

Original Student Tutorials

Symbolism & Allegory in "The Devil and Tom Walker" (Part Two):

Learn all about symbolism and allegory in this interactive tutorial. We'll use the classic short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving to explore the use of symbolism and allegory as types of figurative language. We'll break down the events of the story and analyze how the use of symbolism contributes to the powerful allegory in this haunting tale. This tutorial is Part Two of a two-part series.

Make sure to complete Part One first. Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Symbolism & Allegory in "The Devil and Tom Walker" (Part One):

Learn all about symbolism and allegory in this interactive tutorial. We'll use the classic short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving to explore the use of symbolism and allegory as types of figurative language. We'll break down the events of the story and analyze how the use of symbolism contributes to the powerful allegory in this haunting tale. 

In Part One, we'll cover some important background information and read the opening excerpts of the text. Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Blasting Off with Active and Passive Voice:

Learn to distinguish between passive and active voice and how to revise sentences by changing them from passive voice to active voice in this interactive Space Race-themed tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Investigating Essential and Nonessential Elements: Part Two:

Investigate essential and nonessential elements in a sentence. In Part Two, you'll learn about essential and nonessential phrases and clauses and how to use commas with nonessential phrases and clauses in a sentence.

This is Part Two of a two-part tutorial series. Click HERE to launch Part One. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Investigating Essential and Nonessential Elements: Part One:

Investigate essential and nonessential elements in a sentence in this two-part tutorial series. In Part One, you'll learn about appositives and how to use commas with appositives when they provide nonessential information in a sentence.

When you're done, make sure to complete Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation: The Dash – Part Two:

Investigate a mysterious punctuation mark--the dash--in this interactive two-part tutorial. In this series, you'll learn about two types of dashes and their different uses. In Part Two, you'll learn about the em dash and practice using it correctly.

We recommend that you complete Part One first! Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation: The Dash – Part One :

Investigate a mysterious punctuation mark—the dash—in this interactive two-part tutorial. In this series, you'll learn about two types of dashes and their different uses. In Part One, you'll learn about the en dash and practice using it correctly. In Part Two, you'll learn about the em dash and practice using it correctly. We hope by the end of this series that the dash will no longer be quite so mysterious!

Make sure to complete Part Two! Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Vocabulary Unleashed:

Learn 15 new academic vocabulary words in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation Marks: Commas:

Don't be mystified by commas! This interactive tutorial will help you better understand how to correctly use this often mysterious punctuation mark. You'll learn several ways commas are commonly misused to help make sure you don't make these same mistakes in your own writing. Then, you'll learn several ways to correctly use a comma. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation Marks: Apostrophes:

Check out a mysterious punctuation mark—the apostrophe—in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn several important rules and guidelines to help you demystify this punctuation mark so you can use it correctly in your own writing. 

 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Exploring Comma Usage:

Learn to use commas correctly to set off an introductory clause, phrase, or word at the start of a sentence with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation: Investigating Commas :

Learn a number of important rules that will help you master the mysterious comma. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how commas are used to separate three or more items in a series and to “set off” certain aspects of a sentence.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Be Careful with Your Commas!:

Learn to use commas correctly with this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. You'll review a number of important comma rules, including when not to use a comma, and you'll learn to identify errors in comma usage. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation Marks—Part Two: Quotation Marks and the Dash:

Learn about two mysterious punctuation marks: quotation marks and the dash. As you complete this interactive tutorial, you'll learn a number of important rules and guidelines to help you use them correctly.

This is Part Two of a two-part series. Click HERE to launch Part One to learn about the apostrophe and the ellipsis.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Mysterious Punctuation Marks -- Part One:

Learn about four mysterious punctuation marks in this two-part interactive tutorial. In Part One, you'll learn important rules and guidelines to help you correctly use the apostrophe and the ellipsis. 

In Part Two, you'll learn to correctly use quotation marks and the dash. Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to open Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comma Check: Putting Your Punctuation in Order:

Learn three rules for using commas correctly in your writing through use of this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. You'll learn how to join two independent clauses without creating a comma splice, how to identify and offset a nonessential clause in a sentence, and how to use the controversial Oxford comma. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Fixing Run-on Sentences:

Learn to recognize and fix one of the most common grammar errors—the run-on sentence—as you complete this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Check it Out: Using Colons Correctly:

Learn about the ways to correctly use a colon in a sentence by exploring this interactive tutorial! We'll go over contexts where colon use is appropriate, and you'll learn guidelines for colon usage. You'll also learn several important rules for capitalization usage after a colon. By the end, you should be apply to apply these rules to correctly use a colon within a sentence. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Doppelganger Danger: Confusing Pronouns:

Examine some commonly confused pronouns that often trick people into believing that they have the same meaning when their meanings can be very different. This interactive tutorial will help you properly use the following pronouns: who, whom, which, that, their, there, they're.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Doppelganger Danger: Words Commonly Confused:

Avoid "doppelganger danger" as you examine six pairs of commonly confused words in this interactive tutorial. Learn how to correctly use these commonly confused words to improve your language and writing skills.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Piece It Together: Understanding Semicolon Usage:

Learn and practice how to use semicolons in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn three important rules for using the semicolon to join clauses together. By the end, you should be able to apply these three rules to correctly use a semicolon within a sentence.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Doppelganger Danger: Commonly Confused Words:

Avoid "doppelganger danger" as you examine six pairs of commonly confused words. Learning how to correctly use these commonly confused words will help improve your writing and mastery of English.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Complex Usage: Which Word Will Win?:

Examine five pairs of commonly confused words in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial focuses on language and resolving issues of complex usage. You will examine pairs of words that are often confused in order to learn the correct use of each word. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to accurately use these ten commonly confused words. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Doppelganger Danger: Tricky Word Doubles:

Avoid "doppelganger danger" as you examine fourteen homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Learning how to use these homophones correctly in this interactive tutorial will help you avoid some of the most common usage mistakes.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Doppelganger Danger: Tricky Homophones:

Avoid "doppelganger danger" as you examine eleven homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Learning how to use these homophones correctly in this interactive tutorial will help you avoid some of the most common usage mistakes.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Doppelganger Danger: Words that Confuse:

Avoid "doppelganger danger" as you examine twelve homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Learning how to use these homophones correctly in this interactive tutorial will help you avoid some of the most common usage mistakes.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Capitalization: A Crash Course:

Take a crash course to learn the rules of capitalization in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Discovering the Treasure of Sentence Variety: Part 2:

Batten down the hatches, mateys! In this two-part series, you'll learn about syntax and the ways in which writing with varied syntax can affect the meaning of a text. This tutorial is Part Two. In this tutorial, you'll learn about complex sentence structures. Then you'll combine what you learned in both parts of this series to identify different sentence structures and analyze the effect of simple, compound, and complex sentence structures on the meaning of a text. You'll also practice writing using varied syntax. 

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two! Click HERE to view Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Discovering the Treasure of Sentence Variety: Part 1:

Ahoy, mateys! Learn about syntax and the ways in which writing with varied syntax can affect the meaning of a text. In this two-part interactive tutorial, you'll learn about syntax. You'll practice identifying simple, compound, and complex sentence structures and analyze the effect of these different types of structures on the meaning of a text. You'll also practice writing using varied syntax. 

Make sure to complete both parts of this series! Click HERE for Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Vocabulary Mastery:

Acquire 15 new vocabulary words, identify their parts of speech, synonyms, and antonyms, and use them in context with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In the Driver's Seat!:

Learn how to identify the strengths and weaknesses of sources to use in your writing. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn to evaluate sources based on their relation to the audience, task, and purpose of your writing. You'll also practice determining whether potential sources are useful, relevant, and authoritative for your specific topic.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Streamlining Sentences: Using Hyphens :

Learn how to use the hyphen in this interactive tutorial about sharks! You'll learn rules and strategies for the proper use of this often misunderstood punctuation mark.  

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Vocabulary in Action:

Acquire new vocabulary through this interactive tutorial. You'll learn the definitions for 15 new words, as well as their parts of speech, their synonyms and antonyms, and you'll practice using them in context.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Language Liaisons: A Relationship Between Words:

Explore word relationships by identifying and interpreting various figures of speech in context. In this interactive tutorial, you'll analyze the use of several kinds of figures of speech, including hyperbole and paradox. You'll also analyze the nuances in the meaning of words with similar definitions. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Vocabulary Power:

Acquire 15 new vocabulary words, identify their parts of speech, synonyms, and antonyms, and use them in context with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Commas, Commas, Everywhere!:

Review common uses of the comma and learn how it can be properly used to set off nonrestrictive elements--like phrases and words--in a sentence. This interactive tutorial will also give you the chance to complete practice activities to check your understanding.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learning the Ropes: Applying Comma Rules:

Learn how to use commas to connect two sentences, how to use commas with coordinate adjectives, and how to use the Oxford comma. In this interactive tutorial, you will complete practice exercises and read several short passages about primates, including gorillas and baboons.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Wild Words: Analyzing the Extended Metaphor in "The Stolen Child":

Learn to identify and analyze extended metaphors using W.B. Yeats' poem, "The Stolen Child." In this interactive tutorial, we'll examine how Yeats uses figurative language to express the extended metaphor throughout this poem. We'll focus on his use of these seven types of imagery: visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, tactile, kinesthetic, and organic. Finally, we'll analyze how the poem's extended metaphor conveys a deeper meaning within the text.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Drawing Evidence for Analysis and Reflection:

Learn to draw appropriate text evidence to support your written response to analysis and reflection prompts. In this interactive tutorial, you'll be working with excerpts from two of George Orwell’s works: 1984 and “Shooting an Elephant.” You'll practice identifying important evidence in the text to support your own thoughts and ideas.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Dynamic English: Understanding a Changing Language:

Learn about the conventions of Modern English compared to the English of long ago. In this interactive tutorial, we'll examine some current language conventions that apply to our use of English when speaking and writing. We'll also see how our language has evolved since the days of Old English and Middle English. Finally, we'll examine some important differences between standard language and disputed (less formal) language.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Tutorials

Grammar Bytes! Exercise 4: Using Commas Correctly:

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice using commas correctly in sentences. For each practice item, you must use commas in a sentence only where appropriate. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.

Type: Tutorial

Grammar Bytes! Exercise 3: Using Commas Correctly:

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice using commas correctly in sentences. For each practice item, you must use commas in a sentence only where appropriate. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.

Type: Tutorial

Grammar Bytes! Exercise 2: Fixing Comma Errors in Sentences:

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice fixing comma errors in sentences. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to revise a sentence so that it uses commas correctly. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. 

Type: Tutorial

Grammar Bytes! Exercise 1: Fixing Comma Errors in Sentences:

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice fixing comma errors in sentences. For each practice item, you must correct the comma error in a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also provides an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked "Comma Tip” that appears with feedback.

Type: Tutorial

Purdue OWL: Personal Statement:

In this vidcast from the Purdue Online Writing Lab, you will learn how to write your personal statement for your college application. Further, you will be able to write for a specific audience while adhering to particular guidelines for your format and style. Note- the vidcast may take a minute or two to load.

Type: Tutorial

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this course.
Writing

Benchmark Notes: Each year in their writing, students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each succeeding year’s grade-specific writing benchmarks and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

Language

Benchmark Notes: The following language benchmarks offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that students gain adequate mastery of a range of language skills and applications. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each succeeding year’s grade-specific benchmarks and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.