MS: Literature and Writing with 13YOs

Literature-13 students extend their attention to “Literary Nonfiction—Journalism” in three directions: Fake news and its profitability; entomology and its role in show business; possible science behind mysterious aerial sightings. Along with learning to name headlines, subheads, sidebars and types of graphics, students annotate quality journalism, learning some technical vocabulary, and ordering by importance the ageless “5 Ws and an H”: the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of delivering, “just the facts”—in literary-level language.

Writing-13 students, still excited from their suspense-filled, imagination-laden NaNoWriMo November, return to fleshing out expository problem-and-solution writing. Considering alternatives, choosing their preferred “approach” to a problem (recognizing that simple solutions prove elusive), students use research and proper citations to advance their causes. These methods will expand later this school year in writing a full-fledged research paper. For now, ask these budding writers what problems and approaches have captured their attention.