For years, the writers and editors of World Magazine have been producing high quality global news, social commentary, and cultural reviews from a Christian perspective. The authors of this writing curriculum have harnessed the writing philosophy and skills of these journalists and commentators and presented them to middle school students (grades 7-9, ideally) in a way that is engaging, logical, and genuinely helpful.
There are two levels, each designed to be used over a one-year period. Write with World I covers "Thinking Through Images, Developing Voice, and Crafting Narrative," while Write with World II covers "Learning to Create an Informed Opinion, Respond to Controversy, and Persuade Effectively." Students will need to have solid grammar skills and some composition experience going into this program—assignments range from analyzing photographs to writing stories to developing and articulating arguments.
For each level there's a parent/teacher edition and a student book, with no need for extra volumes (though access to magazines, newspapers, etc. is necessary). Both levels include four units, with four lessons apiece; the lessons are divided into five capsules each. Typically, one week will be spent completing the first three capsules of each lesson, with the second week devoted to the last two.
Write with World is intended to be taught, so you can't just hand your kids the student book and let them go for it. There's a wealth of information in each parent/teacher edition, as well as code-accessible online content including samples, forums, and new materials. There are no scripted lesson plans, but there's enough content you should have no problem presenting each lesson capsule to your students.
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