The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School

The curriculum appears to use appropriately complex writing assignments for college preparation.

Described as a 'college-prep course' that covers essays and writing required for college, including researched papers with MLA documentation and literary analysis.

The curriculum provides substantial teacher support materials and guidance for implementation.

The essential teacher's guide includes answer keys, 31 pages explaining grading and evaluation strategies, evaluation forms, and a detailed '14-Minute Power Surges Program' with daily writing prompts.

The curriculum employs explicit instruction with clear guidance, examples, and structured lessons.

The 415-page self-guided text provides clear daily lessons, includes student essay samples throughout, and Watson teaches skills 'in increments with instruction, encouragement, and examples.'

This is a strength of the curriculum, offering comprehensive and structured writing instruction across multiple genres.

The course covers essay structure, various essay types (opinion, persuasion, comparison/contrast, biography, descriptive, how-to, literary analysis), includes a chapter on proofreading skills, and provides detailed evaluation forms and grading strategies.

The curriculum incorporates some knowledge-building through research assignments and position papers on substantive topics.

Students write researched position papers using topics like 'icons of evolution' and engage with persuasive writing on complex issues like embryonic stem cells and suicide morality.

The curriculum includes some practice elements but limited evidence of systematic retrieval practice.

The '14-Minute Power Surges Program' provides daily writing practice with weekly review and revision, but the review doesn't describe systematic retrieval of previously learned concepts.

The curriculum focuses on writing instruction rather than reading whole books, though literary analysis instruction suggests engagement with complete texts.

The course covers literary analysis with instruction on characters, conflict, plot, and voice, but the primary focus is on writing rather than extensive reading of whole works.

Phonics instruction is not applicable for this high school writing-focused curriculum.

The course assumes students have mastered paragraph writing and jumps directly into essay composition, targeting grades 9-12.

Limited evidence of explicit vocabulary instruction, though writing instruction may indirectly support vocabulary development.

The review mentions references to well-known authors and literary works but does not describe systematic vocabulary building activities.