HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
Week
of
8/13
8/148/15
UNIT
Syllabus and
Course Description
On-Demand Writing:
Critical Analysis of OnDemand Prompts
On-Demand Writing:
8/188/25
Form: Article
Purpose: Narrate an
event for a transactive
purpose
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
HISD Standards
On-Demand Writing:
Form: Letter
Essential Vocabulary
Resources Needed
Syllabus
WR-HS-1.1.0 Establish
and maintain a focused
purpose to
communicate with an
authentic audience
WC-S-2 Write to
demonstrate learning
and understanding of
content knowledge
(e.g., on-demand
writing)
WC-S-3 Write for a
variety of authentic
purposes and audiences
8/269/3
KEY TOPICS
(Knowledge and Skills)
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
WC-S-5 Develop ideas
that are logical,
justified, and suitable
for a variety of
purposes, audiences,
and forms of writing
WC-S-2 Write to
demonstrate learning
and understanding of
 Differentiating
between direct vs.
passage-based
prompts
 Thinking critically
 Analyzing prompts
 Outlining responses
 Creating appropriate
article format
 Writing strong leads
(This was a weakness
in last year’s
instruction.)
 Narrating an event for
a transactive purpose
 Direct prompt
 Passage-based
prompt
PowerPoint and
PowerPoint Noteguide
 Article
 Lead
 Transactive purpose
Model: Ben Stein
Article—“How Can
Someone Who Lives in
Insane Luxury Be a Star
in Today’s World?”
(handout)
 Creating appropriate
letter format
 Determining and
 Business letter
 Friendly letter
 Letter components
Prompt: “New
Experiences”
Model: “Letter from
Birmingham Jail” (pp.
457-465 in textbook)
HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
Purpose: Persuade
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
using appropriate
format (business vs.
friendly)
 Persuading
effectively using
Aristotle’s logos,
ethos, and pathos
 Ethos/Logos/Pathos





WC-S-3 Write for a
variety of authentic
purposes and audiences
 Creating appropriate
speech format
(Heavily emphasize
this!)
 Addressing a textbased prompt
 Persuading
effectively using
Aristotle’s logos,
ethos, and pathos
WC-S-5 Develop ideas
that are logical,
justified, and suitable
for a variety of
purposes, audiences,
and forms of writing
WC-S-2 Write to
demonstrate learning
 Creating appropriate
editorial format (Be
 Editorial
 Letter to the Editor
content knowledge
(e.g., on-demand
writing)
WC-S-3 Write for a
variety of authentic
purposes and audiences
On-Demand Writing:
9/49/11
Form: Speech
Purpose: Persuade
On-Demand Writing:
9/12-
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
WC-S-5 Develop ideas
that are logical,
justified, and suitable
for a variety of
purposes, audiences,
and forms of writing
WC-S-2 Write to
demonstrate learning
and understanding of
content knowledge
(e.g., on-demand
writing)
Prompt: Teen-Ink
Educator of the Year
Nomination Letter
(business format)
Salutation
Closing
Call to action
Ethos/Logos/Pathos
Text-based prompt
Models: Bono’s
National Prayer
Breakfast Address
(handout)
“A League of Her Own”
(handout)
Prompt: Online Classes
(text-based)
Model: “Deadening the
Heart: Killer Video
HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
9/22
Form: Editorial
Purpose: Inform
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
and understanding of
content knowledge
(e.g., on-demand
writing)
WC-S-3 Writing for a
variety of authentic
purposes and audiences
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
sure to emphasize
differences between
editorial and letter to
the editor.)
 Addressing a textbased prompt
 Informing to
accomplish a realistic
purpose
 Text-based prompt
 Observing
 Analyzing
 Recognizing
ambiguity
 Accepting
complexities
 Identifying
assumptions and
biases
 Assuming
perspectives of
another
 Adopting multiple








Games” (handout)
Prompt: Flag Education
(text-based)
WC-S-5 Develop ideas
that are logical,
justified, and suitable
for a variety of
purposes, audiences,
and forms of writing
9/239/26
9/2910/10
ON-DEMAND
STATE
ASSESSMENT
AND
REFLECTION
“My Place in This
World: Becoming a
Critical Thinker”
DCS-S-4 Form and
support warranted
judgments/
opinions/conclusions
about central idea
RD-12-5.0.4 Critique
the author’s word
choice, style, tone, or
content
WC-S-1 Write to learn
by applying strategies
Critical Thinking
Analysis
Ambiguity
Assumption
Bias
Perspective
Synthesis
Evaluation
Critical Thinking
PowerPoint and
PowerPoint Noteguide
“My Place In the
World” Quick-Write
and Kevin Carter
PowerPoint
Text: pp. 31-35 plus
Open-Note Quiz
Annie Dillard’s
HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
effectively
WC-S-6 Select and
incorporate ideas and
information
10/2011/14
“My Place in This
World: Examining Self
(College Essay)”
WR-E-4.7.0 Focusing
WR-E-4.8.0 Prewriting
WR-E-4.9.0 Drafting
WR-E-4.10.0 Revising
Content/Ideas/Idea
Development/
Organization/Word
Choice
WC-S-8 Provide
sufficient details and
appropriate depth of
elaboration for clear
understanding
WV-S-1 Choose
precise and descriptive
language for clarity,
richness, and/or its
effect on the reader
perspectives
 Synthesizing
 Evaluating
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
“Seeing” (essay on pp.
491-499)
Textbook: p. 500
 #2 Thinking and
Writing
 #4 Reading and
Thinking
Writing the College
Admissions Essay and
the Scholarship
Application Essay
Post-Unit Reflection:
Quick-Write #1
Revisited (changes in
thinking)
Thinking and Writing #1
(p. 135—prewrite)
Alice Walker’s “Beauty:
When the Other Dancer
Is the Self” (pp. 130134)
Stylistic Analysis of
Walker’s Essay
College Essay
Background
Brainstorming
Models for analysis:
 Kara Keith
 Casey Ditty
 Blake James
HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
Personal Drafts
WV-S-3 Apply correct
grammar skills
Computer Lab
WC-S-9 Use and
sustain suitable voice or
tone
11/1711/25
“My Place in This
World: Examining Self
(Personal Writing—
Fear Analysis)”
WR-HS-2.3.2/WRHS-3.5.2
Personal
Expressive/Literary
Writing
WR-HS-2.3.0 Create
unity and coherence to
accomplish the focused
purpose
WS-S-3 Apply
structures of a variety
of texts for authentic
and justifiable purposes
WS-S-6 Use a variety
of transitions and/or
transitional elements
with intent
WS-S-7 Apply
organizational devices
to achieve intended
effect on audience
Narration and Analysis:
 Fear narrative
analysis
Saskia Verlaan’s
“Perspectives on Fear”
Essay (pp. 42-46)
Verlaan Analysis
Thinking and Writing #3
(p. 47)
Personal Drafts
HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
12/112/5
“My Place in This
World: Examining Self
(Personal Writing—
Misunderstanding
Analysis)”
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
WS-S-1 Apply
unconventional
sentence structures to
achieve intended effect
on audience
WR-HS-2.3.2/
WR-HS-3.5.2
Personal
Expressive/Literary
Writing
WR-HS-2.3.0 Create
unity and coherence to
accomplish the focused
purpose
WS-S-3 Apply
structures of a variety
of texts for authentic
and justifiable purposes
WS-S-6 Use a variety
of transitions and/or
transitional elements
with intent
WS-S-7 Apply
organizational devices
to achieve intended
effect on audience
WS-S-1 Apply
unconventional
sentence structures to
Narration and Analysis:
 Misunderstanding
narrative analysis
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
Brent Staples’ “Just
Walk on By” Essay (pp.
194-196)
Staples Analysis
Thinking and Writing #2
(p. 197)
Personal Drafts
HARLAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: CURRICULUM MAP
Course: Senior Seminar
12/812/19
“My Place in This
World: Examining Self
(Polishing Personal
Writing)”
Teachers: Tracie Luttrell and Vickie Ball
achieve intended effect
on audience
WV-S-5 Use print and
Polishing Personal
electronic resources and Writing
apply knowledge of
spelling rules to correct
spelling in final drafts
WS-V-6 Use print and
electronic resources to
adhere to standard
guidelines for grammar,
usage, and mechanics
From August 14th, 2008 to December 19th, 2008
Personal Draft Choice of
Either Fear Narrative
Analysis or
Misunderstanding
Narrative Analysis
Computer Lab