Teens can have strong opinions!

Whether you agree with their take or not, this is the spark! The start of curiosity. A mental itch. 

Instead of moving on, let’s use it—to learn!

As our kids grow up and join the Big Juicy Conversations of our time, we want them to be prepared to dig deep and think about issues in a robust fashion.

Here’s our opportunity. A spark leads to intellectual risk-taking and critical thinking with the right guidance.

Class Overview

Made With You in Mind

Deep thinking depends on the ability to expand the field of vision, to notice our emotional reactivity, and to assess the judgments we’ve made on that basis.

Students will select their subject and format and explore their own thinking and others’ perspectives on the hot topics of the day. They'll then create a visual presentation to share what they've learned.

Personal investment. Teens tap into their own passions as they explore an issue of interest to them.

Process and pace. Learn the steps of a thorough research project over four weeks with gentle accountability.

Practice. Reinforcement of effective research skills, formats, and revision they may have encountered previously.

Critical Thinking. Students sort through information, determine its credibility, and find details to support their research questions.

Output. Finish with an informative and engaging presentation that is ready for their high school portfolio.

Let’s embrace the curiosity and outspokenness of this stage of life!

The "un-essay" class

This class is designed for high school students with an interest in current events who would like to explore engaging writing formats. Some previous experience with research is recommended though not required (Take our Essay Prep: Research and Citation class to gain a firm foundation in how to do research).

Writing Project Formats

Students can choose from a variety of visually oriented writing projects. They will write scripts and choose a

  • narrated slideshow (PowerPoint, Slides, Keynote, or Prezi) or
  • animated or filmed video (YouTube, Animoto, or other video creation software)

Creating informative and engaging presentations is an indispensable skill for today’s students and employees. Join us!

Week by Week

Week One

Class begins with developing a news reading habit as students explore topics that might make an interesting question to answer with an editorial.

Week Two

Students employ critical thinking to determine the biases both authors and readers bring to any piece of writing. This discerning eye will help them gravitate to credible sources as they research and freewrite about their question.

Week Three

This week is devoted to expansion of freewrites, reorganizing ideas, and returning to research, until students have a rough draft of their editorial.

Week Four

After a final polish for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, students drop their editorial into the visually-based presentation of their choice. They’ll design their presentation for maximum impact and engagement.

Registration Details

Join Us!

Tuition:
$239.00
Recommended Ages:

13 - 18

Class Size:
25 students
Class Length:
4 weeks
Class Type:
  • High School

Select from the available class dates below to register for that session:

–
Heidi Blanchard   Registration opens Dec. 9th at noon ET

Word on the Street

This class is part passion project, part research project. It's perfect to learn about research and how to sort through evidence to find the credible bits, and you get to apply the research to a topic you're interested in! 

Kia, 14

I am grateful for this class, I feel like I learned a lot of new ways to start, research, and complete a paper or assignment with a strong result I am proud of. 

Mike, 14

I like the step-by-step process… I have a tendency to get lost when taking a writing course that simply jumps from a basic outline sheet to the final project. Having each assignment between the start and the finish was very helpful.

Cecelia, 17

I think I grew more confident in writing on subjects that matter to me.

Natalia, 15

More Information

Sample class login

Want to see how our classroom works? Test drive a sample class complete with real class readings, assignments, and instructor comments!

Follow these instructions:

  1. Navigate to class.bravewriter.com. If you are a current student, you’ll need to log out in the upper right corner before proceeding.
  2. Log in using these credentials:
    Username: [email protected]
    Password: Brave1
  3. Next, you will land on our Family Dashboard. You'll find a Parent icon and a Student icon to represent classes where the parent or the student is the primary participant. Click on Parent to view parent participation classes. To find classes with direct student-instructor interaction, click on Student.
  4. Click on the class name of interest and start reading posts!
How Our Classes Work Download a class summary
Other options in High School Writing
Other options in High School