Academic Writing and Research Course 

Instructor: Ms. Heather

本课程深入探讨基于研究的学术写作。在 25 周的时间里，学生将继续从事长期研究项目，从开始到最终发表 -现成的大学水平学术研究风格草稿，附有引文和文档。将指导学生进行个性化主题选择，以便每个学生都能对他们最感兴趣的主题进行研究。纸张长度将为根据每组学生的年龄/能力量身定制，至少 5-10 页最终草案（高中生可以写一篇完整的扩展研究论文话题）。此外，学生将创建演示文稿并正式展示他们的原创作品研究成果将在我们班级的学术会议结束时向全班展示,同时也欢迎家长们加入。

Summary

This course is a deep dive into research-based academic writing. Over the course of 25 weeks, students will continually work on one long research project from inception to final publication- ready draft in the style of university-level academic research, parenthetical citation and documentation. Students will be guided through individualized topic selection, enabling each student to conduct research in the subject that they are most curious about. Paper length will be tailored to the age/abilities of each cohort of students with a minimum of 5-10 pages for the final draft (high school students can expect to write a full extended research essay on their topic). In addition, students will create a presentation and formally present their original research to the class at the end of the course in our class “academic conference.” Parents are welcome to attend.

Teacher’s Note: This course is progressive, so it is essential that the student complete at-home writing and research assignments each week. If you believe that your student is unwilling or unable to complete their writing assignments in between classes, please contact us to recommend an alternate writing course. Since this course is very advanced, if a student gets behind, we will not be able to easily pause the course to catch them back up on missed writing.

Recordings of classes are available if a student misses an individual session.

Assignments

Assignments will be progressive and will include:

- Research and reading in the student’s chosen topic

- Organizing, indexing, and outlining research

- Completing sections of writing for their research paper progressively

- Completing bibliography and documentation

- Extensive revisions based on peer/teacher feedback

- Building an academic slide presentation around final paper

Week 1-2: Introduction to Academic Writing and Research

•  Overview of academic writing conventions

•  Understanding the research process

•  Choosing a research topic

•  Formulating research questions

•  Identifying reputable/credible sources

Week 3-6: Literature Review

•  Importance and purpose of literature review

•  Conducting literature searches

•  Organizing and synthesizing literature

•  Proper citation and referencing

•  How to correctly summarize and avoid plagiarism

•  Ethical considerations in research

Week 7-8: Developing a Thesis Statement

•  Crafting a clear and concise thesis statement

•  Understanding the role of the thesis in academic writing

•  Aligning the thesis with research questions

Week 9-10: Structuring an Academic Paper

•  Introduction, body, and conclusion

•  Paragraph and sentence structure

•  Coherence and cohesion in writing

•  Formatting and style guidelines

•  Outlining and blocking your paper

Week 11-12: Research Analysis and Interpretation

•  Data analysis techniques

•  Interpreting research findings

•  Creating visuals to support analysis

•  Drawing conclusions from data

•  Adding your own original voice and interpretation to sources

Week 13-14: Drafting and Revision

•  Writing the first draft

•  Peer review and constructive feedback

•  Revising for clarity, coherence, and conciseness

•  Editing for grammar and style

•  Creating a bibliography and parenthetical citation

Week 17-18: Presenting Research

•  Designing effective presentations

•  Developing presentation skills

•  Responding to questions and feedback

Week 19-20: Academic Conventions in Different Disciplines

•  Understanding specific writing conventions in different academic fields

•  Tailoring writing style to match disciplinary expectations

• Continuing to polish your presentation

Week 21-22: Publication and Academic Conference Prep

•  Public speaking for conference/academic presentation

•  How to publish research papers

•  How to seek out research opportunities in partnership with school/university/pre-college programs

Week 23: Research Ethics and Integrity

•  Understanding ethical considerations in research

•  Ensuring integrity in data collection and reporting

•  Navigating ethical challenges in academic writing

Week 24-25: Academic Conference Class Presentations and Peer Review

•  Presenting final research projects

•  Peer evaluation of projects

•  Reflecting on the course and individual progress

•  Strategies for continued improvement in academic writing and research