ign IEW: Modern World History-Based Writing (Investigations in Writing)
Recommended Grades: 6th–8th Grade
Location: 124 West Swanson Ave, Wasilla (Near Wonderland Park)
Schedule & Important Dates
Days/Times: Mondays & Wednesdays | 8:45 AM – 10:00 AM
Semester 1: Sept 9th – Dec 16th
Semester 2: Jan 4th – April 22nd (No class during MSBSD Spring Break)
Note: Any instructor illness/snow-day make-ups will be added at the end of the semester.
Price and Registration
Price: $922.50 per semester (Includes all materials)
Full Year Note: While you can sign up for one semester, I highly recommend both to fully benefit from this specific curriculum sequence.
Direct Billing: I am a vendor for Mat-Su Central, IDEA, CyberLynx, Raven, PACE, Twindly Bridge, Denali Peak, and Totem.
How to Register: Visit www.bookeo.com/matsulearn or email Jessica Bertram at matsulearnandinspire@gmail.com. Use your homeschool name (no spaces) as the PROMO code for direct billing.
The Parent Partnership
As students enter the 6th–8th grade range, expectations for independence grow, but parental involvement remains a critical factor for success. Because this level tackles complex historical themes and formal essay structures, I ask that parents:
Monitor the Draft Process: Ensure your student is working on their assignments throughout the week rather than cramming on Friday night.
Verify the Checklist: Middle schoolers often feel they "know it," but IEW requires specific stylistic "Dress-Ups." Please review their draft against the week's checklist before the Saturday submission.
Final Grading: I provide detailed feedback and rubric-based suggestions, but parents are responsible for recording the final grade for their homeschool records.
Why "Investigations in Writing"?
This course uses the Modern World History-Based Writing Lessons. It is designed for middle schoolers who are ready for a higher level of academic rigor. By using fascinating historical events as our source material, students learn to write with clarity and authority.
Key Units Covered in this Level:
Units 1 & 2: Structural Basics: Mastering the Key Word Outline using complex historical texts.
Unit 3: Narrative Summaries: Retelling historical accounts and biographies with emotional depth and structure.
Unit 4: Summarizing a Reference: Learning to extract the most vital information from historical reports.
Unit 5: Writing from Pictures: Developing creative historical fiction scenes based on visual prompts.
Unit 6: Multiple Source Research: This is a cornerstone of middle school writing. Students learn to synthesize information from three different sources into a cohesive, factual report.
Unit 7: Inventive Writing: Moving away from source texts to write from their own knowledge and research.
Unit 8: Formal Essay Models: Mastering the 5-paragraph essay format (Introduction, 3 Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion).
Unit 9: Formal Critique: Analyzing and responding to historical documents or literature with a formal structure.
Advanced Stylistic Flair
Middle schoolers will go beyond basic adjectives to use:
Sophisticated Sentence Openers: Including "Prepositional," "Clausal," and "VSS" (Very Short Sentence) patterns for impact.
Vocabulary Expansion: Using the "Banned Words" list to replace common words with academic-level synonyms.
Literary Decorations: Learning to use alliteration, similes, and metaphors to elevate their prose.
Weekly Workflow
Wednesday: New historical topics and writing units taught in class.
Saturday (4:00 PM): Rough Drafts Due electronically. (I provide feedback over the weekend).
Monday: Peer reviews, editing labs, and 1-on-1 student conferences.
One Week Later: Final drafts due.
Cancellation Policy
Once committed, costs are deducted from student allotments. Refunds are available until 7 days before the start date. If you must cancel late, I will try to fill the spot from the waitlist to save your allotment.