Essay Writing is a graduation requirement that most students complete during their freshman year of high school. This course runs for one term and offers one credit at the CPI level. Essay Writing classes are heterogeneously grouped. Over the course of the term, students will write a variety of essays including an opinion essay, a literary essay, and an open-response MCAS essay. In addition, students will complete a 6 – 8 page research paper on a topic of their choice. The research paper steps will prepare students for future research assignments by teaching them how to: evaluate sources and determine credibility, integrate research into writing and presentations, document and cite sources, and find an appropriate focus based on the length of an assignment.