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Words Mean Business: English I, Communication and Business Writing
A Full-Year High School Homeschool English Curriculum | Grades 9–10 | 1.0 Credit
Help your teen write clearly, speak confidently, and put words to work. Words Mean Business is a hands-on, full-year English I homeschool curriculum that connects literature, grammar, research, and public speaking with practical business writing. Designed for grades 9–10, this 1.0-credit high school English course gives homeschool families and co-ops a purposeful approach to language arts through discussion, creative projects, and real-world communication.
Students step into the role of Communications Associate at Bigsby’s Bait, Tackle & Wedding Cakes, a fictional small-town business with a lovable boss whose documents need serious help. Each week, learners revise a flawed email, memo, letter, advertisement, or other communication while developing the skills to create professional documents for a venture of their own.
English Skills Students Can Use Beyond the Classroom
Across 36 weekly lessons and 12 units, students practice:
Business and professional writing: Emails, business letters, memos, meeting agendas, instructions, proposals, press releases, and product descriptions.
Literature and rhetorical analysis: Readings from Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Abraham Lincoln, alongside a study of Twelve Angry Men.
Grammar and composition: Sentence structure, punctuation, word choice, transitions, parallel structure, revision, and clear, concise writing.
Research and information literacy: Asking meaningful questions, evaluating sources, taking notes, citing evidence, and writing a market research report.
Persuasive writing and argument: Claims, evidence, rhetorical appeals, logical fallacies, and ethical persuasion.
Public speaking and communication: Active listening, elevator pitches, presentations, negotiation, interviews, and teamwork.
Career readiness: Résumés, cover letters, professional etiquette, and a portfolio of finished work.
Hands-On Learning with a Purpose
Students build a Letterhead Portfolio for a real or imagined business, club, service, or community project. They design their own letterhead, create practical documents, participate in role-plays and Socratic discussions, and develop presentations that bring their ideas to life.
The year culminates in The Board Meeting, a capstone experience in which learners present their work, demonstrate their growth, and celebrate a portfolio they can be proud of.
A Facilitator Guide That Supports You
You do not need to be an English teacher to lead this course. The Facilitator Guide provides preparation instructions, discussion questions, teaching prompts, common misconceptions, answer keys, and assessment guidance. Weekly lessons follow a Discover, Draft, and Deliver rhythm, with independent reading and writing between sessions.
A complete Associate track provides the core English I coursework, while an Executive track offers additional Honors-level depth through extended writing, analysis, and leadership tasks. Both tracks share activities and discussions, making the course adaptable for homeschool families and mixed-level co-op groups.
Course Details
Grade level: Grades 9–10
Length: Full year, 36 weeks
Credit: Designed as a 1.0-credit high school English I course
Format: Facilitator Guide
Student Guide: Available to download for free at easyhomeschool.org
Author: Tricia Siletti MEd, MS
Publisher: From Earth to Sky Education
Bring literature, writing, and communication together in a project-based high school English curriculum that helps teens develop a professional portfolio and the confidence to say what they mean.
Words Mean Business: English I, Communication and Business Writing
A Full-Year High School Homeschool English Curriculum | Grades 9–10 | 1.0 Credit
Help your teen write clearly, speak confidently, and put words to work. Words Mean Business is a hands-on, full-year English I homeschool curriculum that connects literature, grammar, research, and public speaking with practical business writing. Designed for grades 9–10, this 1.0-credit high school English course gives homeschool families and co-ops a purposeful approach to language arts through discussion, creative projects, and real-world communication.
Students step into the role of Communications Associate at Bigsby’s Bait, Tackle & Wedding Cakes, a fictional small-town business with a lovable boss whose documents need serious help. Each week, learners revise a flawed email, memo, letter, advertisement, or other communication while developing the skills to create professional documents for a venture of their own.
English Skills Students Can Use Beyond the Classroom
Across 36 weekly lessons and 12 units, students practice:
Business and professional writing: Emails, business letters, memos, meeting agendas, instructions, proposals, press releases, and product descriptions.
Literature and rhetorical analysis: Readings from Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Abraham Lincoln, alongside a study of Twelve Angry Men.
Grammar and composition: Sentence structure, punctuation, word choice, transitions, parallel structure, revision, and clear, concise writing.
Research and information literacy: Asking meaningful questions, evaluating sources, taking notes, citing evidence, and writing a market research report.
Persuasive writing and argument: Claims, evidence, rhetorical appeals, logical fallacies, and ethical persuasion.
Public speaking and communication: Active listening, elevator pitches, presentations, negotiation, interviews, and teamwork.
Career readiness: Résumés, cover letters, professional etiquette, and a portfolio of finished work.
Hands-On Learning with a Purpose
Students build a Letterhead Portfolio for a real or imagined business, club, service, or community project. They design their own letterhead, create practical documents, participate in role-plays and Socratic discussions, and develop presentations that bring their ideas to life.
The year culminates in The Board Meeting, a capstone experience in which learners present their work, demonstrate their growth, and celebrate a portfolio they can be proud of.
A Facilitator Guide That Supports You
You do not need to be an English teacher to lead this course. The Facilitator Guide provides preparation instructions, discussion questions, teaching prompts, common misconceptions, answer keys, and assessment guidance. Weekly lessons follow a Discover, Draft, and Deliver rhythm, with independent reading and writing between sessions.
A complete Associate track provides the core English I coursework, while an Executive track offers additional Honors-level depth through extended writing, analysis, and leadership tasks. Both tracks share activities and discussions, making the course adaptable for homeschool families and mixed-level co-op groups.
Course Details
Grade level: Grades 9–10
Length: Full year, 36 weeks
Credit: Designed as a 1.0-credit high school English I course
Format: Facilitator Guide
Student Guide: Available to download for free at easyhomeschool.org
Author: Tricia Siletti MEd, MS
Publisher: From Earth to Sky Education
Bring literature, writing, and communication together in a project-based high school English curriculum that helps teens develop a professional portfolio and the confidence to say what they mean.
