English 9 Course Content

First Quarter

Modes of Writing Paragraphs (3 weeks)

• Explore and define the 3 types of writing: Persuasive, Expository, Narrative
• Explore and define sub-categories of expository writing: Classification, Compare and Contrast, Definition, Description, and Explain a Process
• Examine effective examples of each mode of writing
• Discuss, examine, and practice effective topic sentences and concluding sentences
• Produce 7 well-developed paragraphs, one focused on each mode of writing, all using the same topic

Short Stories and the Five Elements of Fiction (4 weeks)

• Define, understand, and apply the five elements of fiction: character, plot, setting, point of view, theme
• Make predictions and inferences using context clues
• Recognize and use elements of effective dialogue
• Use effective reading strategies
• Recognize and recall, or learn various literary terms and their functions
• Use graphic organizers for character and story development
• Understand the plot diagram and its parts
• Analyze the development of plot in a narrative text
• Identify varying types of conflicts
• Identify and examine types of irony

Title selections may include but are not limited to:

• "The Most Dangerous Game"
• "The Lady or the Tiger?"
• "The Scarlet Ibis"
• "The Gift of the Magi"
• "The Possibility of Evil"
• "All the Years of Her Life"
• "The Necklace"
• An excerpt from The House on Mango Street
• "Split Cherry Tree"
• "The Cask of Amontillado"

Expository Essay (2 weeks)

• Teach about various types of expository writing
• Teach and practice writing a thesis statement
• Teach and use effective introductions and conclusions
• Review and use six traits writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions)
• Review, practice, and use the writing process: pre-writing, first draft, revising, peer editing, self-editing, editing and proofreading, final draft

Second Quarter

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (6 weeks)

• Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature
• Read and discuss to understand the human experience
• Analyze social and cultural influences and characterizations
• Draw inferences about values, attitudes, and points of view
• Learn about the American South in the 1930s, specifically the Great Depression and its effect on the incidents in the novel; examine parallels between historical events and the novel’s events
• Identify, trace, and analyze themes  
• Explore the power of language, specifically the "n word"
• Watch and discuss the film version as an adaptation of a text
• Understand the effect setting has as a controlling element
• Trace the steps in a character’s development by isolating the forces that bring about character change
• Understand the symbols in the novel
• Understand the novel as a form of literature that often reflects life

Lord of the Flies by William Golding (4 weeks)

• Make connections between novel ideas and student experiences by participating in survival simulations.
• Make connections between ideas and themes in the novel by comparing and contrasting the characters at the beginning of the novel to the end of the novel.
• Discuss ethical and philosophical issues raised in the novel.
• Use a variety of different formats to present information.
• Study human nature and consider the question of whether or not man is inherently good or evil.
• Demonstrate understanding of the text on four levels: factual, interpretive, critical, and personal.
• Students will consider what it means to be "civilized."
• Students will study the symbolic images in the novel.
• Students will experience making a civilization through a group activity.
• Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the main events and characters.

Third Quarter

Persuasive Essay (3 essay)

• Teach the structure of a persuasive essay
• Teach and practice writing a thesis statement
• Teach and use effective introductions and conclusions
• Review and use sic traits writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions)
• Review, practice, and use the writing process: pre-writing, first draft, revising, peer editing, self-editing, editing and proofreading, final draft

Poetry (4 weeks)

Read and discuss poems from a variety of different writers, time periods, etc.

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• Identify, define, and explain the use of various poetic devices in poems
• Read poems focusing on specific elements of poetry
• Complete understanding and critical analysis questions pertaining to each poem read
• Demonstrate understanding of the art of poetry

Collaborative Research Paper w/ Science (2 weeks)

• Practice writing as a process involving the elements of: collecting information, formulating idea, determining relationship among idea, drafting, arranging paragraphs in an appropriate order, building transitions between and within paragraphs, and revising and proofreading.
• Identify, evaluate, and cite appropriate sources
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic library procedures
• Write, avoiding plagiarism
• Demonstrate the ability to define a topic and to support the thesis.
• Write a formal paper following the MLA format.
• Integrate resource material, using quotation, paraphrase, and summary.

Fourth Quarter

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (5 weeks)

• Define style and point out Dickens’ use of parallelism in the novel.
• Discuss the significance of the names Dickens assigns his characters and point out how the double meanings of the names often reveal character traits.
• Recognize how Dickens uses descriptions of nature, rooms, or other objects to reveal character traits.
• Identify examples of the following literary devices: personification, coming of age, metaphor, narrator, hyperbole, symbol, theme, simile.
• Point out how Dickens uses foreshadowing to keep the reader’s interest.
• Define irony and point out the irony in the story, including the following: Estella’s relationship with Miss Havisham, the title of the story.
• Define satire and discuss the way satire is used to poke fun at someone, particularly businessmen.
• Find examples of puns in the story.
• Discuss the ways Dickens uses light and dark as symbols for good and evil in the story.
• Point out examples of stock phrases, which are often repeated when a character reappears in the novel, including "by hand" and "portable property."
• Students will study the theme of wealth as a corrupting influence.
• Students will trace Pip’s development through the novel to see the effects of wealth and education upon him.
• Students will create a plan by which they could achieve their own great expectations.
• Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of main themes in the novel.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (5 weeks)

• Interpret the possible influences of historical context on literary works
• Teach about William Shakespeare as well as the Elizabethan time period; examine how Shakespeare and the time period influence the text
• Understand and apply literary terms, some unique to drama
• Use reference materials and resources to determine precise word usage and meaning
• Explore the role of literary devices within the text
• Compare modern theatrical conventions with theatrical conventions of Shakespeare’s time
• Recognize specific ways Shakespeare uses structure, diction, and imagery to develop characterization and foreshadowing
• Appreciate how ambiguity of aspects of the play allows for different stage interpretations
• Write final paper which compares and contrasts Romeo and Juliet with Great Expectations

Year-Long Activities (Ongoing)

Writer’s Notebook Journaling

• Write journals of personal experience or chosen topics
• Write reflectively using a provided journal prompt

Spelling and Vocabulary

• 10 words per week
• Practice spelling of given words
• Use context clues to aid understanding of words
• Identify and use patterns of word change that indicate different meanings or parts of speech
• Consult the dictionary or thesaurus when necessary (pronunciation, part of speech, definition, synonyms, antonyms)
• Retain words over time (a part of each spelling/vocab test will be cumulative)
• Identify and explore relationships between words through analogies
• Practice pronunciation of words so they can be added to our vocabulary

Weekly Oral Language (WOL)

• Participate in weekly proofreading and editing exercises
• Understand the reason why something is incorrect
• Recognize and fix common errors in writing

Grammar and Mechanics

• Weekly grammar lessons; students will review or learn and practice through in-class exercises and homework.
• Grammar topics may include: subjects and predicates, nouns, pronouns, prepositions, verbs, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, adjectives, adverbs, modifiers, conjunctions, interjections, subject/verb agreement, clauses, parallel structure, and phrases, semi-colons, colons