Pedagogical Philosophy: In order to develop into reflective, responsible, and engaged citizens of the world, students need to develop their literacy to its fullest capacity. An extensive ability in critical reading, writing, thinking and other communicative skills will help to prepare students for the complexities of life within the evolving contextual demands of the twenty-first century.

When focusing on the genre of dramatic literature in the English 9 course, Context: All the World’s a Stage, students will expand on their previous examination of the writer’s craft and the essential elements of literary prose begun in grades 7 and 8. Not only will students study the unique application of fictive conventions in a variety of dramatic texts, they will examine texts within their historical eras in order to better understand how writers’ works relate contextually to the themes and issues of their times. In addition, this ninth grade course will deepen students’ basic understanding and practical skill level regarding research methodology–critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making at its core. While synthesizing and summarizing various research resources regarding a single topic in order to prepare an annotated bibliography, students will learn how to analyze, evaluate, and form generalizations about the relationship between diverse pieces of information. Conversely, students will enlarge their understanding of authorial argument in expository texts when they critique the credibility of author’s argument through close analysis of issues related to the comprehensiveness of evidence.

This course’s balanced approach to developing critical reading, writing, and thinking skills is grounded in the diverse and rich contexts of both literary and expository genres. Purposely, it embeds higher cognitive work and literacy development by building on the continuum of work with literary prose, expository prose, research resources and methods, and language handling completed in previous courses. This ninth grade course is an essential academic tier to achieving proficiency on the California High School Exit Examination at the end of the 10^th grade course. Besides building on previous academic groundwork from grades 7 and 8, it helps transition students into the increasingly higher cognitive demands of high school and more specifically the inter-textual (“across genres”) work in the Grade 10 course.

District Course Content Standards and Content Objectives (Essential and Extended)

1. Analyze the relationship between the expressed purposes and the characteristics of dramatic literature (LR&A 3.1).

            1.1. Analyze the function of dialogue, soliloquies, and asides, (LR&A 3.10) in a given dramatic text.

            1.2. Determine characters’ traits by what characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy (LR&A 3.4) in one given dramatic text.

            1.3. Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a given dramatic text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) (LR&A 3.3) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

            1.4. Analyze the use of literal and figurative meanings of words (V&CD 1.1) in a variety of scenes or passages from a given text.

            2.1. Analyze the way in which a literary text is related to the themes and issues of its historical period (Historical Approach) (LR&A 3.12).

            2.2. Examine author’s use of precise language, action verbs, and sensory details (WS 1.2) in a variety of passages from a given text.

            2.3. Examine author’s use of clauses (e.g., main and subordinate) (W&OELC 1.1) in a variety of passages from a given text.

            2.4. Examine author’s use of phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial) (W&OELC 1.1) in a variety of passages from a given text.

2. Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and/or issues of its historical period (Historical Approach) (LR&A 3.12) and consider author’s use of vocabulary, clauses, and phrases.

      Portfolio Requirement:

1.5. Write a response to literature essay (WA 2.2) either Content Objectives 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3

• Support important ideas through accurate and detailed references to the text (WA 2.2b).

• Demonstrate understanding of sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination, proper placement of modifiers).

• Show proper use English usage (e.g., consistency for verb tenses (W&OELC 1.2).

• Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas of literary works (WA 2.2a), whenever relevant.

• Demonstrate awareness of the author’s use of stylistic devices and an appreciation of the effects created (WA 2.2C), whenever relevant

. • Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text (WA 2.2d), whenever relevant

3. Evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, and the way in which the author’s intent affects the structure and tone of the text (e.g., in professional journals, editorials, political speeches, primary sources material and other expository genres (RC 2.8).

3.1. Evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the comprehensiveness of the evidence (RC 2.8) in a given text.

3.2. Evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument of defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between generalizations and evidence (RC 2.8) in a given text.

3.3. Evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between the way in which the author’s intent affects the structure and tone of a given text (RC 2.8).

3.4. Evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument or defense of a claim (RC 2.8) in a previously read text by its use of specific rhetorical devices (e.g., appeal to logic through reasoning [logos]; appeal to emotion [pathos], appeal to ethical belief or higher authority [ethos]) (WA 2.4.b).

3.5. Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meaning of words (V&CD 1.2) in given passages from a given texts and explain the impact of the connotative power of specified words on the audience.

3.6. Compare and contrast a series of passages from texts previously read for the use of active rather than passive voice (WS 1.2).

3.7. Analyze a series of passages from texts previously read for author’s use of sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination, and proper placement of modifiers) (W&OELC 1.2).

3.8. Analyze a series of passages from texts previously read for author’s use of the mechanics of punctuation (e.g., semicolons, ellipses, hyphens) (W&OELC 1.1).

   Portfolio Requirement: Optional choice as an entry in portfolio

2.5. Write an analytical essay (i.e., “expository essay”) (WA 2.2) focused on Content Objective 2.1.

• Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information on all relevant perspectives (WA 2.3a).

• Convey information and ideas from primary and/or secondary sources accurately and coherently (WA 2.3b).

• Make distinctions between and relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas (WA 2.3c)

• Anticipate and address readers’ potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations (WA 2.3e), whenever relevant.

• Use technical terms and notations accurately, (WA 2.3f), whenever relevant.