Curriculum
9th Grade English Curriculum: Springboard
English 1 Springboard Units
Unit 1: Telling Details
"In this unit, students will focus on the telling details in the short stories they will read. These details unlock clues to meaning, purpose and author's craft that students can use to write insightful literary analyses.
Essential Questions:
How do telling details work together to convey meaning?
How are reading and writing connected?
What tools do authors use to create meaning and affect their readers?
Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
"In this unit, students will go on a journey from poetry to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and back, all the while focusing on words and phrases that give texts meaning on the page and in performance.
Essential Questions:
How do authors use words and phrases to move the emotions, thoughts, and actions of readers?
Why do authors revise their work?
How does the mode of communication change the meaning of what is being communicated?
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
"In this unit, students will focus on compelling evidence in both informational and argumentative texts on the topics of work, identity, summer jobs, and college.
Essential Questions:
What makes an argument convincing?
What makes a piece of evidence compelling?
What is the value of work for teenagers?
What is the value of a college education?
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
"In this unit, students will focus on novels - how authors build worlds for their characters to inhabit and draw their readers into those worlds.
Essential Questions:
What makes an opening powerful?
What makes you want to keep reading a book?
How can understanding a book's context help you understand the book?
What does Springboard look like in the Classroom?
The teacher will be:
introducing the learning targets
introducing and modeling skill(s) or strategies to students
supporting students as they work independently or in groups
conferencing with students individually or in small groups
The students will be:
sharing ideas
collaborating with peers
independently reading complex text (fiction and nonfiction text)
using analytical thinking
supporting their responses with evidence
recording responses in a discussion group, document or through a video recording
reflecting on their learning
recognizing and defining vocabulary
