ENGLISH 9 (EN01)

Credit: 1 Length: 40 Weeks Grade:  9 Prerequisite:  None

In the 9th grade ELA curriculum, students will read, discuss, and analyze contemporary, as well as classic texts, focusing on how complex characters develop through interactions with one another and how authors structure text, to accomplish that development.  There will be a strong emphasis on reading closely and responding to text-dependent questions, annotating text, and developing academic vocabulary in context.  We will also focus on the ability to make evidence-based claims, which will empower students with critical reading and writing skills emphasized in the Common Core.  Finally, we will be focusing on research skills and the use of proper MLA citations to provide strong, thorough textual evidence to support student claims.  Writing assignments are frequent and varied, relying on original thought and analysis.  Students will be expected to engage in class discussions and participate in group activities throughout the year.

ENGLISH 9 Pre-AP (EN01AP)

Credit:  1 Length:  40 Weeks Grade:  9 

Prerequisite:  Teacher Recommendation

This course is strongly recommended for any student interested in taking pre-AP II (EN02AP) AP Language and Composition or AP Literature during their Sophomore, Junior, and/or Senior years.

Texts take center stage in the Pre-AP English 1 classroom, inspiring and preparing all students for close, critical reading and analytical writing. This course trains the reader to observe the small details in a text to arrive at a deeper understanding of the whole. It also trains the reader to appreciate authors’ sometimes subtle choices, developing an awareness of how words produce effects and how the conventions of the English language are used for both precision and style. As writers, students focus first on crafting complex sentences, building this foundational skill; they then move on to producing well-organized paragraphs and, as the year progresses, more sophisticated, longer-form analyses. All students are expected to complete a summer reading assignment.

Source: College Board pre-AP I