English 9
English 9
This 1 credit required English class will introduce the following literary genres: Novel, Short Story, and Poetry. Students will engage in critical thinking through literary analysis of class texts. They will learn to work in collaborative teams. Students will build on what they have learned in previous years, as they develop as readers, thinkers, speakers, and writers. This is a required course for freshmen.
Prerequisites: None
1 credit
Essential Standards Covered in 9th Grade
RL.1/RI.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis as well as draw inferences from the text
RL.2/RI.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development in detail, how the theme emerges, provide objective summary of the text
RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in a text (figurative and connotative), know how specific word choices sets tone
RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in informational texts (meaning and tone)
W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas
W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences
W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple sources, assess usefulness of each sources, make sure sources answer research questions
W.9 Draw evidence from literary and informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
SL.1 Initiate and participate effectively in collaborative discussions
SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence
Unit 1: Short Stories- 1-2 Weeks
In this unit, students will be reading a handful of short stories. Along with the reading, students will be learning about plot diagrams and working on making their own. They will also be learning about the elements of short stories, which will help them later when connecting elements of short stories to the elements of novels.
Stories To Be Read:
The Chaser by: John Collier
The Monkey’s Paw by: W.W. Jacobs
The Hunt by: Josephine Donovan
Lamb to the Slaughter by: Roald Dahl
The Lottery by: Shirley Jackson
The Gift of the Magi by: O. Henry
Assessments:
Students will complete several plot diagrams for these stories, as well as write about the short story elements they find (Standards RL.1, RL.2, RL.4, SL.1, SL.4)
Students will write their own narrative which will include the elements of short stories (Standard W.3)
Unit 2: Poetry- 1-2 weeks
In the poetry unit, students will be learning about figurative language, mood, tone, and rhyme schemes. Students will also work on annotating poems and sharing what they think the author is trying to say.
Poems to be Read:
“In Memory of W.B. Yeats” by: W.H. Auden (Annotation/Understanding Language)
“The Road Not Taken” by: Robert Frost (Mood/Tone)
“Ring Out, Wild Bells” by: Alfred Tennyson (Mood/Tone)
“Ode to Dirt” by: Sharon Olds (Understanding Odes)
“O Captain! My Captain!” by: Walt Whitman (Figurative Language/Understanding Language)
“The Raven” by: Edgar Allan Poe (Figurative Language)
“Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost (Rhyme Scheme)
“They Flee From Me” by: Sir Thomas Wyatt (Rhyme Scheme)
Assessments:
Using the poems above to show that students understand mood, tone, figurative language, and rhyme scheme after being taught about it in class. They will be taught and show what they learned using the above poems. (Standards RL.2, RL.4, W.9, SL.1, SL.2)
Poetry Assessment
Students will read two different poems and annotate them, underline figurative language, share the mood and tone, and share the rhyme scheme. (Standards RL.2, RL.4, W.9)
Unit 3: Societal Norms with The Outsiders- 3-4 weeks
Students will be reading The Outsiders as their first class novel. While reading The Outsiders, the students will be researching popular topics of the 1960’s to help them understand the background and time frame of the story. Students will also take place in discussions of the books, as well as write a compare and contrast essay and an essay to show they understood the novel.
Assessments:
Students will create a research project where they will research a 1960’s topic that they may find inside The Outsiders. This project will help students better understand the time frame that the book takes place in, and why the characters dress and act the way they do. (Standards RI.1, W.2, W.8, SL.1, SL.2)
Students will be writing an informative compare/contrast essay where they will talk about the similarities and differences between the two gangs in The Outsiders and two gangs in Chicago. (Standards RL.1, RI.1, W.2, W.8, W.9)
In this final essay, students will be choosing one essay question to answer to show what they have learned from the book. They may either write about who are the true outsiders in the book, or who is more of a menace to society. By writing this essay, students will be able to provide evidence from the book to support their reasoning for the answer they choose, while also showing understanding of the gangs of the book. (Standards RL.1, RL.2, W.2, W.8, W.9, SL.1)
Unit 4: Prejudice and Growing Up with To Kill a Mockingbird- 4-5 weeks
The students will take what they learned about societal norms and apply them to To Kill a Mockingbird which takes place around 1933-1935. On top of that, they will learn about the prejudices that took place in that time period, as well as what growing up looks like in this book as it is told in the perspective of a child. Students will be researching popular topics covered in the book between 1930-1960 so that they have a better understanding of the historical background of the book. The students will also dive deep into the theme of growing up and maturing.
Assessments:
Students will be writing an informative essay on the time frame of 1930 to 1960. Some of the topics that will be covered are the Civil Rights Movement, segregation, Great Depression, and Jim Crow Laws. Having a historical understanding of these topics will help students better understand To Kill a Mockingbird and the events that take place in the book. (Standards RI.1, RI.4, W.2, W.8, W.9)
Students will reflect at the end of the novel about the main theme of this novel. They will write about why the book is split into two parts. They will provide evidence from the book to support their thinking. (Standards RL.1, RL.2, RL.4, W.2, W.9)
Students will work in groups to create a symbolism presentation. While the students reflect on the theme of the novel, they will also be thinking about the symbols that Lee uses in her books, what the symbols represent, and how those symbols help further the theme. (Standards RL.1, RL.2, RL.4, W.2, W.9, SL.1, SL.4)
Unit 5: Human Nature and its Flaws in Lord of the Flies- 4-5 weeks
Students will finish the semester with learning about human civilization and how human nature can sometimes be flawed. Students will be reading Lord of the Flies where they will learn more about theme, symbolism, characterization, and sharing evidence from the book.
Assessments:
Students will be writing an essay about how Golding is portraying the world through the characters in his novel. He chose children, who normally are used to show innocence, to be savages, as opposed to adults. Students will use this knowledge of the children being savage to explain what Golding was trying to say about the meaning of the world and where it is headed in the future. (Standards RL.1, RL.2, RL.4, W.2, W.9)
For the final project, students will be able to pick one project from a list of several choices. These projects allow students to share what they learned about the book, both on a formative and summative level. (Standards RL.1, RL.2, W.2, W.3, W.9, SL.4)