Humanities is a cohesive, integrated educational experience for 9th grade students at Rivendell Academy. Connections between History and Language Arts, and even Biology, are established in terms of themes, materials, essential questions, learning expectations, and even class time. Language Arts is reading and writing intensive and delves deeply into developing skills necessary to grow as a critical thinker, effective communicator, and a productive member of our school community and beyond. Students will build their resilience as learners as the year progresses and as the curriculum demands more and more. The reading and writing skills that students develop here will support them throughout their school experience and beyond. They will embrace the mantra “This isn’t easy. You can do it. We are here to help.”
How do we grow, change, and influence our community, government, and each other?
How does cultural behavior shape identity?
Assignments are leveled in terms of requirements (length and complexity). Students earning Honors Distinction will have completed the course work with additional expectations. Students must complete the Honor’s Level requirements and maintain a grade of 85% or higher.
Essential Questions:
How does an author engage their reader?
What characteristics do well written texts have that poorly written texts lack?
Major Concepts:
Reading books written within a student's lexile range can develop reading skills that will support them as texts get more challenging. We will work on reading strategies that we'll continue to build throughout the year. In terms of writing, starting with a topic that students know a lot about... themselves! We'll use this familiar topic to introduce new writing skills and reinforce previous learning.
Major Content:
Paragraph structure, essay-writing strategies, identifying and analyzing author’s choices and techniques, writing effective leads/ hooks, incorporating quoted material, in-text citations, vocabulary, prefixes and suffixes
Unit Assessments:
Reader response journals
Autobiography
Major Texts:
Choice reading selected within the student’s lexile range.
Essential Questions:
What is the role of the story in culture?
How is culture represented in literature?
How does reading literature help us to understand the human condition?
How does culture shape identity?
Major Concepts:
Understanding the human experience through stories and storytelling: this is an essential component of our culture and of every culture. We will listen to the experiences of others and think critically about our own.
Major Content:
Short stories, poems, and a variety of informational texts including transcripts of speeches, editorials, and personal narratives which address the human experience
Note-taking frames, summarize, paraphrase, analysis, citing sources, claim-based responses, choosing materials to best support your claims
Unit Assessments:
Cultural change and growth final essay
Major Texts:
Non-fiction Resources
“One Word of Truth” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
“The Danger of the Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“The Politics of Fiction” by Elif Shafak
“Why We Need to Embrace Culture Shock” by Kristofer Gilmour
Short Stories
“Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe
“Say Yes” by Tobias Wolff
“Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan
“Paths Upon the Water” by Tahira Naqvi
Essential Questions:
How does experience shape identity?
What is the power of speaking up and speaking out?
Major Concepts:
Our nation was built upon the idea that people have the right and responsibility to use their voices
Major Content:
Theme development, author’s craft, figurative language, symbolism, imagery, characterization in literature
Unit Assessments:
Art Box theme project exhibition night
Essays on symbolism and theme.
Paper Doll: artistic representation of characterization and author’s craft
Major Texts:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
“My Life After Sexual Assault” by Diana Nyad
Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose
First Amendment cases