Language Arts 9

Overview

Course Description

Semester A

English for grade 9 is an integrated curriculum. Each unit contains thematically related lessons in five domains: reading and the study of literature, reading informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills.  Topics are presented in ways that help young adolescents relate literacy skills to other aspects of their lives.  Writing assignments include narrative, expository, and persuasive/argumentative modes and emphasize the use of and details and reasoning to support ideas. Speaking and listening lessons in Semester A emphasize collaborative discussion skills and peer review. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real-world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit.

Semester B

Like semester A, semester B consists of integrated units focused on a theme or mode of study. Literature study in semester B focuses on the analysis of different forms of literature and on comparative studies of world literature and literature delivered in different media. Writing and informational text lessons guide students through the stages of research and demonstrate how to evaluate, integrate, and share the information gathered during research. Students are required to share their ideas and analysis using several different modes, including oral and multimedia presentations.

Course Requirements

Grade Level

9

Materials

Required Novels (choose one per semester):

Semester A

  • The Old Man and the Sea
  • Of Mice and Men
  • To Kill A Mockingbird
  • House on Mango Street

Semester B

  • Fahrenheit 451
  • The Odyssey
  • Ender’s Game
  • Speak
  • Romeo and Juliet

Duration

2 Semesters

Prerequisites

None

Technology Skills

  • Use of audio recording software
  • Use of multimedia presentation software
  • Internet searches for research purposes

Outline

Semester A

Major Concepts

  • Reading skills and strategies
  • Literary elements and devices
  • Reading informational text
  • Text structures
  • Writing narratives and information
  • Collaborative discussion
  • Peer review
  • Word attack skills

Semester B

Major Concepts

  • Literary forms
  • Comparative literature
  • Literary analysis
  • Evaluating arguments
  • Research process and skills
  • Forms of media and multimedia