COURSE OVERVIEW
ENGLISH 9
Revised 8/2012
I. Literature
A. Novels – min. 2
1. And Then there Were None
2. Animal Farm
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (required)
4. The Illustrated Man – as a novel
B. Plays – Optional
1. Arsenic and Old Lace
2. Romeo and Juliet
3. Raisin in the Sun
C. Short Stories – min. 3
1. The Elements of the Short Story
2. The Illustrated Man
D. Nonfiction – min. 6
Engage – selected chapters (TBA)
Mentor texts from Kelly Gallagher’s Write Like This and various sources
E. Poetry – min. 1 in conjunction with a literature or writing unit (with possible exposure to basic poetry terms)
1. Sonnet for Romeo and Juliet
2. Langston Hughes for Raisin in the Sun
3. Selected poems by various authors
4. “Ten Little Indians” with And Then There Were None
II. Writing
A. Introductory writing piece
B. 5-paragraph Essay - 3 (required)
Expository – 1 literature-based
Argumentative
Compare/contrast
C. Research Paper – 3-5 pages (required), 25% of marking period grade
D. Criterion online writing system (3 sessions)
E. Minimum 1 of the following (required: may be done in varying lengths and formality)
Narrative
Creative Writing
III. Vocabulary – Must count as 20-25% of each marking period grade
A. Workshop – Level D, Units 1-15 (required)
B. Testing – Department-wide standardized tests must be used
IV. Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Holt Traditions
Semicolons: Between items in a series if items contain commas
Noun clauses / Separate non-essential clauses and phrases
Singular quotes within a quote
Semicolons:
Independent clauses NOT joined by and, but, or, nor, for, yet
Between independent clauses joined by conjunctive adverbs and such terms as for example, for instance, that is, besides
With a conjunction to separate sentences if there are commas within the clause
Dashes:
Abrupt break in thought
Predicate nominatives
Direct objects
Indirect objects
Transitive / intransitive verbs
S/V Agreement:
Examples of more difficult indefinite pronouns: “everyone was,” “all were,” “none is,” “nobody is,” “no one is”
Adjectives:
Predicate adjectives
Adjective Phrases (limited to prepositional phrases)
Adjective Clauses (include instruction in Relative Pronouns and Relative Adverbs
Case (Nominative, Objective, and Possessive):
Pronoun-Antecedent agreement
Usage: “bad/badly,” “well/good”
Adverbial clauses
Subordinating conjunctions
Infinitives / Infinitive Phrases / Gerund / Gerund Phrases / Participles / Participial Phrases = (Verbals):
Usage – Including but not limited to the following:
• who / whom ▪ beside / besides
• accept / except ▪ between / among
• affect / effect ▪ data / datum
• allusion / illusion ▪ emigrate / immigrate
• amount / number ▪ fewer / less
• famous / notorious ▪ imply / infer
• apt / likely / liable ▪ leave / let
• phenomena / phenomenon ▪ curricula / curriculum
Sentence Forms
Complex
Compound-Complex
Refer to the Vertical Teaming Grammar document for Master skills which the teacher may wish to review in this course.
IV. Media Literacy (optional)
A. Animal Farm
B. The Illustrated Man
C. To Kill A Mockingbird
D. Romeo and Juliet (both versions)
E. Arsenic and Old Lace
F. A Raisin in the Sun
G. And Then There Were None
H. Clue
I. Internet resources
There are no district-approved R-rated films in the ninth-grade curriculum.
V. Assessment Options
A. Portfolio -- required
B. Vocabulary Tests
C. Objective Tests
D. Blue Book Essay Test
E. Five Paragraph Essays
F. Research Paper
G. Oral Presentation
H. Group Presentation
I. Homework
J. Journals
K. Conferencing – Teacher and Peer
L. Short Answer Quizzes
M. Creative Writing Piece
N. Final Exam
O. Fishbowl Discussions