Allen County-Scottsville High School

English 9 Red Team

Mrs. Kari Young

622-4462 Home/ 618-0556 Cell

Allen County-Scottsville High School

1545 Bowling Green Road

Scottsville, KY 42164

270-622-4119

Course Description: English 9 students will expand their focus on what literature can reveal about people of different ages, cultures, and abilities. Instruction correlates the areas of reading, writing, inquiry, speaking, listening, observing, and using technology for communication. Activities are designed to strengthen communication skills of all students while exploring real-life contexts for their discoveries.

Students will learn the writing process from brainstorming all the way to a final copy of an essay after various drafts; students will see writing not as a “single shot affair,” but as a “work in progress” which can always be improved upon. Students will study the conventions of grammar, essay structure, and thesis statement. Students will read literature and learn to study closely an author’s theme, style, and the plot cycle. Students will learn how to work in groups and make presentations in front of an audience. The emphasis, however, is clearly placed on developing powerful reading and writing skills through expansion of vocabulary and increasing written fluency in standard academic English.

Required Items:

·  2’ 3-Ring Binder

·  Loose leaf college rule paper

·  5 pocket folders—one for each unit

·  Pens/Pencils and a highlighter

·  flash drive

Instructional Methods: teacher lead discussion, notes, small group activities, individual presentations, student speeches, speakers, and field trips

The first half of the semester focuses on the introduction of strategies for reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will read and analyze written and visual texts; learn and practice note-taking and time-management skills; expand vocabulary through reading, writing, and direct vocabulary instruction; and improve narrative, expository, and persuasive writing through the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revision, peer editing, and publication. Through reading, writing, speaking, and the study of language, students will begin to develop their own personal voice and style.

MID-TERM EXAM: the mid-term exam will consist of primarily vocabulary recall and application. At a minimum, students should be familiar with literary terms (including rhetorical appeals, cinematic techniques, short story elements, and poetic devices) from all units as well as from their daily vocabulary notes.

The second half of the semester introduces more complex texts and requires students to synthesize skills and knowledge of voice (spoken and written), stylistic choices, poetic devices and imagery, and audience into a dramatic interpretation. The final two units require students to think critically and analyze text in writing, both to explain and to persuade. In addition, students will expand research skills by conducting research on a more complex topic with a stronger focus on audience and purpose and synthesizing information into a multi-media presentation. Through writing and presentation, students will have opportunities to continue discovery and development of, as well as reflection of, their own personal style and voice.

FINAL EXAM: The final exam will consist of reading comprehension questions on the semester’s major texts: Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird. The exam will also contain questions about vocabulary, techniques, and strategies for persuasive writing, research, and presentation.

Daily Textbook:

• Springboard Textual Power, Level 4 – Packets will be supplied by your teacher

Supplemental Texts (Independent Reading) Students will read one of the following:

·  Monster, by Walter Dean Meyer

·  Finn, Mathew Olshan

·  Among the Hidden, Margaret Peterson Haddix

·  Jake Reinvented, Gordon Korman

·  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, JK Rowling

·  Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

·  Slumming, Kristen Randle

·  Twilight, Stephanie Meyer

·  Divergent,Veronica Roth

·  The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Unit 1: Coming of Age:

In this unit students explore the concept of voice in speaking and writing and review rhetorical appeals and persuasive techniques in both written and visual text. Through the thematic subject coming of age, students study fictional and real individuals in literature and society.

Major summative assessments:

• Interview Narrative Essay: (Early September) Students will interview someone who is 18 or older about their high school experience and a specific incident that defined their coming of age. They will create a written narrative in which they tell the story of the interviewee.

• Advertising Campaign: (Late September) Students will work in groups to create an advertising campaign for their independent reading novel using rhetorical appeals and persuasive techniques. Each individual student completes a written reflection of the use of their campaign and its effectiveness.

Unit 2: Defining Style:

Students continue to explore the coming of age theme as they learn ways in which written texts and visual text are connected. Short stories are read and analyzed for stylistic choices and the effects of those choices on audience. Students continue to expand their understanding of voice through reading, writing, and visual media.

Major summative assessments:

• Storyboard Project: Students will work in groups to create a visual storyboard of one of the short stories from the text. They will strategically use the cinematic techniques learned in class and write an individual reflection essay that discusses the techniques used and their desired effect on audience.

• Style Analysis Essay: Students will view the film Edward Scissorhands and clips of other Tim Burton films. After viewing, they will write an expository essay that identifies Tim Burton’s style through examination of cinematic techniques, their purpose, and their intended effect on audience.

Unit 3: Coming of Age in Changing Times

In this unit, students will follow characters, setting, and conflict through a complex and controversial text (To Kill a Mockingbird). Students will examine how these elements relate to the coming of age theme studied throughout the year. Through research, students will also discover and analyze the social, cultural, geographical, and historical context of the novel.

Major summative assessments:

• Historical Investigation and Presentation: Students will research a topic of contextual relevance to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird (topics include Civil Rights, Women’s Roles, The Great Depression, and more). In addition to their research, they will create and present a multi-media presentation that teaches their classmates about the topic and explains the topic’s relevance to the novel. Students will also create an annotated bibliography.

• Analyzing a Passage from To Kill a Mockingbird: Students will select a passage from the novel and analyze it for character, setting, and/or plot. They will connect the passage to the larger theme of the novel in a thorough analytical essay.

• Reading Assessments: (Throughout the unit) Periodic quizzes to assess reading and comprehension throughout the novel.

Unit 4: Exploring Poetic Voices

The power of language is revealed in this unit as students examine coming of age through the perspective of society, community, and character. Students identify and apply poetic devices as a means of emulating poetic style and developing individual poetic voice. Students explore the art of imagery in writing to express ideas and emotion.

Major summative assessments:

• Poetry Anthology: Students will create a collection of original poems in which they use figurative language and other poetic devices. The anthology will also contain a written autobiography, a written reflection, and visual images representing their poems.

• Analyzing and Presenting a Poet: Students will research and analyze the style of a poet in an expository essay. In addition, students will choose one poem from their research and present an oral interpretation of the poem (memorized and with appropriate vocal inflection and body language).

• Literary Terms Test: Students will demonstrate understanding and application of vocabulary from the unit.

Unit 5: Coming of Age on Stage

Unit four requires students to consider the coming of age theme through drama and oral interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The coming of age drama is presented through written text, film, and dramatic oral reading (CD), requiring students to apply a variety of strategies to analyze and form an understanding of plot, character, and conflict.

Major summative assessments:

• Presenting a Shakespearean Scene: Students will work with a group to interpret and perform a scene from Romeo and Juliet.

• Actor/Director’s Notebook: Students will create a packet that contains information about their scene and performance. The notebook will include a written paraphrase of their lines, a character analysis essay, a visual representation of their costume choices with written justification, and a reflective essay in which they analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their performance process.

• Persuasive Essay: Students will write an in-class, timed, persuasive essay that argues one character or group of characters was responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. They will use rhetorical appeals and persuasive strategies.

Classroom Expectations:

Students should come to class and be ready to pay attention, work hard, and learn to read, write, and think critically. Students should arrive prepared, obey the class rules, complete their homework, and perform well on tests, writing assignments, and long-term projects. Students are responsible for bringing books, materials, and planners to school every day. Students must arrive to class on time and be ready to learn

Procedures:

1. Entering Class—please enter class quickly and quietly. Be seated in your assigned seat before the tardy bell rings. Once a student accumulates three tardies, an afterschool detention will be assigned.

2. End of Class—please continue working until the teacher dismisses you. If you finish early, you may revise your work or read a book. DO NOT ask to leave the room.

3.  Pencil/Binder—You will need to bring your own pencil/ink pen to class. It is your responsibility to come to class prepared with proper materials.

4.  All homework is to be done neatly or it must be typed. Assignments that consist of more than one paper must be stapled. All written essays must be handed in with ALL previous pre-writing activities, drafts, peer editing sheets, and self-evaluation forms attached. Late work will be accepted, but only for partial credit and must be turned in before the unit test or final essay is given for whichever unit the work applies.

5.  You are allowed one bag in class. Purses must be inside your backpack. You may keep a pencil pouch inside your binder. Once you enter the room, get your materials out of your bag and hang bag on the back of your chair. If bags become a problem, backpacks will not be allowed in the room.

Classroom Behavior/Discipline

Students need to obey class rules, be honest, and treat their peers with respect. Students are in school to study and learn and not to fight or fool around. If a student does not heed warnings as to violations of class rules, the situation will bring the involvement of parents and school administrators. Much of the work in English 9 will be done in groups; students must treat their peers with respect and conscientiousness. You do not have to be best friends with your fellow students in English 9 class, but you need to be able to collaborate successfully with them. Do your best to keep interaction with your peers positive. Strive to work successfully and amicably with other students in class.

Work habits consist of effort in class, completion of homework, neatness in all work, and coming to class with supplies. Students must pay attention in class to lectures and keep up with the various assignments and group activities; work habits often directly correspond to a student’s grade, and so this is most important.

All of the rules in the student handbook apply in this classroom. If you break one of those rules, you will receive the consequences as they are outlined in the handbook.

Here are some other rules that will make your semester in my classroom more successful:

--Do not leave the classroom until I dismiss you from class.

--Respect property belonging to the school, others, and yourself.

--In class discussions, do not talk while someone else is talking.

--Please treat others with respect including you.

Grading:

English 9 consists of five units. Each unit will have a pretest that is graded but will not affect your grade. Assessment activities, such as, homework, quizzes, presentations, etc. will comprise 30% of your final grade. While each activity will have an assigned due date, you can revise formative assessment activities for a better grade. At the end of the unit, a unit final (summative assessment) will be given. The unit final will resemble the unit pretest; however all unit finals will comprise 50% of your final grade. It is extremely important you complete assignments and prepare for the unit final as there are no retakes or second chances on the unit final. At the end of the year, every student will take a comprehensive (covers everything from the year) final. The comprehensive final will be worth 20% of your grade. I strongly encourage students to keep all returned assignments, quizzes, and assessments.

Homework:

Homework will be check for completion and accuracy when you enter class. If you do not have your homework, you will be given a zero, assigned morning detention, and I will contact your parents. After the third zero, you will automatically be given a morning detention and an office referral for every zero.

Makeup Work: In my class, you will have 1 day after you return from an excused absence to make up work or to make arrangements to do so. After that time, grades for missed work become zeroes. After three zeroes, an afterschool detention will be assigned. It is your responsibility to see me and get the missed work. A test or a quiz must be taken on the day of your return to class if it was announced well in advance of your absence.

Cheating: Cheating is a very serious offense. If you are caught copying homework or class work, both of you will receive a zero for that assignment. If you are caught cheating on a test or a quiz, you will receive a zero. Talking during a test or a quiz will result in an automatic zero for both parties. There is no exception to this rule, and the zero will not be debated. Plagiarizing will result in a zero. Plagiarizing all or part of your portfolio will result in a zero for the entire portfolio grade. You will not receive a grade for the class until the portfolio plagiarism has been replaced by your own work, but the zero for the portfolio grade will stand.