SEMESTER PLANNING CALENDAR
FALL 2010
Unit / Texts / Assignments / Skills/Assess.Introduction
Who am I as a reader and writer? / Pablo Neruda
“On Being 17…pg. 192
Annie Dillard
“An American Childhood” / Letter to me about being a reader and writer
Short paper about an artifact that defines you
Sign contract/supplies / Letter about self
Short paper about artifact
Overview of Class Structure: Reading,
Literature and Writing Workshops / Models of DWA prompts
Selections from Models of Comp. / Direct Write
Selected Readings / Direct Write Diagnostic
Reading Diagnostic
The Power and Beauty of Words!
Descriptive/Observational
Writing (Diction) / Short Selections
Non-fiction and short stories / Observation/Descriptive Paper
Reading for Details / Formative Observation paper
Using details in prose
Short descriptive pieces
Rhythm and Pattern of Language
Varying Sentence Structure (Syntax) / Short Selections
and stories / SentenceVariety/Combining Exercises
Reading as a Writer
Elements of Fiction / Practice with Sentence Modeling/Structure
Writing paragraphs
Composing a Life
Writing about your Journey / DWA prompts/reflective essays / Description of People and Place (reading for tone and point of view)
Writing Process/Drafts / Direct Write
Personal Narrative Essay
Telling Stories!
Fictional Journeys from Around the World / Selections from collections / Understanding Narrative Structure
Elements of Fiction / Identifying Narrative Structure
Short stories (cont.) / Selections from collections / Write a short story / Write a Short Story
Finding Your “Personal Legend”The Alchemist / novella / Analyzing literature
The Alchemist / novella / CCQC’s / CCQC’s
The Alchemist / CCQC’s/Literary Analysis / CCQC’s/scaffolding an essay
Gods and Goddesses: Mythology Unit / Collection of myths / Literary Analysis / Finish Essay
Mythology Unit / Preparing a presentation / Oral presentations
The Journey HomeThe Odyssey / text / Assorted assignments on The Odyssey and Ancient Greece / Paraphrasing/summarizing
The Odyssey / text / Mini-research paper on Greece / Comprehension of story
The Odyssey / text / Paper on Greece / Test of Books 9-16
Poetry / selections / Writing poetry
Study metrical terms / Writing Free Verse
Recognizing Poetic Forms
Elements of Fiction
The narrative voice / The Bean Trees / Analytical essay
Personal journals / Writing about literature
Writing about one’s own journey.
Final Exams / Bring in meta-cognitive letter
about semester. Prepare papers for Core Lit. Portfolio / Direct Write Personal Essay (Summative)
Elements of Fiction
Major Assessments for 9th grade:
First Semester:
Personal, Narrative Essay: (Autobiographical Incident Direct Write)
1) An on-demand timed write that relates a specific incident about the author’s life and reflects upon it
Shorter papers to “scaffold” personal narrative essay
observation paper
descriptive paper
paper on place/setting
character profile
dialogue paper
Writing skills/strategies: awareness and use of diction, syntax, tone, pace, voice, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation. How to write using a process of idea gathering, planning, drafts, revision and editing as well as how to transfer that knowledge to a “timed write” situation without drafts.
Analytical Literary Essay:
A well-crafted, well-organized essay that analyzes and interprets a piece of literature. (Approx. 500-700 words) and shows that a student knows:
how to annotate text
how to make claims
how to set context for claims
how to find evidence to support claims
how to make thoughtful commentary
Writing skills/strategies: how to organize thoughts into prose in unified way; how to write a strong thesis and topic sentences (transitions) that make a strong argument and support basic premise of essay. Awareness and use of diction, syntax, basic rhetorical strategies, tone, mechanics of writing and essay format. How to use the writing process to improve writing.
Short Story using basic elements of fiction
An original short story that reveals a students knowledge of:
elements of fiction in stories; how to write a short piece of fiction with appropriate components of imaginary literature: a plot that contains exposition, characterization, conflict, rising action, climax, resolution, denouement.
Appropriate use of tone, diction, syntax, style, correct mechanics
Poetry:
Recognizing basic metrical terms and traditional forms
Writing original poetry in free verse and a traditional form such as sonnet or haiku
Second Semester:
Personal, Narrative Essay (cont.)
Analytical Literary Essay (cont.)
Poetry (cont.)
Persuasive/Argumentative (Essay or Speech)
knowledge of basic rhetorical devices
how to organize a persuasive argument
how to write a well-organized persuasive speech
how to show knowledge of subject
Writing skills/strategies: organization of ideas and claims to persuade audience. Well-crafted essay with paragraphs and transition and strong thesis and conclusion. Correct English usage and mechanics.