Welcome to English 9         

English 9 is the foundation for all other high school English courses.  The main areas of focus will be the reader and writer workshop, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, novels, plays, and different genres of writing.  This course is comprehensive in many different genres to prepare students for the rest of high school.  Students will learn how to use the research technology available in today’s libraries by using various technological devices to create projects and bibliographies.  Literary devices and tools will be explored and used.  Grammar, reading, writing, and study skills will be stressed. 

Tentative Course Outline  

To accomplish the course objectives, we will be exploring a variety of different topics.  It will be broken down as follows.  This is tentative depending on situations that may occur.  It is vital that all students keep up with the work given.  There will be time in class to get some things done; however, there will be homework most evenings.

1^st Quarter:         1. Writer’s Workshop: Writers notebook (memoir), MLA format, and

                                         bibliographies will be used and emphasized.

2. Mini and Craft Lessons regarding revision and correctness using text

         The Writer’s Craft, McDougal Littell.

                                3. Vocabulary Units using text Wordskills, Orange Level, McDougal Littell.

4. Reader’s Workshop: Night by Elie Wiesel – Nonfiction account of life during

          the Holocaust and an example of a memoir. Nonfiction Short Stories from

          The Language of Literature, McDougal Littell.

5. Personal Narrative: Memoir Writing published.

6. Reading novels of choice outside of class, one fiction and one

nonfiction. These are to be read and a bibliography should be created for each. Once read, students are to see me to complete an oral report of their book.

                                        the Holocaust. The Pearl by John Steinbeck – Elements of Fiction.

                                        Fiction Short Stories from The Language of Literature, McDougal Littell.

5. Argumentative Essay: Analytical Thematic Writing published.

                                6. Reading novels of choice outside of class, one fiction and one

nonfiction. These are to be read and a bibliography should be continued for    

each.  Once read, students are to complete assigned questions regarding      

material read.

3^rd Quarter:         1. Writer’s Workshop: Writers notebook (poetry), MLA format, and

                                         bibliographies will be used and emphasized.

2. Mini and Craft Lessons regarding revision and correctness using text

         The Writer’s Craft, McDougal Littell.

                                3. Vocabulary Units using text Wordskills, Orange Level, McDougal Littell.

                                4. Reader’s Workshop: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Civil Rights 

                                         Movement. The Last Dog on Earth by Daniel Ehrenhaft – Graffiti Wall 

                                         Project.

5. Poetry Scrapbook: Creative and analytical writing will be published.

                                6. Reading novels of choice outside of class, one fiction and one

nonfiction. These are to be read and a bibliography should be continued for each.  Once read, students are to complete assigned questions regarding material read.

4^th Quarter:         1. Writer’s Workshop: Writers notebook (informative), MLA format,

                                         and bibliographies will be used and emphasized.

2. Mini and Craft Lessons regarding revision and correctness using text The

         Writer’s Craft, McDougal Littell.

                                3. Vocabulary Units using text Wordskills, Orange Level, McDougal Littell.

4. Reader’s Workshop: The Odyssey by Homer. Shakespeare’s Romeo and

         Juliet with project

                                5. Informative Essay and Presentation: Career Research Project will be published.

                                6. Reading novels of choice outside of class, one fiction and one

nonfiction. These are to be read and a bibliography should be continued for 

each.  Once read, students are to see me to complete an oral report of their     

book.

Choice Books 

Each quarter students are to read books on their own.  These are to be books that they have NOT read before.  I want the students to read books by different authors and different genres to see what they like.  The students must complete a bibliography with the books that they read and they must present an oral or written report to me for credit.  These will be due throughout the quarters and students are expected to make these deadlines. 

Homework 

Grade Equivalencies