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9th Grade English Course Descriptions

9th Grade English Course Descriptions

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9th Grade English Course Descriptions
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English I:  Multicultural Literature and Voice
 
Reading Level:  Reading typically between the 7th and 13th level on the GMRT.
 
Typical Writing Per Quarter:  Students should anticipate writing at least 1 narrative and 1 essay each quarter, in addition to several paragraph assignments, journals, Canvas discussions, and writing mini-lessons that focus on evidence selection, citation, and analysis.
Writing assignments are both process and on-demand.
 
Typical Weekly Reading (pages):  Students should expect to read about 30 minutes a night between class periods. This would be between 5-20 pages depending on the complexity of the text. Students should also expect to complete a graphic organizer, journal, or reflection that synthesizes ideas from the text and prepares them for discussion in class.
 
Sample Reading List and Brief Description:
This course develops students’ critical thinking about the world and texts around them through engagement with a variety of literary texts and assessments.  Students will read memoirs, plays, novels, poems, essays, and short stories and be expected to analyze their thematic complexity and relevance through graded discussions, projects, reading assessments, and expository essays.   Students will also write fictional and autobiographical narratives. The assessments and activities are designed to challenge students who are reading above grade level and provide scaffolded writing and reading strategies for students who need structured support. Direct instruction will also be provided for language and vocabulary development.
 
● Autobiographical Narrative
● Science Fiction Short Stories
● Night
● Identity Essays and Narrative
● Human Migration and Journalism
through Enrique’s Journey
● The Odyssey and World Myths
● Drama
 
 
English I -Support
This is a students’ second period of English instruction in addition to English I:  Multicultural Literature and Voice.
 
Reading Level: Reading between high 5th and mid 7th grade level on the GMRT.
 
Sample Reading List and Brief Description: 
Students in this class use their extra time to work on specific writing and more advanced reading skills. Careful attention is devoted to grammar instruction and essay-writing mechanics. We also develop more acute reading skills by focusing on vocabulary, making text-based inferences, and analyzing challenging texts.

● Extra grammar and writing instruction
● Outside Reading Projects
● District reading curriculum and reading
assessments
 
 
English I -Intensive: READ 180
Two periods of intensive reading intervention and English instruction each day with the same teacher.
 
Reading Level: Reading from 5th grade and below on the GMRT.
 
Sample Reading List and Brief Description:
● The Odyssey
● Romeo and Juliet
● Diary of a Part-Time Indian
● Short Stories, poetry, and non-fiction
● Scholastic R-Book
● The class uses the READ 180 program to intensively address reading skills.
● The program involves independent reading, computer interaction, and small group direct instruction