Course Description
This course emphasizes the improvement of reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking and listening skills through the study of and written and oral response to literature. It also introduces students to research and computer skills and fosters the development of study habits and group skills.
Course Objectives
The students will:
- communicate effectively and appropriately with a variety of audiences and for diverse purposes through oral and written language
- use all steps of the writing process effectively
- demonstrate effective reading comprehension skills
- demonstrate practical English skills
- analyze, interpret, and evaluate literature
- draw on evidence from the texts to speculate, validate, or reflect upon known ideas
- determine and apply/connect the lessons derived form the in-depth study of meaningful literature to his/her own life
- contribute productive and cooperatively in diverse roles to group effort or products
- demonstrate open-mindedness and a regard for others and the ability to adapt, compromise and see different perspectives
- demonstrate library and research skills
- use technology for research and to create or enhance a product
- create an original work
- use efficient and effective study skills to enhance learning
- take personal responsibility for learning, set goals, evaluate progress towards those goals, adhere to high standards and revise own performance when needed
Methods of Instruction
- Lecture and Discussion
- Written and oral work
- Homework/outside assignments
- Work in small and large groups
- Individualized instruction
- Prepared visual presentation
- Reading aloud of literary works
- Individual reading of literary works
Methods of Evaluation
- Teacher Observation
- Teacher Tests and Quizzes
- Students Projects: homework
- Rubrics for self-evaluation
- Essays
Grading Policies
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Assignment Categories |
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Letter Grades |
| Writing |
45% |
A: 90-100%
B: 80-89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
F: below 60% |
| Literature/Poetry |
45% |
| Participation and Citizenship (conduct, effort, home study habits) |
5% |
| Study Period |
5% |
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How to Contact Me
I prefer and encourage contact via email, rather than telephone as I check it throughout the day: (JTrujillo@BitneyPrep.net)
Classroom Expectations
To do well in school, you must study consistently, and ask for help early.
Preparation
Always come to class prepared with:
- 3 Ring Binder (Min. 1 inch) with the following labeled dividers:
- Reading Log/ Literature Response Journal
- Quick-writes
- Literary Terms
- Short Stories
- Poetry
- House of Mango Street
- Romeo and Juliet
- Night
- Essays/Research Paper
- Academic Planner, where assignment due dates are recorded
- Mechanical pencil (or pre-sharpened pencil) and pen
- Binder paper
- Outside Reading (SSR) Book (Novel, Biography, Memoir, Etc. No magazines, comic books, Manga, newpapers, etc.)
- Homework
- Necessary texts
Periodic "notebook checks" require that all pages are dated, initialed, and kept within, in chronological order.
All final writing assignments are to be typed, spell-checked and in the MLA format.
Attendance and Tardies
This course requires regular, prompt attendance. Excessive tardies and absences will affect your grade. You must submit all assignments on time to be eligible for full credit. If you miss school with an excuse from a parent or are having a family emergency, your parent may request, in writing, an extension of the assignment due date for you.
Classroom Behavior
Respect and courtesy towards all classmates are expected of each student. All students must keep their desks, the floor and surrounding area neat and clean. The Dress Code will be enforced, as well as all school policies. Cell phones must be silent and out of sight in the classroom. Any personal object (toy, photo, or otherwise) that interferes with the learning process will be confiscated by me, to be retrieved at an arranged time.
Plagiarism/Cheating
Copying, cheating, or plagiarizing are grounds for failing the assignment and/or the course. All direct quotes must be documented using the MLA method.
Course Content for 9th Grade English
Writing
- Process of Writing:
- prewriting--generating ideas, discovering and clarifying prior knowledge and making connections with new information
- drafting--trying out those ideas in an appropriate form or kind of writing; for example, a story, essay or poem
- c) revising--making changes in each draft as a result of reviewing what has been written and rethinking the effect of it on the intended reader
- d) editing--correcting errors in usage, mechanics and diction
- Types of Writing:
- narrative-- 2 - page autobiographical essay created from a time line and told in chronological order
- formal letters--execute constructive letters of complaint and request, using business language, formulating reasonable, viable solutions to the problem/request
- literature response--the keeping of a journal to record conflict, character, setting, foreshadowing, and speculation for all types of literature
- expository
- process analysis-- a directive essay containing the logical structure that guides a reader through a chain of reasoning regarding how to do something in a step by step process. Emphasis is on clear explanation and sophisticated transitions
- comparison/contrast --evaluative essay using self-developed criteria to assess the worth of an idea, and experience, or a work of art
- division/classification--the skill of organizing subjects into categories and developing language in essay form that describes and defines the differences along with the significance of doing so
- cause/ effect--essay of conjecture about the consequences of a given circumstance or action
- persuasion
- argumentative essay--an essay of appeal to logic and reasoning that can deal with complex issues for debate
- descriptive
- describe details using figurative language and vivid imagery that appeals to the five senses, making the subject “come alive” for the reader
- journalling--daily in-class writing by assigned or student generated subjects
- Written Expression:
- development of personal voice, tone, and awareness of audience
- organized arguments (claims with supporting evidence )
- structure and development of the multi-paragraph essay
- paragraph development
- use of transition words and linking expressions
- use of memory, reflective, and sensory details
- "showing" writing techniques
- elimination of cliche and jargon
- Mechanics/Conventions:
- subject-verb agreement
- incorporating quotations smoothly
- punctuation: end marks, colon and semi - colon, quotation marks, apostrophe, comma, underlining
- electronic bibliographic notation, using MLA standards
- full block form of the business letter and envelope addressing
- verb tense consistency
Reading Comprehension
- Reader response methods for making meaningful connections with a text; such as margin notes, visualization, reading mind maps, open minds, quick writes, etc.
- Recognizing narrative perspective
- Distinguishing between literal and figurative language
- Determining main ideas and larger themes
- Interpreting symbolism
- Establishing an historical context for the text
- Recognizing propaganda and bias
Literature
- Elements of the short story
- Poetic devices and techniques
- Form and features of the novel
- Study of themes
- Features of the autobiography
Texts
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- Night by Elie Wiesel
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- The Odyssey by Homer
- Miscellaneous Works of Poetry and Short Stories
Films (scenes to be watched in conjunction with the text)
- Romeo and Juliet (1968 version as compared to the 1996 version)
- West Side Story (1961)
- The Lost Aegean City
Research and Study Skills
- Library orientation-use of traditional resources and computer assisted research
- Electronic research (MLA documentation)
- Notetaking-notemaking
- Practice with note cards and bibliography cards
- Summarizing, paraphrasing, and citing
- Interviewing techniques
- Observational records
Vocabulary
- Study of vocabulary in context of coursework and literature
- Roots, prefixes and suffixes
- Literary terms
Oral Presentation Skills
- Use of rubrics to identify critical skills in presentation
- Practice in formal and informal presentations
- Individual and group presentations
- Development and use of visual aids
Group Skills
- Establishing clearly defined roles within groups
- Establishing criteria for the evaluation and selection of work for portfolio
Self-Assessment Skills
- Generation and use of rubric to measure competency and growth
- Establishing criteria for the evaluation and selection of work for portfolio
Listening Skills
- Listening critically and responding orally or in writing to oral presentations or student work read aloud in class
- Identifying and summarizing ideas developed through oral presentations
- Following verbal instructions
Reading List for 9th Grade English
Clicking the link below will take you to the California Department of Education Recommended Literature search page.
CDE Recommended Literature
Once there, Make the following selections on the search form:
- Grade Level Span: 9-12
- Language: English
- Genre: -- All Fiction --
- Classification: Classic
Leave everything else blank or set to "all" (e.g., "All Cultures"), then click the Submit button at the bottom of the page. You should get a list of about 166 books.
Book Report Requirement for 9th Grade English
Reading, and/or reading to children, is the single most important activity that parents can provide to help their children gain knowledge, succeed in school, and prepare for a meaningful career.
Fox, S.J. (2000) "The Economics of Illteracy"
THIS READING REQUIREMENT IS BASED ON ALL STUDENTS READING A (FICTION) BOOK OF INTEREST FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PER DAY.
250-500 pages per semester
Students present book reports to their English classes on Fridays at the end of each Semester. Each book report must be representative of 3-5 hours' work and contain the following information:
- Title, author, number of pages
- Setting, names of key characters
- Short plot summary
- An *intelligent* statement regarding WHY you enjoyed the book, or, at least, which parts you enjoyed best
Following are some** ideas for book report presentations:
- Write a 5 page book review that covers main themes and ideas, key characters, background of novel (setting, time period, type of work, author) plot summary and conflict, main symbols, interpretation of title
- Write and mail a typed letter to the author, telling him/her how their story impacted your life. Share any response with the class.
- Draw a cartoon strip of the most important events in the story.
- Make a soap, wood, or clay model to illustrate a character from the book.
- Make a diorama depicting the most exciting part of the book, or the part you liked best.
- Make a time line of events in the story, with clear explanations for each point in time.
- Make a crossword puzzle from new vocabulary words in the book and teach their meanings to the class.
- Pretend that you are the main character and write several diary pages describing an important event in the book from your personal point of view.
- Make a videotape of you, or you and a group, acting out a part in the book
- Make a mobile.
- Make a poster.
- Write a one-act play. Act out your scene (optional)
- Make a puppet to represent a character in the book.
- Make and illustrate a book jacket for your book
- Design a bookmark that illustrates something about the book
- Dress up like a character from the story and make a presentation, in character, to the class.
**Alternative ideas are encouraged but need teacher approval.
Literature Response Journal for 9th Grade English
You must have a book with you to read in class everyday. You may choose any book from the reading list to do your literature response. You must have your Reading Log/ Literature Response Journal (LRJ) and your book with you each day during class.
You must make an entry when you have reached the (exact) middle of each book that you read.
Begin by writing the title, author and number of pages of your book. When you reach the middle of the book, stop and complete the items below. Each entry must include the page number where you stopped reading, and the page number of the excerpts that you have chosen.
- Summary: Tell the new developments in the story by telling what is happening to whom and updating the conflict. Describe the setting (time and place), new characters, and the problems (conflict) of the story so far.
- Speculation: Predict what you think is going to happen next. The speculation (prediction) should concern an important development in the story.
- Excerpt: Copy *WORD FOR WORD* 2 to 4 consecutive sentences that you think are important for your speculation (see #2). You must copy the sentences exactly as they are written in your book. Remember to record the page number of your excerpt and to place the entry in quotes, using an ellipsis, if necessary, for a part of the excerpt that is not relevant.
- Additional Support: (extra credit) Besides the quote, tell what else you've read in this story that leads you to this speculation. It might be something another character said, an earlier incident, a description of a person or place, or even something in your personal experience that you recognize as a symbol.
FINISH READING THE BOOK BEFORE YOU GO ON TO STEPS 5 & 6
- Earlier Predictions: After you have finished the entire story, tell whether your speculation was right or wrong. Explain what clues you noticed with accuracy and/or which ones you missed.
- Interpretation of the Title: Also after you have finished the entire story, explain why you think the author chose this title. Refer to specific words in the title that relate to the theme or to other parts of the story.
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