English » 9th Grade Syllabus

9th Grade Syllabus

YEAR-END GOALS:  

  • Vocabulary: roots 
  • MLA-style research paper (2 pgs.) (argumentative essay) (embedding quotes) SPAPAC 
  • Memoir writing (unit 1) 
  • SOAPSTonea 
  • Creative writing: poetry forms 
  • Oral presentation (unit 2) 
  • Literary elements (recognize and use) 
  • Rhetorical devices (recognize and use) (ethos, pathos, logos)  
  • Poetic devices (recognize and use) 
  • Emphasis on tone/mood and theme 
  • Characterization (STEAL-Speech, thoughts, Actions, Effect on other characters,  and Looks)  

TEXTS:  

  • Night 
  • Persepolis 
  • The Hate U Give 
  • To Kill a Mockingbird 
  • ATD (wish list, do not have a class set) 
  • Midsummer Night’s Dream OR Romeo and Juliet (No Fear version needed) Of Mice and Men  
  • 12 Angry Men 
  • The Alchemist (wish list) 
  • The Color Purple 
  • Greek mythology: excerpts from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, The Odyssey, The  Iliad, etc. 
  • Short stories:  

“The Man in the Well” https://asyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/the-man-in-the well.pdf

“Alien Turf” http://learn.district196.org/file.php?file=/934/Alien_Turf.pdf “The Most Dangerous Game”

http://www.dukeofdefinition.com/dangerous_game.pdf

“The Necklace” http://fac.ksu.edu.sa/sites/default/files/the_diamond_necklace.pdf Poetry forms: sonnet (Italian and English), Villanelle, Sestina, free verse 

POEMS: 

Unit 1 - Free Verse, Modern 

Unit 2 - Langston Hughes, Modern  

Unit 3 - Sonnets 

Unit 4 - Sonnets, Elegies, Blank Verse, Odes 

Unit 5 - Villanelle, Sestina 

Unit 6 - Odes, Elegies

Unit 1 

Finding Common  

Ground 

(ATD, Persepolis,  

Night, Angry Men)

Unit 2 

The Struggle for Freedom (Night, Persepolis, TKM,  Angry Men, Alchemist, The  Hate U Give)

Unit 3 

The Bonds Between Us 

(Of Mice and Men, ATD, TKM,  The Color Purple)

How do forces  

(external and internal)  and ideas unite us?

How has the universal  

struggle for freedom, justice,  and equality made us who  we are?

How do special bonds link us to  family, friends, pets, and  

communities?

Key Objectives: 

• analyzing a claim • determining a  

central idea 

• evaluating an  

argument 

• analyzing choice of  text structure 

• making inferences  about theme 

• seminal U.S.  

documents and the 

 impact of rhetoric • analyzing the  

representation of  

 subject in two  

mediums 

• analyzing multiple  genres of texts in 

 both fiction  

and nonfiction 

• applying language  conventions in  

 writing 

Performance Tasks: • Creative writing:  Memoir 

• Argumentative  

Essay: Morality  

(Should there be legal  ramifications for  

immoral actions? 

Should we be  

responsible for the  safety of others?)

Key Objectives: 

• analyzing seminal U.S.  documents 

• analyzing the impact of  rhetoric,  

 word choice, tone, point of  view, style  

 and text structure 

• making connections  

between ideas  

 and events using different  accounts  

 of the same event in text  and media 

• analyzing multiple genres  of texts in  

 both fiction and  

nonfiction 

• applying language  

conventions in  

 writing 

Performance Task: 

• Source-based  

Argumentative Essay 

• Speech (oral presentation)

Key Objectives: 

• analyzing character and theme  in a  

 short story 

• evaluating claims 

• analyzing an author’s  

background,  

 point of view, and the impact of  word  

 choice on tone 

• analyzing how an author  unfolds  

 ideas 

• interpret figurative language • analyzing ideas in a public  service  

 announcement 

• analyzing multiple genres of  texts in  

 both fiction and nonfiction • applying language conventions  in  

 writing 

Performance Tasks: 

• Fictional Narrative 

• Analytical/argumentative essay • Group Media Presentation



Unit 4 

Sweet Sorrow 

(Romeo and Juliet, Of  Mice and Men,  

Midsummer, The  

Color Purple)

Unit 5 

A Matter of Life and Death (Night, 

Unit 6  

Heroes and Quests 

(Greek mythology [excerpts from  Mythology by Edith Hamilton,  Midsummer], Alchemist)

How can the nature of  love be affected by the  conflicts surrounding  it?

How do we endure in the  face of adversity, tragedy,  and conflict?

How and why does someone  become a hero?

Key Objectives: 

• analyzing ideas in  an essay 

• analyzing source  material and how  

 an artist draws on  and transforms it 

• analyzing character  motivations and  

 parallel plots 

• analyzing how an  author’s choice of  

 point of view creates  desired effects 

• analyzing multiple  genres of texts in  

 both fiction and  

nonfiction 

• applying language  conventions in  

 writing 

Performance Task: • Analytical Essay  Options 

 1. Examine the role  of women in  

 Romeo and Juliet.  2. Romeo and Juliet  are referred to as  

 "star-cross'd  

lovers". Discuss the   concept of  

predetermined  

destiny  

 and how it relates  to the play. 

 3. Free will vs.  

Destiny/Fate

Key Objectives: 

• analyzing an author’s  purpose, use of  

 rhetoric, and word choice • evaluating an argument  and  

 examining a claim 

• analyzing ideas,  

determining central 

 ideas, and summarizing • analyzing an author’s  choices 

• making inferences about  theme 

• determining the meanings  of  

 figurative language in  poetry 

• analyzing multiple genres  of texts in  

 both fiction and  

nonfiction 

• applying language  

conventions in  

 writing 

Performance Tasks: 

• Argument 

• Debate (Lincoln-Douglas  OR  

 Congressional style)

Key Objectives: 

• analyzing an author’s purpose,  use of  

 rhetoric, and word choice • evaluating an argument and   examining a claim 

• analyzing ideas, determining  central  

 ideas, and summarizing 

• analyzing an author’s choices • making inferences about theme • determining the meanings of   figurative language in poetry • analyzing multiple genres of  texts in 

 both fiction and nonfiction • applying language conventions  in  

 writing 

Performance Tasks: 

• Argument 

• Panel Discussion



4. Choose a soliloquy  and analyze  

 how it contributes  to the  

 characterization  of one or more  

 characters 

• Project: Elegy for  character from Romeo  & JULIET

   



2021 Unit 1 collections 1 

Title: Finding Common Ground 

Essential Question: How do forces (external and internal) and ideas unite us? 

CRE Objectives: 

  1. Identity: Students will determine whether it is important to express their individuality and culture in  school and in society while accepting the differences and cultures of others? 
  2. Criticality: Students will examine how fighting for common ground in a diverse society can  overcome a history of poverty, lack of opportunity, and oppression.  
  3. Joy: How can we all work together to find joy in a diverse society? 
  4. 4. Intellectualism: Students will create an academic environment that encourages curiosity, open  minds, and the free exchange of ideas. 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 

Core Lessons:

Type 

Text/Activity 

Sample Instructional  Supports

Informational Text 

The 6th Amendment 

1st article Preventing the  "Google Mistrial": The  Challenge Posed by Jurors  Who Use the Internet and  Social Media 

By: Frank J. Mastro 

4. new study  

published in the  

journal Psychology,  

Public Policy, and  

Law. 

ARGUMENT  

“A Quilt of a Country” 

by Anna Quindlen

Using information from the  articles we have read today,  compose a written response in  which you address how media  (including social media) can  impact fair trials. You must  integrate at least three pieces  of evidence from the articles we  have read today. 

•• Analyzing the Text  IMPACT OF SOCIAL  MEDIA 

Questions TE 8 

• Delineate and  

Evaluate  

vocabulary in context 

Analyzing Arguments  OTR 

Determining claim and  counterclaim

Anchor Text Semi autobiographical 

novel

12 ANGRY MEN by Reginald  Rose 

or

Text analysis 

● Central idea 

● direct and indirect  

characterization 

● Topic sentence,  

statement, proof , 



 

The Absolutely True Diary of  a Part-Time Indian 

by Alexie Sherman

analysis, commentary  

paragraphs 

● ESTABLISHING  

THE THEME 

● interpreting cartoons ● creative writing

Short Story 

“Galloping Horses” by Xu  Zechen

 

Informational  

Text

VIDEOS on Justice and  social media 

https://daily.jstor.org/is-a-fair-trial possible-in-the-age-of-social media/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= vI24L21w18w 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ us/blog/media 

spotlight/201808/how-trial-media can-undermine-the-courtroom 

What is an Indian  

Reservation? 

Biography of Alexie Sherman

close read and answer  questions 

Practice listening and  answering questions

Literary Text 

SHORT STORY | 

CLOSE READER 

“Night Calls” 

by Lisa Fugard

• Short Response TE  20H 

• Dig Deeper TE 20I 

• IWB Lesson: Theme  OTR

Writing 

Writing an Analytical Essay • Presenting a Speech 

Project on characterization

• Teacher Support TE 37,  41 

• Rubrics TE 40, 44

Literature 

 



Unit 5: A Matter of Life and Death  

Theme: 

A Matter of Life or Death

Time Frame: 

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

Overarching  

Question:

How do we endure in the face of adversity, tragedy, and  conflict? 

Is it worth taking risks? 



CRE Cultural Relevance/Rationale (fill in at least one):  

Identity: How does lesson enrich students’ own identity or their knowledge of another  identity 

Criticality: How does lesson help students understand power, inequality, oppression and  social justice? 

Joy: How do we experience joy amidst oppression? 

Intellectualism: What conditions, ideologies, and ideas made the holocaust  possible? 

Core Lessons:

Type 

Text/Activity 

Sample Instructional Supports

Literary  

Text 

Essay

“Is Survival Selfish?” Lane  Wallace 

or 

SURVIVOR GUILT IN  

HOLOCAUST “ by AARON  HESS 

I use both

Formative assessment: short answers on the  validity of claims 

Finding evidence and agreeing or disagreeing  with it 

Practicing accountable talk-Do you think they  are selfish or not?

Literary  

Text 

poetry

POEM “The End and the Beginning” 

by Wisława Szymborska 

POEMS The Man I Killed by  Thomas Hardy 

Formative assessment: TPCASTT for  annotating poetry 

Summative assessment: SPA Prove how  Wislawa Symborska uses literary elements or  writing techniques in her poem 

Formative assessment: Hardy 

TPCASTT for annotating poetry 

Summative assessment: Santiago close read,  answer questions, write paragraph

Literary  

Text  

memoir 

Elie Wiesel from Night in  Collections 

Formative assessment: Find evidence for  rhetorical devices 

Summative Assessment: SPA, Prove how Elie  Wiesel uses rhetorical devices to show the  author’s purpose of informing the reader

speech 

Elie Wiesel’s Acceptance  Speech

Reading and Listening 

multiple choice



Unit 2 collections 1 

Title: Finding Common Ground 

Essential Question: How do forces (external and internal) and ideas unite us? 

CRE Objectives: 

  1. Identity: Students will determine whether it is important to express their individuality and culture in  school and in society while accepting the differences and cultures of others? 
  2. Criticality: Students will examine how fighting for common ground in a diverse society can  overcome a history of poverty, lack of opportunity, and oppression.  
  3. Joy: How can we all work together to find joy in a diverse society? 
  4. 4. Intellectualism:Students will create an academic environment that encourages curiosity, open  minds, and the free exchange of ideas. 

Core Lessons:

Type 

Text/Activity 

Sample Instructional  Supports

Informational Text 

ARGUMENT  

“A Quilt of a Country” 

by Anna Quindlen

•• Analyzing the Text  Questions TE 8 

• Delineate and  

Evaluate  

vocabulary in context Analyzing Arguments  OTR 

Determining claim and  counterclaim

Anchor Text Semi autobiographical 

novel

The Absolutely True Diary of a  Part-Time Indian 

by Alexie Sherman

Text analysis 

● Central idea 

● direct and indirect  

characterization 

● Topic sentence,  

statement, proof ,  

analysis,  

commentary  

paragraphs 

● interpreting cartoons ● creative writing

Short Story 

“Galloping Horses” by Xu  Zechen

 

Informational 

What is an Indian  

Reservation?

close read and answer  questions



Text

Biography of Alexie Sherman 

Practice listening and  answering questions

Literary Text 

SHORT STORY | 

CLOSE READER 

“Night Calls” 

by Lisa Fugard

• Short Response TE  20H 

• Dig Deeper TE 20I 

• IWB Lesson: Theme  OTR

Writing 

• Writing an Analytical Essay • Presenting a Speech

• Teacher Support TE  37, 41 

• Rubrics TE 40, 44

Literature 

mean streets 

richard rodriquez 

Blackaskins

 



Theme: 

The Struggle for Freedom UNIT 3

Time Frame: 

4 weeks

Overarching Question: CRE: Criticality 

CRE: Identity 

Cre: Joy 

CRE: Intellectualism

How has the universal struggle for freedom, justice, and equality  made us who we are? 

Students will analyze literature about oppression, racial freedom,  justice for both genders, religious freedom and equality and  determine how this has affected the authors and people in the  future. 

Students will determine whether the characters in these stories are  justified in their causes and how these ideas about freedom, justice  and equality have and are affecting them now. 

How do we find joy fighting for freedom, justice, and equality? How can intellectual freedom, the freedom to hold, receive and  disseminate ideas without restriction, viewed as an integral component of a  democratic societies, bring about enlightenment among men



Core Lessons: 

Speech/Anchor  Text

Text / Activity 

Persepolis graphic novel 

Marjane Satrapi 

The kind of violence Satrapi  explains in her book is vitally  important to study, since students  often don’t get to this part of  history in their social studies  classes, and having a perspective on  the Iranian Revolution can give  students knowledge about Iran as a  ck thereof) in the country. the  United States’ relationship with  Iran now, as well as the back story  to one of their favorite recent  movies, “Argo.” Furthermore,  Satrapi spends a good deal of time  discussing the veil she is forced to  wear, which teaches students about  the veil, as well as about women’s  freedom (or la

Sample Instructional Supports 

• Collaborative Discussion Activity  TE 51 

• Analyzing the Text Questions TE  53 

Prompts for discussion: 

1: Analyze the role of education in  Persepolis. How important is  

education in the lives of Iranians in  general, and in Marjane specifically?  Are there multiple kinds of  

education presented in the book, and  if so, how are they different from  each other and do they succeed or  fail? How does education in Iran  compare to education in the United  States? 

#2: Satrapi writes that with  

Persepolis she sought to explain  what it was like to grow up in Iran.  Further, she was trying to argue that  the people of Iran are very much like  the people of any other country,  including the United States. Did she  succeed or did she fail? Do you find  it easy to identify with the people of  Iran, or difficult? Why? 

#3: Examine Marjane's relationship  with her family, including not only  her mother and father but also her  uncle Anoosh and any other family  members you may wish to bring into  the conversation. How does she feel  about her family? What does she  find admirable about them, and what  does she find lacking? How does her  opinion about her family change  over the course of the book? Do you  find her attitudes easy to relate to or  strange, and why? 

#4: Analyze some of the prominent  symbols in the comic, such as the  key, the veil, or even Marjie's use of  a cigarette. What do these symbols