En09-Encountering the Other

Building on the eighth-grade exploration of the various factors that shape personal identity, ninth-grade English asks students to look outside of the self and determine what role community plays in their lives and how they can be a responsible member of the various communities to which they belong. In a year where the ninth grade sees an influx of new students, it is important for us to consider how we define community and our place in the world. Units of study will center on the exploration of the other, an analysis of cultural influences, and an examination of how communities shape the individual. Reading experiences will include whole-class novels, book circles, and choice reading. Whenever possible, independence and choice will guide the content of the course, while students practice and master age-appropriate skill sets. Thematic learning experiences will include literature, poetry, projects, videos, and podcasts that help us understand the experiences of others. The ninth grade English curriculum exposes students to habits and skills that will be used throughout high school and college. Students will approach reading, writing, speaking, and collaboration as a process that includes identifying audience and purpose while exploring organizational strategies and multiple genres.

Essential Questions

• What is community and what are the individual’s responsibilities to the community?
• How does our need to be accepted in a group affect our actions?
• How do our personal experiences shape our view of others?
• How does acknowledging our differences affect a community of any size?

Course Objectives

1. Develop grouped ideas into paragraphs that contain relevant support.
2. Arrange ideas in a sequence based on logic, chronology, importance or other method.
3. Compose a thesis statement that makes a specific, arguable claim about the topic or literary work in question. Students are prompted through guided methods.
4. Develop each body paragraph to contain a unique claim (topic sentence), quotes or other evidence woven into commentary, discussion of how the evidence supports the thesis, and a transition to the next paragraph.
5. Support claims with reasons, examples, or evidence. Acknowledges opposing viewpoints and the reasoning behind them.
6. Identify a theme and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide a succinct summary of the text to provide context for claims.
7. Develop the habit of interacting with text through annotation, highlighting or other methods to enhance understanding of and reflection on text.
8. Compare and contrast texts in different modes or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
9. Demonstrate effective planning of a presentation that includes an engaging introduction, an organized body, and an effective conclusion.
10. Demonstrate fundamental skills associated with speaking, including eye contact, voice projection and posture. The student is able to speak effectively before small groups.
11. Come prepared with appropriate materials and having completed relevant reading or other assignments.