GLEN RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Curriculum Guide
Course Title: English
9 C.P.
Subject: English
Grade Level: Grade 9
Department/School: English/Glen
Ridge High School
Duration: Full
Year Course
Number of Credits: 5
Prerequisite: English
8 and completion of summer reading
Elective or Required: Required
Author: J. Hackmeyer
Date Submitted: Summer 2006
Course Description
The English program is a continuing study of literary genres
and the development of writing, speaking and thinking skills. Students today,
more than ever, need to develop facility and confidence in writing, to
articulate and support a point of view and to verbalize their opinion in a
clear and concise way. A course of study
should encourage this communication. In
addition, students should feel comfortable analyzing works of literature, the
writing of their peers and their own works.
The emphasis in this course is on skills that interrelate
with other academic courses. A genre approach
to literature incorporates the study of the short story, drama, poetry and the
novel into the course. The curriculum
focus stresses the development of critical thinking, personal expression,
reading comprehension and writing skills.
GLEN RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
LANGUAGE ARTS MISSION STATEMENT
In order to pursue interdisciplinary lifelong learning,
students need the skills to communicate effectively. Through a challenging, sequential academic
curriculum, the Glen Ridge Language Arts Literacy Program provides all students
with varied and integrated experiences.
The skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing,
presenting, and researching will enable them to effectively participate in
school and in society, respectful of various points of views while displaying
creative and critical thinking skills.
Goals
Provided with an environment that encourages creativity as well as expression of unique feelings and thoughts, students will:
· become competent critical readers who learn to analyze, evaluate, reflect upon and respond to the ideas of others;
· approach reading with an appreciation for a variety of literary styles, genres and contexts;
· implement the writing process including: pre-writing, drafting, revising, proofreading and publishing;
· write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes;
· apply appropriate conventions of spelling, grammar, punctuation and language usage;
· speak for a variety of real purposes and audiences;
· listen interactively in diverse situations to information from a variety of sources;
· view, understand and construct meaning from non-textual sources;
· gather, evaluate, synthesize and cite data from a variety of technological sources and print materials;
·
share, display and/or publish individual and
collaborative products.
B. Phonological Awareness
C. Decoding and Word Recognition
D. Fluency
1. Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent
level with accuracy and speed.
2. Use appropriate rhythm, flow, meter, and pronunciation
when reading.
3. Read a variety of genres and types of text with
fluency and comprehension.
E. Reading Strategies (before, during, and after reading)
F. Vocabulary and Concept Development
G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
10. Differentiate between fact and opinion by using
complete and accurate information, coherent arguments, and points of view.
11. Analyze how an author’s use of words creates tone and
mood, and how choice of words advances the theme or purpose of the work.
12. Demonstrate familiarity with everyday texts such as
job and college applications, W-2 forms, and contracts.
13. Read, comprehend, and be able to follow information
gained from technical and instructional manuals (e.g., how-to books, computer
manuals, or instructional manuals).
H. Inquiry and Research
1. Select appropriate electronic media for research and
evaluate the quality of the information received.
2. Develop materials for a portfolio that reflect a
specific career choice.
3. Develop increased ability to critically select works
to support a research topic.
4. Read and critically analyze a variety of works,
including books and other print materials (e.g., periodicals, journals,
manuals), about one issue or topic, or books by a single author or in one
genre, and produce evidence of reading.
5. Apply information gained from several sources or books
on a single topic or by a single author to foster an argument, draw
conclusions, or advance a position.
6. Critique the validity and logic of arguments advanced
in public documents, their appeal to various audiences, and the extent to which
they anticipate and address reader concerns.
A. Writing as a Process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, post
writing)
1. Engage in the full writing process by writing daily
and for sustained amounts of time.
2. Use strategies such as graphic organizers and outlines
to plan and write drafts according to the intended message, audience, and
purpose for writing.
3. Analyze and revise writing to improve style, focus and
organization, coherence, clarity of thought, sophisticated word choice and
sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning.
4. Review and edit work for spelling, usage, clarity, and
fluency.
5. Use the computer and word-processing software to
compose, revise, edit, and publish a piece.
6. Use a scoring rubric to evaluate and improve own
writing and the writing of others.
7. Reflect on own writing and establish goals for growth
and improvement.
B. Writing as a Product (resulting in a formal product or publication)
1. Analyze characteristics, structures, tone, and
features of language of selected genres and apply this knowledge to own
writing.
2. Critique published works for authenticity and
credibility.
3. Draft a thesis statement and support/defend it through
highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development.
4. Write multi-paragraph, complex pieces across the
curriculum using a variety of strategies to develop a central idea (e.g.,
cause-effect, problem/solution, hypothesis/results, rhetorical questions,
parallelism).
5. Write a range of essays and expository pieces across
the curriculum, such as persuasive, analytic, critique, or position paper.
6. Write a literary research paper that synthesizes and
cites data using researched information and technology to support writing.
7.
Use primary and
secondary sources to provide evidence, justification, or to extend a position,
and cite sources, such as periodicals, interviews, discourse, and electronic
media.
8. Foresee readers’ needs and develop interest through
strategies such as using precise language, specific details, definitions,
descriptions, examples, anecdotes, analogies, and humor as well as anticipating
and countering concerns and arguments and advancing a position.
9. Provide compelling openings and strong closure to
written pieces.
10. Employ relevant graphics to support a central idea
(e.g., charts, graphic organizers, pictures, computer-generated presentation).
11. Use the responses of others to review content, organization,
and usage for publication.
12. Select pieces of writing from a literacy folder for a
presentation portfolio that reflects performance in a variety of genres.
C. Mechanics, Spelling, and Handwriting
1. Use Standard English conventions in all writing, such as
sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling.
2. Demonstrate a well-developed knowledge of English
syntax to express ideas in a lively and effective
personal style.
3. Use subordination, coordination, apposition, and other
devices effectively to indicate relationships between ideas.
4. Use transition words to reinforce a logical
progression of ideas.
5. Exclude extraneous details, repetitious ideas, and
inconsistencies to improve writing.
6. Use knowledge of Standard English conventions to edit
own writing and the writing of others for correctness.
7. Use a variety of reference materials, such as a
dictionary, grammar reference, and/or Internet/software resources to edit
written work.
8. Write legibly in manuscript or cursive to meet
district standards.
D. Writing Forms, Audiences, and Purposes (exploring a variety of forms)
1. Employ the most effective writing formats and
strategies for the purpose and audience.
2. Demonstrate command of a variety of writing genres,
such as:
·
Persuasive essay
·
Personal
narrative
·
Research report
·
Literary research
paper
·
Descriptive essay
·
Critique
·
Response to
literature
·
Parody of a
particular narrative style (fable, myth, short story)
·
Poetry
3. Evaluate the impact of an author’s decisions regarding
tone, word choice, style, content, point of view, literary elements, and
literary merit, and produce an interpretation of overall effectiveness.
4. Apply all copyright laws to information used in
written work.
5. When writing, employ structures to support the reader,
such as transition words, chronology, hierarchy or sequence, and forms, such as
headings and subtitles.
6. Compile and synthesize information for everyday and
workplace purposes, such as job applications, resumes, business letters, and college applications.
7. Demonstrate personal style and voice effectively to
support the purpose and engage the audience of a piece of writing.
8.
Select pieces of
writing from a literacy folder for a presentation portfolio that reflects
performance in a variety of genres.
Speaking - NJCCS S.3.3
A. Discussion
1. Support a position integrating multiple perspectives.
2. Support, modify, or refute a position in small or
large-group discussions.
3. Assume leadership roles in student-directed
discussions, projects, and forums.
4. Summarize and evaluate tentative conclusions and take
the initiative in moving discussions to the next stage.
B. Questioning (Inquiry) and Contributing
1. Ask prepared and follow-up questions in interviews and
other discussions.
2. Extend peer contributions by elaboration and
illustration.
3. Analyze, evaluate, and modify group processes.
4. Select and discuss literary passages that reveal
character, develop theme, and illustrate literary elements.
5. Question critically the position or viewpoint of an
author.
6. Respond to audience questions by providing
clarification, illustration, definition, and elaboration.
7. Participate actively in panel discussions, symposiums,
and/or business meeting formats (e.g., explore a question and consider
perspectives).
C. Word Choice
1. Modulate tone and clarify thoughts through word
choice.
2. Improve word choice by focusing on rhetorical devices
(e.g., puns, parallelism, allusion, alliteration).
D. Oral Presentation
1. Speak for a variety of purposes (e.g., persuasion,
information, entertainment, literary interpretation, dramatization, personal
expression).
2. Use a variety of organizational strategies (e.g.,
focusing idea, attention getters, clinchers, repetition and transition words).
3. Demonstrate effective delivery strategies (e.g., eye
contact, body language, volume, intonation, articulation) when speaking.
4. Edit drafts of speeches independently and in peer
discussions.
5. Modify oral communications through sensing audience
confusion, and make impromptu revisions in oral presentation (e.g.,
summarizing, restating, adding illustrations/details).
6.
Use a rubric to
self-assess and improve oral presentations.
A. Active Listening
1. Explore and reflect on ideas while hearing and
focusing attentively.
2. Listen skillfully to distinguish emotive and
persuasive rhetoric.
3. Demonstrate appropriate listener response to ideas in
a persuasive speech, oral interpretation of a literary selection, or scientific
or educational presentation.
B. Listening Comprehension
1. Listen to summarize, make judgments, and evaluate.
2. Evaluate the credibility of a speaker.
3. Determine when propaganda and argument are used in
oral forms.
4.
Listen and
respond appropriately to a debate.
A. Constructing Meaning from Media
1. Understand that messages are representations of social
reality and vary by historic time periods and parts of the world.
2. Identify and evaluate how a media product expresses
the values of the culture that produced it.
3. Identify and select media forms appropriate for the
viewer’s purpose.
B. Visual and Verbal Messages
1. Analyze media for stereotyping (e.g., gender,
ethnicity).
2. Compare and contrast three or more media sources.
C. Living with Media
1. Use print and electronic media texts to explore human
relationships, new ideas, and aspects of culture (e.g., racial prejudice,
dating, marriage, family, and social institutions).
2. Determine influences on news media based on existing
political, historical, economical, and social contexts (e.g., importance of
audience feedback).
3.
Recognize that
creators of media and performances use a number of forms, techniques, and
technologies to convey their messages.
Curriculum Description
UNIT 1 - THE SHORT
STORY
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Read various short stories with fluency and comprehension. (R.3.1.D.3)
2. Use rhythm, flow, meter and pronunciation when reading. (R.3.1.D.2)
3. Identify, assess and apply personal reading strategies. (R.3.1.E.1)
4. Identify, describe, evaluate and synthesize central ideas in text. (R.3.1.G.1)
5. Demonstrate personal style and voice effectively to support the purpose and engage the audience of a piece of writing. (W.3.2.D.7)
6. Edit for spelling, usage, clarity and fluency. (W.3.2.A.4)
7. Edit drafts of speeches. (S.3.3.D.4)
8. Speak for various purposes. (S.3.3.D.1)
9. Practice visualizing techniques before, during and after reading. (R.3.1.E.2)
10. Use word origins and context clues to understand specialized vocabulary. (R.3.1.F.1)
11. Compare literary traditions with contemporary works. (R.3.1.G.4)
Approximate Duration to Teach: six weeks
Activities:
- Write an alternative ending to “American History” or “The Most Dangerous Game.” Use dialogue and details showing how characters feel and think. Make sure your ending meets these criteria:
· It flows logically out of earlier events
· It is consistent with your understanding of the characters
· It provides a satisfactory resolution to the conflict
(R.3.1.D.3, R.3.1.G.1, R.3.1.E.1, W.3.2.A.4, W.3.2.C.7)
- Choose a character from a short story and write and deliver a speech from the point of view of that character. Language and tone should be appropriate to audience and purpose. (R.3.1.D.3, R.3.1.E.1, R.3.1.G.1, S.3.3.D.4, S.3.3.D.1)
- Work in groups to read a story aloud, make inferences as you read, and analyze literary elements. (R.3.1.D.3, R.3.1.D.2, R.3.1.G.1, R.3.1.E.2)
- Write a brief news story about Ulrich and Georg’s experience in “The Interlopers” or Della and Jim’s experience in “The Gift of the Magi.” Focus on the questions Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Include vocabulary words from the stories in your news articles.
(R.3.1.G.1, W.3.2.A.4, R.3.1.E.2, R.3.1.F.1)
-
In an essay, compare and contrast the way the
setting in each story (“The Man to Send Rain Clouds” and “Old Man of the
· How do the characters in each story live?
· What cultural values and beliefs are present in each story?
· Does the setting itself cause or somehow affect the events that take place in each story?
·
Do any of the characters change their thinking
or behavior because of the setting?
(R.3.1.D.3, W.3.2.A.4, W.3.2.C.7, R.3.1.G.4)
List of texts,
resources and/or literature:
This unit may include, but not be limited to, the following:
|
·
American
History, Judith Ortiz Cofer |
|
·
Blues
Ain’t No Mockin Bird. Toni Cade Bambara |
|
·
Checkouts,
Cynthia Rylant |