District 11 Educational Support Services
Literacy & Language Arts
Grade 9, English 1 & 2 Yearly Overview
Course Number: EN.ENG1

Overview

By the end of grade nine, students will have read and discussed a variety of literary works and expository essays. They will have the opportunity to explore their own lives in their personal narratives -- learning about effective narrative structure, reflecting on their lives, and sharing their writings with different audiences. Students will also explore a variety of literature and write literary analyses for different works including fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. To prepare to be effective communicators in the 21st century, students will also write persuasive essays -- commentaries, proposals, problem-solution analyses -- for a variety of audiences and purposes.  The freshman year in English focuses on building a sophisticated appreciation for the literature of the world and building the foundation for the increasing demands of the high school curriculum. 

i English is an option for students who want something other than a traditional English course.  Click here for the i English courses.


Course Length: 2  Period Length: 1  Grade Level:  9-12  Credit per Semester: 1
Additional Credit Information: 9 Credit per Semester: 1.0 (English requirement or Elective)

For Teachers
Quarter 1 2
Quarter 3  4
Next Course

Standards

Quarter 1: Personal Narratives

August: Student Assessments/Placement

September: Personal Narratives: What's Your Story?
October: Personal Narratives Part 2

Quarter 2: Literature Studies & Expository Writing
October Unit: Literary Studies and Expository Writing
November Unit:
December Unit:

Quarter 3: The Art of Persuasion

January Unit:
February Unit:
March Unit:

 


Quarter 4: Literacy and Literary Projects

April Unit:
May Unit:

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

  • Different strategies and skills are required to understand a variety of texts.

  • Independent learners use critical thinking skills.

  • An effective communicator knows his/her audience and purpose.

  • An effective communicator uses standard English language rules.

  • The selection and use of relevant information requires evaluating a variety of sources.

  • Literature provides an understanding of human experience.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

  • What is text?

  • How do we apply different strategies and skills to understand a variety of texts?

  • What is critical thinking?

  • How do we think critically in our lives?

  • What is responsible research?

  • What makes information relevant?

  • How do I use information?

  • What is literature?

  • How can we make personal connections through literature?

  • What makes us human?

  Highest Frequency Standards

Reading:

1c. Locate and paraphrase the key/main ideas and supporting details in fiction and poetry
1g. Identify the meaning of unfamiliar words in context using word recognition skills and context clues
4a. Determine author's purpose
4d. Make predictions and draw conclusions from text in various genre
5a. Use organizational features of text
5c. Summarize and organize info about a topic in a variety of ways (graphic organizers, etc.) from various sources
6a. Read and respond to a variety of literature
6b. Identify characters, setting, problem/conflict, plot, resolution, theme, sequence

Writing:

2a. Write in a variety of modes - narrative and descriptive
2b. Organize writing using a logical arrangement of ideas
2g. Develop ideas and content with relevant details, examples, and/or reasons
3a. Identify subject, verb, pronouns, and adjectives.
3c. Write in complete sentences.
3d. Use conventions correctly (end-marks and apostrophes in contractions and singular possessives).
3e. Identify and use conventional spelling.
 

High Frequency Standards

Reading:

1d. Infer using a variety of texts and genre
4b. Use reading to solve a variety of problems and answer questions
4c. Differentiate fact from opinion in a variety of texts
5e. Locate other's ideas, image, or information in a bibliography
5f. Locate meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words
6c. Use knowledge of literary techniques and terminology (dialogue, scene, flashback, figurative language)

Writing:

2c. Use language which supports and enriches the idea.
2d. Plan, draft, revise, and edit for a final copy.
2e. Use transitions to link ideas.
2f. Use a variety of sentence structures.
3b. Use subject/verb agreement, nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, homonyms, and homophones.

Other Standards & E-skills

1a. Compare/contrast different texts with similar themes and ideas
1b. Summarize and synthesize fiction and poetry
1e. Identify sequential order in fiction and poetry
1f. Locate and recall information in text with different structures
4e. Explain the text's main point and use relevant details
5b. Use organizational features of electronic information
5d. Select info to support ideas and justify

Sample Units

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units

  • Quarter 1  
  • Quarter 2  
  • Quarter 3  
  • Quarter 4
     

Parents

 
 

Teacher Resources

 


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