Overview of Units

Overview of Units

COURSE DESCRIPTION Over the course of the year, we will examine a variety of works of literature as we inquire: What makes a good story? And, how do stories help us learn about ourselves? As we examine these questions and the related literature, we will work toward improving your skills in the areas of reading, writing, critical thinking, collaboration, and organization; building these skills will help you succeed throughout high school and beyond.

COURSE INQUIRY QUESTIONS: What makes a good story? How do stories help us learn about ourselves?

Unit 1: Summer Reading (September, approximately 2 weeks)

Inquiry Questions: When stories follow familiar patterns (archetypes), does that make them more or less interesting? Is “coming of age” the same thing as “growing up”?

Texts: Pop by Gordan Korman; Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skills:

• Coming of Age Archetype
• Theme

Students will be able to:

• identify and evaluate elements of an archetype
• choose appropriate examples make inferences about theme collaborate

Unit 2: House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (October, approx 4 weeks)

Inquiry Questions: Why do good writers use imagery and figurative language? How do we overcome challenges as we come of age?

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skills:

• Imagery (6 types)
• Personification
• Metaphor
• Simile
• Archetypes

Students will be able to:

• use the six habits of successful readers to annotate a text identify types of imagery and figurative language
• make inferences about the effect of imagery and figurative language
• use imagery and figurative language in their own writing to create tone/emotional impact

Unit 3: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (Nov-Dec, approx 6 weeks)

Inquiry Questions: Why do good writers use symbols (and symbolic allegories)? What makes people good and evil?

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skills:

• symbols
• allegory
• paragraph structure
• Multi-paragraph essay structure
• essay writing process and expectations

Students will be able to:

• annotate a text with a focus on tracing a symbol throughout a novel
• identify appropriate textual evidence & make inferences about implicit meaning
• draw a conclusion about the use of a symbol and express that complex idea in a concise and precise thesis statement
• support and explain argument in a multi-paragraph essay

Unit 4: Poetry (Jan-Feb, approx 5 weeks)

Inquiry Questions: How and why to poets create tone? Why do people choose poetry as a form of self-expression?

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skills:

• tone poetic structures & devices
• research skills
• MLA documentation

Students will be able to:

• read & annotate poems
• make inferences about tone research a poet’s life & analyze his/her work
• synthesize and present information and ideas in an organized and compelling way

Unit 5: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (March-April, approx 6 weeks)

Inquiry Questions: Why do some writers use first-person, unreliable narrators? How do we find a place for ourselves in the world when we find the world unappealing?

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skills:

• unreliable narration
• tone
• motifs
• subtext

Students will be able to:

• annotate a text with a focus on analyzing character development
• identify appropriate textual evidence & make inferences about implicit meaning
• draw a conclusion about a character and express that complex idea in a concise and precise thesis statement
• support and explain argument in a multi-paragraph essay

Unit 6: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (May-June, approx 6 weeks)

Inquiry Questions: Can old literature still be relevant today? How do the values of youth and age conflict?

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skill:

• theme
• Shakespeare’s style & structure
• irony
• Shakespeare’s imagery & figurative language
• subtext

Students will be able to:

• use various strategies to closely read challenging text
• compare & contrast original text to performances and adaptations
• identify and explain examples of the three types of irony
• identify appropriate textual evidence & make inferences about implicit meaning

Outside Reading Books: (ongoing and unlimited throughout the year)

Students will independently choose and read at least three books from the 9th grade outside reading book list. Three times during the year, I will ask students to complete an assignment related to an ORB.

Inquiry Questions: Why do writers put their characters into conflict? As we come of age, how do we overcome challenges?

Targeted ELA knowledge & concepts Targeted Skills:

• types of conflict
• plot diagram
• theme

Students will be able to:

• identify the primary conflict in an outside reading book
• locate where the conflict develops in the five stages of plot development: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
• make inferences about the theme communicated through the resolution of conflict
• identify appropriate textual evidence & make inferences about implicit meaning
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