English 1

In the ninth grade, students complete a review of English grammar and current usage, punctuation and capitalization, and they undertake a formal study of vocabulary. Students are required to write on a regular basis — usually short pieces on topics that touch their lives — and to write often in response to the literature in both short and extended essays. Students continue to learn the writing process that includes prewriting techniques, the revision process, proofreading and the production of presentational text. Students are also schooled in the art of clear, well-organized, timed writing, a condition that requires compression of the writing process protocols. Students will be given practice in the three modes of writing: personal narrative, persuasive writing, and informative writing. Students learn the elements of library research, and they begin to learn the techniques of oral communication through formal reports and panel discussions.

Required/Recommended Units:

*Summer Reading – to be announced

Journal Writing,

Grammar and Usage

Multi-Cultural Literature (e.g. Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman)

The Writing Process: Letter perfect paragraph-length pieces (several per report period)

Modern Drama (e.g. Raisin in the Sun)

Vocabulary (from context or more formalized)

Original Skits (by students)

Introduction to the research process

Oral Presentations (memorization suggested)

Narrative Poetry (e.g. The Highwayman

Short Fiction (e.g. The Speckled Band, The Lottery)

Greek and Roman Mythology

Romeo and Juliet or A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream

The Odyssey

Home Reading (at least four selections such as Light in the Forest, When the Legends Die, Fahrenheit 451, Farewell to Manzanar, The Time Machine, Ender’s Game)