Grade 9 Seminar

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar Course Description

GRADE 9 SEMINAR

This half-year grade-nine seminar is designed to give incoming freshmen a set of learning tools and methods that will ease their transition from middle school to high school and serve them throughout the high school years. Students will apply content knowledge from English, history, math, science, and other disciplines to investigate real world problems through project based learning. This interdisciplinary course, offered at the advanced level, is designed as a heterogeneous classroom. Research skills and technology utilization are also focused on in this course. The technology focus in this course counts towards that aspect of the Performance Graduation Requirements.

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar: Reading and Responding

Objectives:

Students read, comprehend and respond in individual, literal, critical and evaluative ways to literary, informational and persuasive texts in multimedia formats. Students use appropriate strategies before, during and after reading in order to construct a meaning. Students interpret, analyze and evaluate text in order to extend understanding and appreciation. Students communicate with others to create interpretations of written and visual texts. Students recognize that readers and authors are influenced by individual, social, cultural and historical contexts.

Essential Questions:

Why is it important to cite sources when presenting student work? What is the difference between collaboration and cheating on student work? How can an individual prevent bullying? What is the impact of bullying on social and emotional health? What are the differences between middle school and high school? How will these differences impact me on a daily basis? How do I access high school resources to meet the challenges I will face? What is the difference between a job and a career? How do I find, attain, maintain, and leave a job? How can school help me find a job or pursue a career? What does it mean to have a work ethic?

Grade Level Expectations

(These are based upon the Connecticut Standards for Language Arts 9-12. Bold items represent the power standards that will be emphasized in this grade level.)

Forming a General Understanding

Activate prior knowledge, establish purpose for reading and adjust the purposes while reading. Determine and apply the most effective means of monitoring comprehension and apply the appropriate strategies. Select and organize relevant information from the text to summarize. Identify, use, and analyze text structures. Draw conclusions and use evidence to substantiate them by using texts heard, read and viewed. Make and justify inferences from explicit and or implicit information.

Instructional Strategies Evidence of Learning

 Differentiated instruction - *TL  Mini-lessons - *TL  Teacher modeling - *TL  Teacher “Think-

Aloud”  Teacher/student conferences - *TL  Journal responses  CFAs  Timed writing  Group discussions  Multimedia presentations *TL

 Comprehensive exams

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar: Reading and Responding

Grade Level Expectations

(These are based upon the Connecticut Standards for Language Arts 9-12. Bold items represent the power standards that will be emphasized in this grade level.) Developing Interpretation of Non-fiction Texts Generate and respond to questions about the text. Interpret information that is implied in a text. Distinguish between fact and opinion. Make, support and defend judgments about texts. Discuss and respond to texts by making text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to world connections. Identify and discuss the main idea in texts. Respond to the ideas of others and recognize the validity of differing views. Compare/contrast and evaluate ideas or issues in contemporary texts. Create responses to non-fiction texts and examine each work’s contributions to an understanding of human experience across cultures. Analyze and evaluate the basic beliefs, perspectives, biases, and assumptions underlying an author’s work. Evaluate the effectiveness of the choices that authors, illustrators and filmmakers make to express political and social issues. Evaluate electronic and visual sources for accuracy and bias.

Examining Content and Structure

Identify and evaluate the structures of non-fiction texts. Develop and defend multiple responses to non-fiction texts using individual connections and relevant text references. Develop a critical stance and cite textual evidence to support the stance.

Instructional Strategies Evidence of Learning

 Guided reading  Small-group discussions - *TL  Independent reading  Shared reading  Note-taking  Journal responses  Flexible groupings  Interactive readaloud  Pair and Share  Teacher/student developed rubrics  Collaborative group activities - *TL  Classroom debates  Multimedia presentation - *TL  Graphic organizers  Socratic seminars  Simulation activities  Testing strategies  Research Projects *TL  Guided Reading/  Focused Notes

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar: Written and Oral Expression

Objectives: Students use expository and persuasive modes. Students prepare, publish and/or present work appropriate to audience, purpose and task. Students use knowledge of their language and culture to improve competency in English. Students speak and write using standard language structures and diction appropriate to audience and task. Students use standard English for composing and revising written text.

Grade Level Expectations

Instructional Strategies Evidence of Learning

Use oral language with clarity, voice and fluency to communicate a message.  Oral presentations - *TL  Teacher modeling - *TL  Note-taking  Process writing  Free-writes  Graphic organizers  Generating topics  Guided writing lessons  Collaborative writing - *TL  Shared writing  School-wide Rubrics  Peer/teacher conferences - *TL  Sharing of student writing  Multimedia presentations - *TL  Noodlebib - *TL  PowerPoint - *TL  Oral presentations Listen to or read a variety of non-fiction sources to use as models for writing in  Writing drafts expository and persuasive modes.  Timed writing Use the appropriate features of persuasive and expository writing with a focus  Multimedia on: presentations - *TL a. incorporating interpretive commentary.  CFAs b. checking for coherence.  Project c. implementing effective topic sentences. presentation - *TL d. using a variety of appropriate introductions and conclusion formats. e. adding elaboration in body paragraphs with relevant textual evidence, details and examples. Determine purpose, point of view and audience, and choose an appropriate written or visual format. Apply the most effective processes to create and present a written or visual piece. Cooperatively revise texts for organization, elaboration, fluency, coherency, and clarity with a focus on:  writing topic sentences using key words or synonyms from the thesis.  reordering the argument in a way appropriate for the audience, purpose, and thesis.  using logical transitions between paragraphs to improve fluency and coherence. Research information from multiple sources for a specific purpose.

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar: Written and Oral Expression

Grade Level Expectations Instructional Strategies Evidence of Learning

Evaluate the validity of sources of information to authenticate research.  EXCEL - *TL Use sentence patterns typical of spoken and written language to produce text  Microsoft Office Suite with a focus on using logical order and transitions. - *TL Evaluate the impact of language as related to audience and purpose. Recognize the difference between standard and nonstandard English and use language appropriately. Publish and/or present final products in a myriad of ways, including the use of arts and technology. Demonstrate proficient use of proper mechanics, usage and spelling skills.

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar: Resources

The following resources are available for use with a whole class or in small groups.

Textbooks:

Reader’s Handbook (Great Source) Reader’s Handbook- Student Applications (workbook)

Nonfiction:

Current non-fiction articles Supplemental materials including technology such as Noodletools, PowerPoint, EXCEL, Microsoft Office Suite tools, Internet , school databases.

Films:

Mean Girls Twelve Angry Men Pursuit of Happyness

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM Grade 9 Seminar: Matrix of Expectations

The following matrix is a breakdown of the scope and amount of typical writing and literary experiences as well as the shared benchmarks that all teachers of similar classes will implement.

Major Units Benchmarks and Other Shared Assessments

Reading

 Ethics  Citizenship  Orientation  School to Career

Non-fiction reading (updated)

Reader’s Inc. - supplemental MLA skill development Interdisciplinary Project Teen Issue Brochure Bill of Rights PowerPoint EXCEL spreadsheet Minimum of Four CFAs for nonfiction reading Mock job Interview

Writing

Homework Expectations Major Modes and Skills

Argumentative essays Journals Responses to reading nonfiction Project based writing that reflects research/MLA citation Desktop publishing – Microsoft template/Publisher EXCEL Interdisciplinary Project Teen Issue Brochure

Benchmarks and Other Shared Assessments

Homework as an extension of assigned class projects. Students are expected to manage long-term assignments independently.

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