Ninth grade literature and composition is a required course for all students. Students must pass the course to receive credit. Please work with your child to ensure they can meet the class expectations and complete all work on time.
This course focuses on a study of literary genres; the students develop initial understanding of both the structure and the meaning of a literary work through close reading analyses. Students explore the effect of the literary form in regards to interpretation. Students will read across the curriculum to develop academic and personal interests in different subjects. While the focus is technical writing in ninth grade literature, the student will also demonstrate competency in a variety of writing genres: narrative, expository, persuasive, and technical. Students will engage in research, timed writings, and the writing process. Instruction in language conventions will occur within the context of reading, writing, and speaking, rather than in isolation. Students will demonstrate an understanding of listening, speaking, and viewing skills for a variety of purposes. This course will reflect the Georgia performance standards.
We will cover three main units throughout the year based on literature.
Unit 1 - The Odyssey - Introduction
Unit 2: Defining Courage in Justice and Equality
Unit 3: Drama: Understanding the Paradoxes of Love and Language
This course focuses on a study of literary genres; the students develop initial understanding of both the structure and the meaning of a literary work through close reading analyses. Students explore the effect of the literary form in regards to interpretation. Students will read across the curriculum to develop academic and personal interests in different subjects. While the focus is technical writing in ninth grade literature, the student will also demonstrate competency in a variety of writing genres: narrative, expository, persuasive, and technical. Students will engage in research, timed writings, and the writing process. Instruction in language conventions will occur within the context of reading, writing, and speaking, rather than in isolation. Students will demonstrate an understanding of listening, speaking, and viewing skills for a variety of purposes. This course will reflect the Georgia performance standards.
We will cover three main units throughout the year based on literature.
Unit 1 - The Odyssey - Introduction
Unit 2: Defining Courage in Justice and Equality
Unit 3: Drama: Understanding the Paradoxes of Love and Language
Unit 1 News: (Aug. 18- Oct. break) Next week, we will begin working through Thematic Unit 1: Heroes & Journeys with the major unit text of The Odyssey by Homer. The summative unit coursework will be comprised of 3 items: a unit test, a culminating essay, and the unit journals (a long term, major writing assignment- see the other handout passed out during Curriculum Night). These items represent the bulk of your student’s grade for this unit. The due dates for all of these items as well as every unit assignment are posted on the class website (see below). Please view the class website (URL information below) and see posted attachments for further details.
Unit 2 News: (Oct. 13- Dec. 5) The major unit of the semester is entitled Thematic Unit 2: Defining Courage in Justice & Equality. There will be 2 extended texts to read during this unit: Animal Farm by George Orwell and an independently read nonfiction autobiography selected by your child. In addition to these extended texts, we will also read and analyze several shorter historical, nonfiction texts in class as well. Please visit the class website for a copy of the Unit 2 Syllabus, which will be available as of October 2 (the last Thursday of school before the October break begins). Additionally, the due dates for all of the Unit 2 assignments will be posted on the class website by the first day of the unit.