School District of Springfield Township

A SNAPSHOT: GRADE 9 LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading Standards
Writing and Grammar Standards
Speaking and Listening Standard
Research Standard

(A Pennsylvania State Standards-Based Curriculum)

A Snapshot of Grade 9 Language Arts

Theme: The Hero and The Odyssey

Sample Essential Questions Explored Through The Literature Selections

How does a writer bring a character to life?
How can a reader determine and articulate an author’s theme?
What is meant by a “personal odyssey” or a “spiritual odyssey”?
What causes an individual to embark on an odyssey?
What was it like to live in Shakespeare’s England?
What makes the tragedy of two “star-crossed” lovers universal?
How does poetry speak to the eye, ear, the heart, and to the mind?
How can one become an effective public speaker?

Texts—Classics, Contemporary Classics, Young Adult Fiction The Odyssey, The Power of Myth, To Be A Hero, Beowulf, Romeo and Juliet, The Crazy Horse Electric Game, The Natural, Great Expectations, The Bean Trees, as well as Literature Circle selections, selected non-fiction, short stories, and poems.

Note: Students must complete Pre-requisite Reading—see current list online at www.sdst.org/shs.

By the end of the grade 9 experience, students KNOW…

Literary concepts: Shakespeare’s context, the archetypal hero and his journey

CAN…

speak formally with confidence and incorporate multi-media identify structures and themes in novels, plays, and poetry write a basic, thesis-driven expository essay

Note: Beginning in 2004-2005, all students will take Integrated Language Arts 9 for a full year. (A pilot course was initiated in 2003-2004.) Integrated Language Arts combines and takes the place of one semester of Language Arts and one semester of Communication Arts.

Reading Standards

Student reads independently to understand, interpret, and respond to a wide range of texts.

Student reads informational texts critically to solve problems, make decisions, and draw conclusions.

Student analyzes and interprets literature across experiences, societies, eras.

In grade 9, students refine reading comprehension and literature interpretation through

individual and collaborative study of literature, kinesthetic activities, and Sadlier Oxford Vocabulary Series, Level D and Contextual Vocabulary Study

The Reading Standards In Action

Sample 9th Grade Class Activities Exercises, anticipation guides, carousels, read-alouds, K-W-L, brainstorming, reading responses, portrait gallery, Learning Log, peer reviews and edits, informal and formal presentations, performance, Literature Circles, roundtable discussions, fishbowls, jigsaw activities, wordplay, collaborative quotation analysis, Renaissance Faire, self-selected reading during sustained silent reading, learning centers, differentiated instruction

Sample Indicators of Effective 9th Grade Reading Behaviors:

Pictures, predicts, and connects while reading
Notes important names, dates, events, places, and details (who, what, when, where, how)
Looks for patterns
Distinguishes between general and specific
Clarifies meaning of text through graphic organizers (T-chart, Venn diagram), outlines, notes, summaries
Identifies poetic devices
Cites evidence to support views
Evaluates author strategies in language, technique, and meaning
Compares and contrasts text to other texts, own experiences, and larger contexts

Essential Learning Prompted by Reading Standards:

Student reads and responds to a variety of texts and genres of quality and complexity. The Sadlier Oxford program, level D offers acquisition of 300 new vocabulary words to provide students with increased vocabulary to support reading skill.

Writing and Grammar Standards

Student writes effectively. Effective writing includes making writing choices appropriate to audience and purpose; using writing process (pre-write, draft, revise, proofread and edit, publish); and controlling focus, content, organization, style, and conventions.

Student increases grammatical competencies.

The Writing/Grammar Standards in Action

Sample 9th Grade Class Activities

In grade 9 students develop writing and grammatical competencies through: Frequent formal and informal writing assignments Process writing and writing on demand (in class essays) Expository format (5 paragraph essay)—e.g., compare/contrast Personal narrative—e.g., a personal odyssey Creative modes—e.g., character sketch, poem Peer review and peer edit collaboration

Mini-lessons: daily oral grammar review and practice of parts of speech and parts of sentence developing structure and support

Differentiated instruction Learning centers

Sample Indicators of Effective 9th Grade Writing and Grammar Behaviors:

Uses writing terminology of PA Writing Assessment domains to discuss writing issues; pays attention to audience and purpose for writing
Follows expository format: introduction/thesis, body, conclusion—creates a narrow focus, uses transitions, includes sufficient support, develops detailed support (specific and concrete details)
Shows rather than tells
Develops awareness of the importance of using conventions of English correctly— seeks correctness
Punctuates quotations correctly
Uses in-text documentation (author and page) correctly
Identifies and uses correctly parts of a sentence and their function(s)
Identifies and uses correctly parts of speech

Essential Learning Prompted by Writing and Grammar Standards:

Students understand that the process of writing is as important as the product itself. The metacognitive awareness of the writer’s choices and how those choices affect the reader help students take greater care in both content and mechanics. Students and teachers use the PA Writing Assessment rubric domains for assessment and instruction.

Speaking and Listening Standard

Student demonstrates speaking, listening, and discussion skills.

The Speaking and Listening Standard in Action

Sample 9th Grade Class Activities In grade 9 students improve their speaking and listening skills through collaborative learning assignments; demonstrating strategies; participating in roundtables, fishbowls, Literature Circles; role play such as acting out passages; performances; interviewing; Renaissance Faire projects; Greek Festival presentations; informal presentations; self-evaluation of videotaped speeches; multi-media presentations. Students use technology to enhance their presentations (e.g., PowerPoint, digital photography, Microsoft Publisher).

Sample Indicators of Effective 9th Grade Speaking and Listening Behaviors:

Developing ability to monitor own listening behaviors—awareness of under- or over-participation
o Responds to ideas of others by agreeing, furthering, questioning, validating, providing examples, etc.
Selects, develops, and uses media of different types
Participates as a speaker and/or listener through everyday conversation, interviews, class discussions, small group discussions, informal debates, complex directions, and explanations
Works effectively for group presentations—plans, shares workload, communicates, rehearses, executes, reflects
Masters confidence in speaking before the class; understands that preparation and rehearsal are keys to confident presentation

Essential Learning Prompted By Speaking/Listening Standard:

Effective communication through speaking and listening is a life skill. Students learn to listen critically and to speak cogently, to respond to ideas and synthesize them in a discussion, to present ideas formally and informally, and to stand before a group and present information or artistic expression with confidence and clarity. One aspect of the Senior Seminar graduation requirement demands proficiency in presenting to an audience.

Research Standard

Student researches by gathering and synthesizing information from reference materials and communicating the knowledge gained (See also Reading Standards).

The Research Standard in Action

Sample 9th Grade Class Activities

In grade 9 students use the research process as the basis of formal presentations. Mini-

lessons and practice include: note-taking and documentation formats paraphrase/summary/and quotation activities how to avoid plagiarism writing an outline

(For details about the research process and documentation format, consult the School District of Springfield Township Research Guide online at www.sdst.org/shs/library.)

Sample Indicators of Effective 9th Grade Research Behaviors:

Researches question, thesis, hypothesis
Understands that research is a process of locating, weighing, synthesizing, and documenting information
Uses effective strategies as instructed for locating valid information
Weighs credibility, bias, and usefulness of information
Paraphrases effectively and selects supportive quotations appropriately
Uses technology skills in accessing, organizing, storing, analyzing, evaluating, and reporting information and conclusions
Documents the words and ideas of others accurately

Essential Learning prompted by the Research Standard:

Students learn and practice the lifelong tools and skills of effective inquiry: posing questions, locating and identifying reliable sources, note taking, organizing information, synthesizing, documenting sources, and reflecting on the effectiveness of the process. The Language Arts Research Standard forms the level of expectation across the curriculum, and the Senior Seminar requirement for graduation demands accomplished research skills.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

How does the LA curriculum prepare my son/daughter for the PSSA and PSAT/SAT tests?

Answer: The scope and sequence of the 9-12 curriculum backmaps sequentially from the expectations of these standardized tests. The curriculum focuses on comprehension strategies for effective reading of a variety of texts and genres. It also emphasizes the expository format for writing that students use across the curriculum. Diagnostic testing such as the ERB and MAP tests help teachers differentiate classroom instruction to fit the needs of each student. Finally, practice and specific test-taking strategies, as well as using test language in the classroom, help students become test savvy.

What books are required for the pre-requisite reading that all students must complete before the course begins?

Answer: We periodically review and refine our lists; while the lists have not changed significantly over the last few years, we do make changes. Consult the current lists posted on our web page at www.sdst.org/shs. Additionally, we send home a copy of each grade’s list with the report card in June. It is important that you urge your son/daughter to complete this requirement because s/he will be assessed on the reading during the first week of class. We encourage students to keep a reading log for a memory aid; students will be allowed to consult the log during assessment of their reading.

What can parents/caregivers do to help?

Answer: There are several things that parents/caregivers can do to encourage and support learning:

1—Set clear expectations for completion of homework and long-range assignments. Help your son/daughter to develop a plan to schedule all of the demands on his/her time.

2—Make sure that your son/daughter completes the pre-requisite reading and encourage him/her to keep a reading log.

3—Encourage the ethical use of information in your son’s/daughter’s work.

4—Contact your son’s/daughter’s teacher by telephone or e-mail if you need clarification of course expectations, assignment details, and/or to give the teacher any important information about your child. Make sure that your son/daughter understands that you and the teacher are working together for his/her best achievement.