Traditional English 9 is designed to improve students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to prepare them for life and the Literature Keystone Test. The course will allow students to increase understanding and usage of standard written English. Students will encounter challenging texts in order to increase reading comprehension and literary analysis skills. Students will compose a variety of written works to gain competence in developing, organizing, revising, and editing compositions. The course will require students to compose and perform a speech to their peers. Finally, the course promotes critical thinking and social awareness through questioning and discussion.

COURSEWORK

Books and Novels:

            Prentice Hall Literature (Grade Nine), including Romeo and Juliet

            Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar (Grade Nine)

            Call of the Wild by Jack London

            Night by Elie Wiesel

Grammar

            Parts of speech

            Phrases and clauses

            Punctuation

            Usage

Writing

            Paragraph construction

            Essays-persuasive, expository, and narrative

            Literary analysis

            Poetry

            Speech

GRADING SYSTEM

Grades are earned through class work, homework, quizzes, exams, compositions, and participation. Students are given points for participation and organization. If they arrive without all of their materials they lose points. If students volunteer throughout the nine weeks, they can earn participation points.