• Special Class English 9 Course Outline

    Mrs. Hoyt

    Voice Mail:  256-4175

    dhoyt@newpaltz.k12.ny.us


    Welcome to New Paltz High School! 

     

    Grade 9 Reading Goals

    • Reading for pleasure 

    • Close reading – textual analysis (non-fiction, poetry, novels, plays)

    • Understanding the variety of texts, such as texts that inform, express, analyze, inquire, or persuade. 

    • Understanding Rhetoric – analysis of purpose (ethos, pathos and logos)

    • Understanding why reading is important.

    • Self-evaluating – what do I like to read and why? What am I good at reading? Why do I struggle with certain types of texts?



    Sustained Silent Reading

     Our lives are very busy and it is easy to become too busy to read, so we will build time into our class for independent reading. Hopefully you have some books in mind. If not, no worries, we will visit our school library, which is filled with incredible books! 

     

    Below are some of the readings for ninth grade English. We may not get to all of these works. 

     

    •  Short Stories

    • The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (drama)

    • Night by Elie Wiesel

    • The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater 

    • Poetry   - 

    • SSR – sustained silent reading 

     

    Grade 9 Writing Goals

    • Understanding why we write

    • Learning when, why and how to elaborate

    • Experimenting with all kinds of writing without repercussions

    • Practicing and formalizing many forms of writing 

    • Self-evaluating – what works for you? It’s not one size fits all.

    • Revisiting grammar and punctuation rules

    • SELF EDITING

    The Writer’s Notebook –

     This notebook is a place for you to write without worrying about your grade. This is where you will play around with writing, experiment with different styles and take risks. The writer’s notebook can be your safe haven; it can be a home where you can begin to develop the habits of mind – seeing, thinking, expressing, and reacting to the world. 



    Vocabulary & Grammar
    Vocabulary is the basis of all languages; it is how we express ourselves and share our feelings.  The more words you know the more you understand. We will have vocabulary lists and we will have quizzes weekly throughout the school year. 



    Materials

    1. Composition notebook to be used as your Writer’s Notebook

    2. One three-ring binder with a folder to keep all of your hand outs.



    Grading Policy 

    Your grade for this class will be made up of several factors.

    Responsibility- Show up on time and be prepared to work. 

    Homework - We will not have homework every day, but when we do it is expected that you will complete it and bring it with you to the next class.  

    Quick check – We will have quick checks throughout the year and they are based on the work we are completing. These points cannot be made up.

    SSR –  When we begin it is expected that you will bring your book and read it during our scheduled time.

    Short writing assignments - 

    Reading checks-   If I assign reading homework, you will most likely have a multiple choice reading check the next class.  The reading checks will assess whether or not you read the chapters.  If you read, you should do very well!

    Tests- These will be announced and you will know what you are expected to know. 

    Essays - These will include the entire writing process and we will be rewriting pieces to improve our writing. 

    Participation- We have a small class and participation is necessary for us to share ideas and learn from each other.



























     
Last Modified on September 9, 2022