2013-2014 Lauderdale County ELA
9th Curriculum Guide
1st Nine Weeks
Grade: 9
Unit Overview: In this unit, students will analyze fiction and nonfiction. As they read, they will discuss responses
to the unit Big Question: Can truth change?
Unit: Fiction and Nonfiction
Writing Focus: Autobiographical Narrative AND Problem and Solution
Suggested Time Frame: 1st Nine Weeks
The Big Question: Can truth change?
AL COS STANDARDS Reference CC 78-CC 84 in Teacher Text
Reading Literature: 2, 5
Reading Informational Text: 11, 15
Speaking and Litening: 30, 34
Language: 36, 37, 39, 40, 41
Writing: 23, 25, 28
Suggested Activities: Writing – anecdote, critique, autobiographical narrative, journal entry, character profile
Suggested Works: Textbook Unit 1
 Novel at teacher discretion
 “The Washwoman”
 “The Cask of Amontillado”
 “New Directions”
 “Sonata for Harp and Bicycle”
 “My English”
 “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
 Teacher discretion of Unit 1
Language of the Learner:
 Plot
 Foreshadowing
 Point of view
 Author’s voice
 Autobiographical writing
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Character
theme
Grammar:
Nouns
Pronouns
Speaking/Listening Standards:
oral report
interview
retelling
multimedia presentation
scene
2nd Nine Weeks
Unit Overview: In this unit students will analyze short stories and analyze types of nonfiction. As they read, they
will discuss responses to the big questions. Each selection presents students with a reading strategy, a literary
analysis concept, a vocabulary skill, and grammar instruction.
Unit: Unit 2 – short stories and Unit 3 – Types of nonfiction
Writing Focus: Narration – Short Story
Suggested Time Frame: 2nd Nine Weeks
The Big Question: Unit 2 – Is conflict necessary?
Unit 3 – Is knowledge the same as understanding?
AL COS STANSARDS Reference CC 78 – CC 84 in teacher text
Reading Literature: 1,3,4,5
Writing: 22, 23
Speaking and Listening: 31, 33
Language: 36, 41
Suggested Student Activities: Write – short story, alternative ending, news story, write to compare, written
presentation, informal letter, book jacket, script, business letter, abstract
Suggested Works: Units 2 and 3
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novel at teacher discretion
“American History”
“The Most Dangerous Game”
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“The Gift of the Magi”
“The Interlopers”
“A Celebration of Grandfathers”
“On Summer”
“The News”
“Single Room, Earth View”
“NASA”
Language of the Learner:
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Conflict
Irony
Setting
Character
characterization
Dialogue
Symbolism
Allegory
Author’s style
Grammar:
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Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Subject/Predicate
Active/Passive Voice
Direct/Indirect Objects
Predicate Nominatives/Predicate adjectives
Adjectives
Adverbs
Prepositions
Speaking/Listening Standards:
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Speech
Photo essay
Debate
Illustrated report
Monologue
Informative brochure
Panel discussion
Annotated map
Radio News report
3rd Nine Weeks
Unit Overview: Students will analyze poetry and analyze works of drama. As they read, students will discuss
responses to the units big questions. Each selection presents students with a reading strategy, a literary analysis
concept, a vocabulary skill, and grammar instruction.
Unit: Unit 4 Poetry and Unit 5 Drama
Writing Focus: Descriptive Writing
Suggested Time Frame: 3rd Nine Weeks
The Big Question: Unit 4 – How does communication change us?
Unit 5 – Do our differences define us?
AL COS STANDARDS – Reference pages CC78-CC84
Unit 4:
Reading Literature: 2,4,5
Writing: 20, 22, 23
Speaking and Listening: 30, 33, 34
Language: 36, 40
Unit 5:
Reading Literature: 1,2,3,5,7
Writing: 20, 22, 23, 26
Speaking and Listening: 30, 33:
Language: 36, 40, 41
Suggested Student Activities: Write – editorial, detailed description of a scene, poem, how-to essay, letter to
advice columnists, abstract, persuasive letter, write to compare, short play
Suggested Works: Units 4 and 5
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Selected poetry from Unit 4
Romeo and Juliet
Language of the Learner:
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Paraphrase
Summarize
Rhyme
Meter
Figurative language
Dialogue
Stage directions
Blank verse
Irony
Tragedy
Motive
Archetypal theme
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Prepositions
Appositives
Infinitives
Participles
Gerunds
Main clause
Subordinate clause
Grammar:
Speaking/Listening Standards:
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Impromptu speech
Illustrated presentation
Panel discussion
4th Nine Weeks
Unit Overview: In this unit, students will analyze themes in literature as they discuss and respond to the big
question “Do heroes have responsibilities?” Each selection provides students with a reading strategy, a literary
analysis concept, a vocabulary skill, and grammar instruction. This literary unit will be taught in addition to a
research paper per AL COS.
Unit 6: Themes in Literature: Heroism
Writing Focus: Explanatory Text – Technical document; Informative Text – Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
Suggested time frame: 4th Nine Weeks
The Big Question: Do heroes have responsibilities?
AL COS STANDARDS – Reference pages CC78-CC84
Unit 6
Reading Literature: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10
Reading Informational Text: 12, 15, 16, 19
Writing: 21, 21a, 21b, 22, 22a, 22b, 24, 28, 28a, 29
Speaking and Listening: 30a, 30c, 31
Language: 36, 36b, 37, 37a, 37b, 39b, 39c, 40, 40a, 41
Suggested Student Activities: Write – biography of Odysseus, journal entries, letter, research paper (note-taking,
citations, outline, works cited, etc.)
Suggested Works:
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the Odyssey
“Three Skeleton Key”
“Encyclopedia Entry: Detective Story”
Language of the Learner:
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Self-monitoring
Epic hero
Epic simile
Protagonist
Antagonist
Tall tale
Myth
Idioms
Jargon
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Simple and compound sentences
Complex and compound-complex sentences
Revising to correct fragments and run-ons
Using commas and dashes
Colons, semicolons, and ellipsis points
Varying sentence structure and length
Grammar:
Speaking/Listening Standards
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Conversation
Debate
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Oral report
Panel discussion
Comparing media coverage