519-938-9355
COURSE OUTLINE
www.ugdsb.on.ca/westside
COURSE: GRADE 9 ACADEMIC ENGLISH (ENG1D)
TEACHER: A. WILLOUGHBY
PROGRAM LEADER: A. WILLOUGHBY
WEBSITE: To Be Announced
PHONE EXT.:
EMAIL:
Course Description:
This course is designed to develop the oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for
success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyse literary texts from
contemporary and historical periods, interpret informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a
variety of forms. An important focus will be on the use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. The course is
intended to prepare students for the Grade 10 academic English course, which leads to university or college preparation courses
in Grades 11 and 12.
Prerequisite: None
Curriculum Expectations:
Oral Communication
1. Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of
purposes;
2. Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a
variety of purposes;
3. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and
the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations.
Reading and Literature Studies
1. Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a
range of strategies to construct meaning;
2. Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate
understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
3. Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies
they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.
Writing
1. Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and
audience;
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms
and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
3. Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language
conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies
they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.
Media Studies
1. Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and
techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
3. Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms,
conventions, and techniques;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for
improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.
Instructional Strategies:
Westside teaching staff will use a variety of instructional strategies to help students develop and improve skills in the following
areas: character, citizenship, communication, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, and creativity
and imagination.
Assessment and Evaluation:
Each unit will have one or more major culminating assignments. As well, the students will be required to submit a final
culminating activity at the end of the semester.
● When a student has not submitted a summative evaluation, then a mark of zero may be assigned, and the teacher will
use professional judgment to determine the impact on the overall report card.
● Consequences of cheating and plagiarism may include academic penalties (e.g. loss of marks up to loss of full marks redo
all or part of the work) and/or disciplinary action. See school website for complete policy.
● Oral presentations must be completed within the assigned presentation schedule, otherwise students will be given one
more opportunity to present for a completion mark only.
● Conferencing, as an assessment strategy, is of paramount important to student success in this course.
Late Work
Students are expected to complete all assigned work and submit it by the teacher's established due date. Every attempt will be
made to encourage students to complete all assigned work on time so their grade represent their actual achievement. Should a
student submit work past the due date, a late mark penalty will be assigned. All summative assessments must be submitted for
course credit. Please see Westside's Assessment and Evaluation Policy for more details.
The strands of Literature Studies and Reading, Writing, Language and Media Studies, will each be evaluated within the following
achievement categories as outlined by the Ministry Guidelines:
25%
Knowledge and Understanding
25%
Thinking
25%
Communication
25%
Application
● Term work will be worth 70% of the final mark.
● The ISU (15%) and final examination (15%) will be worth 30% in total of the final mark.
TERM WORK
WORTH (70%)
Unit of Study
Summative Evaluations
Enduring Understandings: Figurative Language
& Idea Development
→ Authors manipulate texts for an
1. Unit Test
intended purpose
→ Writing is a multi-step process
2. Paragraph Writing and Presentation
Enduring Understandings: The Book Thief
→ Conflict is essential for human
development
→ All stories teach or entertain
→ The thesis is the driving force of an
essay
→ Stories reflect our lives & deal with
universal themes
1. Unit Test
Enduring Understandings: A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
→ Drama is purposeful performance
1. Unit Test
2. Essay
→ Drama is a reflection of our lives
FINAL SUMMATIVE
WORTH (30%)
ISU
Individual Study Unit
Students will read a novel independently and complete the reading process
notes throughout the semester. To be successful, they will complete the
presentation process and present (15%).
Exam
Students are required to apply their knowledge about the Big Ideas to the
various texts studied throughout the semester (15%).
Other Information:
i) It is the student’s responsibility to speak directly with the teacher before handing in a late assignment. Students may have late
marks deducted at the teacher’s discretion.
ii) All essays and assignments must be submitted as a hardcopy to the teacher. Summative assessments must be uploaded to
www.turnitin.com. Marked assignments with comments will not be returned until the assignment has been submitted.
iii) Students are expected to return their books in the condition they received them. Otherwise the following replacement costs will
apply:
The Book Thief = $17
A Midsummer Night’s Dream = $30
ISU (cost depends on the book borrowed)
I have read and understand the course outline and expectations:
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Signature:________________________________
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