English 1
Teacher: Sarah Workman
Phone: (270) 628-3800 ext. 4125
Email: sarah.workman@carlisle.kyschools.us
Planning Period: 5th period (11:40-12:30)
I. Title
English 1
II. Course Description
Ninth grade students are required to read at least four novels, determined by teacher at the
beginning of the school year. Non-fiction, short stories, and poetry selections are read and analyzed
both orally and in writing. Emphasis is placed on the reading and writing process. Students are required
to write a personal narrative, fictional short story, informative piece, argumentative piece, and
experiment with other forms of transactive/analytical writing. Grammar usage and mechanics are part
of the writing experience. This is a required course for graduation.
III. Course Objectives
Class activities will be centered on the attainment of the course objectives listed below. These
objectives are understood to be reflective of, but not limited to, those behaviors aligned with the
Kentucky Core Academic Standards (KCAS) for English Language Arts Grades 9-10. Following each
objective, and enclosed in parentheses, are numbers which reference the Kentucky Core Academic
Standards that are addressed by that objective. Upon successful completion of this class, students will
be able to
A. Read and interpret a variety of grade-level appropriate texts (literature and informational) to determine what the
text says explicitly and implicitly, determine central themes or ideas and analyze their development throughout the
text, analyze the impact of the author’s choices, and determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases. (RL.910.1-5, RI.9-10.1-4)
B. Determine an author’s point of view and analyze the development and effectiveness of a presented argument or
topic, with attention given to style, content, and aesthetic. Arguments studied will include seminal U.S. texts such as
the Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” (RL.9-10.6-10, RI.9-10.6-10)
C. Produce clear and coherent writing that addresses and fits the following parameters: write arguments to support
claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence;
write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content; write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
(W.9-10.1-4)
D. Gather evidence from multiple source types including texts studied to effectively evaluate and present a topic or
position on a topic. Students will conduct research as needed, and use the writing process to guide the production of
assigned writing tasks. (W.9-10.5-10)
E. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively. Students will present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and
logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style
are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task, incorporating a variety of media as necessary. (SL.9-10.1-6)
F. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. (L.910.1)
G. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing paying particular attention to the use of semicolons to separate two or more independent clauses and the use
of colons to introduce lists. (L.9-10.2)
H. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading,
writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering
vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression; demonstrate
understanding of figurative language and word relationships. (L.9-10.3-6).
IV. Content Outline
Mrs. Workman reserves the right to modify and refine the instructional units as the year progresses.
Texts to be studied are somewhat tentative and subject to change.
A. Unit 1 – Origins of English, Parts of Speech, Narratives
This unit will cover the origins of the English language, including what it looked like
when it started and how it developed into what it is now. Students will gain a basic
understanding of several forms of figurative language and will also review and identify
parts of speech, especially when the same word is used as different parts of speech
depending on the context of the sentence. Students will also read several narrative
works, review punctuation rules including those for a colon and a semicolon, and will
write personal narratives.
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“New Directions,” Maya Angelou
“The Girl Who Can,” Ama Ata Aidoo
“My English,” Julia Alvarez
“On Summer,” Lorraine Hansberry
“The Talk,” Gary Soto
“Go Deep to the Sewer,” Bill Cosby
B. Unit 2 – Explanatory Writing
This unit will cover the basics of informative/explanatory writing. Students will read
several examples of explanatory writing in preparation for writing and delivering a
Demonstration Speech.
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“The News,” Neil Postman
“Single Room, Earth View,” Sally Ride
“Space Shuttle Basics,” NASA
C. Unit 3 – Fiction/Short Stories
This unit will focus on fictional writing and will culminate in each student writing a short
story.
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“The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe
“The Most Dangerous Game,” Richard Connell
“The Interlopers,” Saki
“The Necklace,” Guy de Maupassant
“The Golden Kite, The Silver Wind,” Ray Bradbury
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” James Thurber
D. Unit 4 – Poetry and Phrases
This unit will focus on poetry and increasing student knowledge of phrases. Students
will create their own poetry including haikus, sonnets, and free verse poems. Students
will also learn to identify participles and participial phrases, appositives and appositive
phrases, and identify and classify gerunds, gerund phrases, infinitives, and infinitive
phrases.
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Dream Deferred, Dreams, Langston
Hughes
“Hope” is the thing with feathers,
Emily Dickinson
Analysis of Baseball, May Swenson
Slam, Dunk, & Hook, Yusef
Komunyakaa
Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll
Blackberry Eating, Galway Kinnell
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I Hear America Singing, Walt
Whitman
Casey at the Bat, Ernest Lawrence
Thayer
Fifteen, William Stafford
The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe
Three Haiku, Baso and Chiyojo
Sonnets on Love XIII, Jean de
Sponde
Sonnet 30, William Shakespeare
E. Unit 5 – Drama (Romeo and Juliet)
This unit will focus on drama, specifically William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Students will gain an understanding of the plot, as well as how the story itself is
applicable to their lives today.
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Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
F. Unit 6 - Heroism
This unit will focus on the theme of heroism in literature and will include various
classical works of literature. Students will also be required to complete a short research
assignment regarding various topics in “The Odyssey.”
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“The Odyssey, Parts 1 and 2,” Homer
“The Red-Headed League,” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
“Three Skeleton Key,” George G. Toudouze
“Perseus,” Edith Hamilton
“Theseus and the Minotaur
V. Instructional Activities
A variety of instructional activities will be used in this course including inquiry learning,
reflective journaling, classroom discussion and presentations.
One novel will be read each nine weeks. Students will complete identification, interpretation,
and discussion questions for each novel every two or three weeks. A quiz will accompany each
assignment.
Students will also acquire fifteen vocabulary words each week and will complete a variety of
activities to learn the words and be able to use them in everyday conversation. A weekly
vocabulary quiz will be completed, as well as mid-term and end-of-term quizzes each nine
weeks.
VI. Texts and Resources
A. Prentice Hall Literature, Penguin Edition, Grade Nine
B. Wordly Wise 3000, Third Edition, Book 9 (reproduced pages)
C. Novels
“Ender’s Game,” Orson Scott Card
”To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee
“Night,” Elie Wiesel
“The Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins
VII. Evaluation and Grading Procedures
A. Grading Scale
A = 100% - 90%
B = 89% - 80%
C = 79% - 70%
D = 69% - 60%
F = 59% and below
B. Articulation, professionalism, standard English, appropriate use of MLA format, and neatness
are extremely important in presentations and written assignments. Grades will be earned based
upon completion of and participation in the classroom activities. A 10% late penalty will be
deducted each calendar day that an assignment is late. An assignment is considered late if it
is not submitted when the teacher collects the class assignments (i.e., turning an assignment in
at the end of class when it was collected at the beginning of class would result in a 10% penalty).
C. Students will receive grades in the following categories: Tests and Quizzes (30%), Papers
(30%), Daily (40%). All grading will be posted in a timely fashion via Infinite Campus. Bellringers
and other daily assignments fall under the category of “Daily.” Participating in class and
completing Bellringers each day is the student’s responsibility; students will not be able to
complete these assignments for a late grade.
IX. Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance policy outlined in the student handbook.
Students will be considered tardy if they are not in their seat when the bell rings. Jumping into the
classroom as the bell rings will not count.
X. Academic Honesty
Taken from Murray State University’s Academic Honesty Policy
Violations of Academic Honesty include:
Cheating - Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized information such as books, notes, study aids, or
other electronic, online, or digital devices in any academic exercise; as well as unauthorized communication of
information by any means to or from others during any academic exercise.
Fabrication and Falsification - Intentional alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic
exercise. Falsification involves changing information whereas fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting
information.
Multiple Submission - The submission of substantial portions of the same academic work, including oral reports,
for credit more than once without authorization from the instructor.
Plagiarism - Intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, creative work, or data of someone else as
one’s own in any academic exercise, without due and proper acknowledgement.
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Parent or Legal Guardian Signature
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Student Signature
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