Pacing Guide: Grade 9, Quarter 2
Fiction (4 selections)
“The Jade Peony”
“The Most Dangerous Game” OR “American History”
“The Scarlet Ibis”
“The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind”
Nonfiction (8 selections)
from “Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR”
from “Radio Address on Drought Conditions”
“Spanish-English Dictionary User Guide”
“State of Georgia Job Application”
“Carry Your Own Skis”
“The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Wild Turkey”
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”
from Silent Spring
Poetry (6 poems)
“Uncoiling” “Jabberwocky”“The Raven” “The Eagle”
“The War Against the Trees” “I, Too”
Speech (1 selection)
“I Have a Dream”
Novel/Nonfiction (1 selection)
Teacher choice (Pacing guide provides a suggested list of novels, drama, and nonfiction selections that are taken from Appendix B of the
Common Core State Standards document.)
Writing Portfolio: Informational/Explanatory Text*
*This portfolio writing assignment in the curriculum resources is the former capstone writing assignment for grade 9. You may still use this valid
assignment, or replace it with an informational/explanatory portfolio writing piece of your choice.
COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS
ENGLISH GRADE 9
PACING GUIDE
Unit/Topics
The Big Question: Is Conflict
Necessary?
1. Reading for Information,
Writing, Speaking and
Listening, Language
Nonfiction
Note-taking
Close reading
Informal writing
Evaluating credibility
Comparing informational
texts
Timed writing
Periods
Week 1
Periods: 3
GRADING PERIOD 2
Common
Textbook/Supplemental
Core State
Materials
Textbook
(hard copy or
RI.9-10.1
Standards
RI.9-10.2
RI.9-10.3
RI.9-10.4
RI.9-10.5
RI.9-10.6
RI.910.10
W.9-10.2
W.9-10.3
SL.9-10.1
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.3
L.9-10.4
eBook)
Literature: Language and
Literacy
The Big Question pp.
194-195
“Nothing to Fear:
Lessons in
Leadership from
FDR” pp. 567-568
“Radio Address on
Drought Conditions”
pp. 569-570
Test Practice:
Informational Texts
p. 571
Writing and Grammar
Reading Nonfiction
Critically pp. 594599
Technology
Interactive Digital Path
Big Question Video
Introducing the Big
Question: Is Conflict
Necessary?
Assessments/Assignments
Reading
Reading Nonfiction Critically
(nonfiction)
“Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership
from FDR” (nonfiction)
“Radio Address on Drought Conditions”
(nonfiction)
Critical Listening (nonfiction)
Writing
Journal writing: What is Conflict?
Journal writing: Is Conflict Necessary?
Timed writing
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Partner discussion
Small group discussion
Language
Vocabulary Central
Vocabulary
Music
Games
Worksheets
Vocabulary Central
Assessments
Class Discussion: What is the conflict
within either of FDR’s writings? How do
we know? Provide specific details from
either text to indicate knowledge of the
primary conflict. This knowledge of the
conflict leads the reader to the overall
purpose of the writing.
In a short essay or journal entry, have the
students evaluate Roosevelt’s argument to
determine if any generalizations are
supported by evidence. Then, the students
should assess the strength of that
evidence.
Intervention/Enrichment
Using FDR’s “Radio Address on Drought
Conditions,” have students ( in pairs or
separately) “Close Read” the text and
determine the following: FDR’s purpose
for the speech, his credibility as a speaker
(ethos), his audience, his overall
argument, the argument’s logic (logos),
supporting evidence, and his use of
emotional appeals (pathos).
Have the students create a chart that
analyzes either of FDR’s writings for its
language. The chart should include items
such as from the first seven sentences by
breaking each into the following: first
five words of the sentence, list of verbs
used, list of all adjectives used, list any
special rhetorical features that you notice
such as repetition, verbs at the end of the
sentences, metaphor and other figurative
language. Once the chart is complete, the
students should write a brief essay or
participate in class discussion regarding
the significance of their findings.
2.
Reading Literature, Writing,
Speaking and Listening,
Language
Fiction
Conflic
t
Characterization
Weeks 1-2
Periods: 5
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.3
RL.9-10.4
RL.9-10.6
RL.9-10.10
Textbook (hard copy or
eBook)
Literature: Language and
Literacy
The Short Story:
Genre Study pp. 196-
Reading
“The Jade Peony” (fiction)
“Uncoiling” (poetry)
Writing
Student-created writing in which he/she
Plot
Close reading
Setting as it relates to plot
Critical viewing
Determining word
meaning through context
Tone
Audience
Purpose
Point of view
Symbolism
Theme
Research
Summarization
Oral report
W.9-10.2
W.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.4
L.9-10.5
197
“The Jade Peony”
pp. 200-209
“Uncoiling” pp. 611612
Put Yourself in the
Picture, Sentence
Starters p. 199
Unit 2 Resources pp. 7-13;
14-16
Technology
Interactive Digital Path
Model selections
discusses the types of conflict that SekLung faces within the story
Journal entry: Compare both texts for
similarity in conflict, theme,
personification, and metaphor.
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Partner discussion
Oral report on author Wayson Choy’s
dual heritage
Language
Vocabulary Central
Vocabulary
Music
Games
Worksheets
Assessments
Critical thinking questions
Open-book test
Class Discussion: What is the conflict of
this story? How do we know what we
know about the conflict? Provide
supporting textual details.
In a detailed journal entry or longer essay,
ask students to evaluate the plot, setting,
and/or characters from “The Jade Peony”
as it serves to develop the conflict within
the story.
Have students complete a short story chart
that asks them to identify and analyze
the underlying theme of “The
Jade Peony” and then examine the details
of the story by listing them by “what it
(detail) says,” “what it means,” and “why
it’s important.”
Intervention/Enrichment
Students will discuss the internal and
external sources of conflict within the
story and create their own examples in a
short vignette or episode that can later be
turned into a short story.
3.
Reading Literature, Writing,
Speaking and Listening,
Language
Plot (exposition, rising
action, climax, falling
action, resolution)
Conflict
Close reading
Determining word
meaning through roots and
affixes
Determining word
meaning through context
Retelling a story
Informal writing
Inference
Weeks 2-3
Periods: 5
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.3
RL.9-10.4
RL.9-10.10
W.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.4
Students will create their own symbol that
represents some sort of internal or
external conflict, and then write a brief
explanation.
Have students write their own type of
“Uncoiling” poem in which they identify
a type of conflict and use figurative
language to unpack that one element of
conflict.
Textbook (hard copy or
eBook)
Literature: Language and
Literacy
Before You Read pp.
210-211
“The Most
Dangerous Game”
pp. 214-236 OR
“American History”
pp. 240-252
“Jabberwocky” pp.
662-664
Literature in
Context p. 233
Unit 2 Resources
“The Most
Dangerous Game”
pp. 23-40; 50-52
“American History”
pp. 41-61
Technology
Interactive Digital Path
Before You Read
[Get Connected
Video, Meet the
Author, Background
Video, Vocabulary
Central, Reading
Skill, Literary
Analysis]
While You Read
(Warm-ups, Reading
Selection, Critical
Reading
“The Most Dangerous Game” (fiction)
OR
“American History” (fiction)
“Jabberwocky” (poetry)
Writing
from “The Most Dangerous Game”
Journal writing: Image Essay p. 219:
What does the wildness of the island in
the picture reveal about the island setting?
Literary analysis journal writing: With
what external conflict is Rainsford
suddenly confronted and what is the
effect of this confrontation?
Literary analysis journal writing: Explain
how Rainsford’s discomfort in this
passage is both internal and external
conflict.
from “American History”
Student-created inferences chart that
unpacks the details provided by the story
from “Jabberwocky”
Student writing that details the types of
conflict that appear within the seemingly
nonsensical poem “Jabberwocky”
Student writing that compares the
similarities in conflict within the poem
and either of the short stories
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Socratic Seminar Topic: Is Conflict
Necessary in Everyday Life?
Thinking Questions)
Language
Vocabulary Central
Vocabulary
Music
Games
Worksheet
s
Assessments (Formative and Summative)
Critical thinking questions
Critical viewing
Socratic Seminar
Selection tests
Open-book test
The Big Question: How Does
Communication Change Us?
4. Reading Literature, Reading for
Information, Writing, Speaking
and Listening, Language
Brainstorming
Responding orally to the
Big Question (whole
group or individually)
Comparing/contrasting
poetry with other genres
Figurative language:
simile, personification
Imagery
Vocabulary
Poetry annotation
Close reading
Weeks 3-4
Periods: 6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.3
RL.9-10.4
RL.9-10.5
RL.9-10.10
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
W.9-10.3
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.4
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.4
Textbook (hard copy or
eBook)
Literature: Language and
Literacy
“The Eagle” p. 647
“The Raven” pp.
710-714
Unit 4 Resources
Writing About the
Big Question p. 149
Technology
Interactive Digital Path
Before You Read
[Get Connected
Video]
While You Read
Intervention/Enrichment
Teacher models a think aloud about the
plot of “The Most Dangerous Game.”
Have students discuss how changing
“American History” from first person
narration to third person omniscient
narration would change the reader’s
perspective of Elena.
Have the students read Robert Frost’s
“Fire and Ice” p. 736 and compare
thematically with “American History.”
As a class, discuss the emotions that Frost
associates with fire and ice and why.
Reading
“The Raven” (poetry)
“The Eagle” (poetry)
“The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Wild
Turkey” (nonfiction)
Writing
Students research all of the birds which at
one time were considered as a possible
symbol for America.
Students select a bird from their research
and write a paragraph in which they
explain why that bird could have made a
great choice as America’s symbol.
Students write a poem about one of the
birds. They should attempt to emulate the
style and format of Tennyson’s poem.
Research
Informal writing
Creative writing
Narrative poem
Rhyme
Tone
Sound devices
Mood
Paraphrasing
Inference
Setting
Character
L.9-10.5
(Warm-ups, Reading
Selection, Critical
Thinking Questions)
After You Read
(Skill Questions,
Grammar Tutorial,
Grammar Practice,
Writing, Speaking &
Listening)
Websites
National Park
Service reading
about ravens
www.nps.gov/jote/n
a
turescience/ravens.ht
m
CCS Curriculum Guide
Website
Model lesson for
“The Eagle” and
“The Raven”
The Big Question: Is Conflict
Necessary?
5. Reading for Information,
Writing, Speaking and
Listening, Language
Structure and format
Reading tables
Close reading
Critical listening and
speaking
Timed writing
Week 5
Periods: 2
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.5
W.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.6
Textbook (hard copy or
eBook)
Literature: Language and
Literacy
Informational Texts:
Real-Life Reading p.
376
“Spanish-English
Dictionary User
Guide” pp. 377-378
“State of Georgia Job
Application” pp.
379-380
Test Practice:
Informational Texts
p. 381
Students record thoughts and reactions to
“The Raven” in a reading journal.
Students paraphrase stanzas from “The
Raven.”
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Reader’s theatre production of “The
Raven”
Language
Vocabulary Central
Vocabulary
Music
Games
Worksheet
s
Assessments
Critical viewing
Critical thinking questions
Discussion
Writing activities
Reading
“Spanish-English Dictionary User Guide”
(nonfiction)
“State of Georgia Job Application”
(nonfiction)
Writing
Timed writing
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Language
Conventions of standard English when
writing or speaking
Acquisition of vocabulary
Assessment
Comparing informational texts according
to their function, structure, and format
6. Reading Literature, Reading for
Information, Writing, Speaking
and Listening, Language
Close reading
Theme
Compare/contrast
Determining word
meaning through context
Determining word
meaning through
dictionary and/or glossary
usage
Mood
Genre
Symbolism and allegory
Critical listening and
speaking
Informal writing
Week 6
Periods: 5
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.4
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
W.9-10.2
W.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.4
L.9-10.5
Textbook (hard copy or
eBook)
Literature: Language and
Literacy
Comparing Literary
Works pp. 382-383
“The Scarlet Ibis”
pp. 384-395
“The Golden Kite,
the Silver Wind” pp.
396-400
After You Read p.
401
“The War Against
the Trees” pp. 637638
“Carry Your Own
Skis” pp. 522-526
Unit 2 Resources
“The Scarlet Ibis”
and “The Golden
Kite, the Silver
Wind” pp. 205-221
Unit 3 Resources
“Carry Your Own
Skis” pp. 127-144
Technology
Interactive Digital Path
Before You Read
(Comparing Texts,
Vocabulary Central,
The Big Question)
While You Read
(Reading Selections,
Critical Thinking
Questions)
Intervention/Enrichment
Students create a schedule or a brochure.
Students complete a sample job
application with a partner.
Provide students with sample college
applications. Discuss the differences and
similarities between job applications and
college applications. Give students time
to complete a sample college application.
Reading
“The Scarlet Ibis” (fiction)
“The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind”
(fiction)
“The War Against the Trees” (poetry)
“Carry Your Own Skis” (nonfiction)
Writing
Journal writing: What details about the
flowers, weeds, and the oriel nest in the
opening paragraph of “The Scarlet Ibis”
symbolize death?
Students write a response to the picture
on p. 389 (“The Scarlet Ibis”) that
examines what the reader can infer about
the brothers’ relationship from the
illustration and the details in the story.
Symbolism/Allegory analysis chart p. 401
Student-written essay comparing conflict
(through symbolism/allegory) in “The
Scarlet Ibis” and “The Golden Kite, the
Silver Wind.” How does the author’s
choice of genre affect the reader’s
understanding of the stories?
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Small group discussion: Students will
compare one of the short stories with the
persuasive essay “Carry Your Own Skis”
and analyze the use of conflict present in
each and how each functions. For
example, “Carry Your Own Skis”
contains significant external conflict in
the form of man versus nature; how does
this compare with the primary conflict in
either story?
After You Read
(Skill Questions)
Language
Vocabulary Central
Vocabulary
Music
Games
Worksheet
s
Assessments
Critical thinking questions
Critical viewing
Selection tests
7. Reading for Literature,
Reading for Informational
Text, Writing, Speaking
and Listening, Language
This informational/explanatory
writing assignment is the portfolio
writing assignment for quarter 2.
It is also part one of the senior
capstone assignment.
Prewriting
Brainstorming
Defining social justice
Comparing/contrastin
g Socratic seminar
Analysis of historical
documents
Research Analysis
of poetry
Perspective
Weeks 7-8
Periods: 7
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
RI.9-10.5
RI.9-10.7
RI.9-10.8
W.9-10.2
W.9-10.5
W.9-10.6
W.9-10.7
W.9-10.8
W.9-10.9
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.4
SL.9-10.5
SL.9-10.6
L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.3
Textbook (hard copy or
eBook)
Writing and Grammar
Chapter 12
Literature
from Silent Spring
“I Have a Dream”
On-line resources
“The Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights”
Conducting a
Socratic Seminar
The Purdue Online
Writing Lab
“I,Too” by Langston
Hughes
Intervention/Enrichment
Students chart the symbols from the
stories, their qualities, and their meanings
as representations to leaders and events of
the Cold War.
Students write an essay in which they
compare the use of symbols in each story.
The students will participate in a
Fishbowl type of seminar in which they
compare the poem “The War Against the
Trees” and either short story.
Writing
Writing Portfolio Second Quarter:
Informational/Explanatory Text
Response to critical thinking questions
about “The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights”
Student-created source pages, quotation
pages, and summary pages
Student-written claim statement
Student-written sentence outline
Reading Literature
“I, Too” (poem)
Reading Informational Text
“The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights”
from Silent Spring
“I Have a Dream” (speech)
Choosing a topic
Writing a claim statement
Drafting
Crating a sentence outline
Creating and evaluating
claim statements
Phrases and clauses
Punctuation, capitalization,
and spelling
Style
8. Reading for Literature,
Reading for Informational
Text, Writing, Speaking
and Listening, Language
Teach the Common Core State
Standards as needed to prepare
students for the AIR assessments
in Reading and Writing, and to
prepare students to be college and
career ready.
Speaking and Listening
Small group discussion
Whole class discussion
Language
Conventions of standard English when
writing and speaking
Weeks 8-9
Periods: 7
Teach the Common
Core State Standards
as needed to prepare
students for the AIR
assessments in
Reading and
Writing, and to
prepare students to
be college and career
ready.
Novels/Fiction/Nonfiction/
Drama Suggestions:*
Achebe, Chinua. Things
Fall Apart
Alvarez, Julia. In the
Time of Butterflies
Angelou, Maya. I Know
Why the Caged Bird
Sings
Bradbury, Ray.
Fahrenheit 451
Henry, O. “The Gift of
the Magi”
Henry, Patrick. “Speech
to the Second Virginia
Convention”
Homer. The Odyssey
Ionesco, Eugene.
Rhinoceros
King, Jr., Martin L.
“Letter from Birmingham
Jail”
Lee, Harper. To Kill a
Mockingbird
Lincoln, Abraham.
“Gettysburg Address”
Ovid. Metamorphoses
Quindlen, Anna. “A Quilt
of a Country”
Shakespeare, William.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Steinbeck, John. The
Grapes of Wrath
Intervention/Enrichment
Show the Writers in Action video from
the Writing and Grammar online text
Chapter 12 of Writing and Grammar
Reading
The reading assignment will be either
fiction or nonfiction depending upon
teacher choice.
Writing
Journal writing
In-class essays
Creative writing
Speaking and Listening
Whole group discussion
Small group discussion
Pair work
Language
Integrated vocabulary activities
Integrated grammar and usage activities
Assessments
Portfolio projects
Multimedia presentations
Tests/quizzes
Intervention/Enrichment
Teacher-modeled reading strategies
Students write a different ending for a
story.
Students create and perform a scene
based on a section of the reading.
Students will write letters to the author or
main characters in the books asking them
to unpack their motivations.
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club
Turgenev, Ivan. Fathers
and Sons
Washington, George.
“Farewell Address”
Williams, Tennessee. The
Glass Menagerie
Wright, Richard. Black
Boy
Zusak, Marcus. The
Book Thief
*The above is not meant to be
a required reading list. Use
your professional judgment of
the text and your students to
make your selection. In
keeping with the guidelines
established by the Common
Core State Standards, your
choice should be similar in
complexity and quality to the
titles on the list above. For
detailed information on text
complexity, access Appendix
B of the Common Core State
Standards using the following
link:
www.corestandards.org/asset
s
/Appendix_B.pdf
* This pacing guide is based on 50 minute periods and should be adjusted to fit alternative schedules.
**Common Core State Standards: RL = Reading Literature; RI = Reading Information; W = Writing; SL = Speaking and Listening; L = Language
Common Core State Standards
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
2.Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how
they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact
with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze
the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how
it sets a formal or informal tone).
5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time
(e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on
a wide reading of world literature.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in
each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
8. (Not applicable to literature)
9. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic
from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9–10 text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10
text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped
and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they
are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings;
analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from
that of a newspaper).
5. Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions
of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or
purpose.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia),
determining which details are emphasized in each account.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.
9. Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg
Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related themes
and concepts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes
clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in
a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
2. 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.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among
complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g.,
articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
b.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.
d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting,
and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on
addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 9–10.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of
technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a
problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding
of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the
usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of
ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a
specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by
Shakespeare]”).
b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a
text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious
reasoning”).
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. 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.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring
to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues,
presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas;
actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or
justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the
credibility and accuracy of each source.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated
or distorted evidence.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. 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.
5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See
grades 9-10 Language standards for specific expectations.)
Language
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Use parallel structure.*
b.Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent,
dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.
b. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
c. Spell correctly.
Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or
style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
a. Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian’s Manual for Writers)
appropriate for the discipline and writing type.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to
the meaning of a word or phrase.
b.Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis,
analytical; advocate, advocacy).
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in
a dictionary).
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
6. 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.