Pre-AP English Grade 9th (Accelerated)
Ms. Power
Molly.power@spps.org
Course Overview:
In this fast-paced course, students explore a multicultural survey of literature and language—both fiction and
nonfiction—encompassing a wide variety of literary genres, purposes, and styles. Students complete ongoing,
self-directed tasks in class and outside of class. Projects and assignments incorporate a variety of critical
reading, writing, and analyzing skills. Students develop the ability to give reasons for their opinions, such as
providing evidence from texts studied. With these skills, students have a solid foundation for the tasks
required in all upper level Advanced Placement and College in the Schools courses.
Class Components:
Assignments will include daily writing, grammar, and reading. We will also be practicing presentations,
discussions, and formal writing projects. Quizzes and tests will be given periodically to determine the level of
understanding of course material.
Materials Needed:
Three-Ring binder in 5 sections
Loose-leaf paper
Pens and pencils
Late Work:
Meeting deadlines is crucial. Any assignment turned in after the due date will receive half (50%) credit. In the
case of an excused absence, you will have the number of days absent to turn in your work. No late work will be
accepted after the unit has ended.
Grading Scale:
100-90% = A;
89-80% = B;
79-70% = C;
69-60% = D;
59% and  = N
Expectations:
My classroom will be a comfortable and safe place for all who enter. No one will be allowed to interrupt your
learning. Each of you deserves a place to work that can at times be quiet and peaceful and other times that
can be fun and interactive. I fully expect each of my students to know what is appropriate, and if you are not
sure, I will teach you.
All school rules will be enforced: cell phones must be turned off and out of sight, along with any other
electronic devices, no hats, no food, etc. Any disrespectful use of these will result in confiscation and will be
given to your administrator.
Communication:
Please keep in touch with me. If you are struggling, or if you need more of a challenge, please let me know.
You can feel free to be open with me. You can also email me any time, especially if you have questions from
home. I hope your parents will do the same!
Pre-AP 9th Grade
Unit 1: Mythology (two weeks)
Guiding Question: What’s in a classic hero?
Objectives and Terms:
Heroism, tragic flaw, epic poem, epic hero, Greek Mythology, pantheon, Greek and Latin roots, prefixes and
suffixes, online moodle discussion, archetypes
Grammar Highlights:
Greek and Latin roots, word forms, functionality and parts of speech
Reading Selections:
Archetypes selection from How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Selections from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology: “Perseus” and “Hercules”
The Odyssey by Homer
“A Hero” by Robert W. Service
Final Products:
Archetypes Projects
Greek/Roman gods and goddesses research
Odyssey Board Game
Word Parts test
Heroism Prompt: timed writing
Unit 2: Lit Circles (MWDS) (two weeks)
Guiding Question: How do I determine importance while I read?
Objectives and Terms:
Genre, historical context, biographical context, narrator, plot style, quote, character, setting, symbolism, theme,
elements of plot
Reading Selections: A choice of one of the following
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Final Product:
Major Works Data Sheet
Group Presentation
Essay test based on previous Advanced Placement essay topics (Literary Analysis)
Unit 3: Drama
Guiding Question: How do we unlock the secrets of a text?
Objectives and Terms:
Finding evidence in the text, character development/analysis, protagonist, antagonist, foil, archaic language,
literary analysis, vocabulary from the text, symbolism
Grammar Highlights:
Language past and present, irregular verbs, subject/verb agreement
Reading Selections:
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Final Products:
Translations/Quote Analysis
Promptbook: Analysis Project
Memorization
Literary Analysis Test
Unit 4: Novel
Guiding Question: How do we read between the lines?
Objectives and Terms:
Persuasion, argument, ethos, pathos, logos, evidence, quote response, discussion, tone, symbolism, symbolic settings,
vocabulary from the text, online Moodle discussion
Grammar Highlights:
Daily Oral Language
Reading Selections:
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
“To a Mouse” by Robert Burns
“John Steinbeck’s Speech at the Nobel Prize Banquet” by John Steinbeck
Final Product:
Of Mice and Men Vocabulary and Comprehension Test
Court Trial Paperwork (gathering evidence from the text)
Court Trial Performance (persuasion)
Essay: Position Paper with textual citations
Unit 5: Short Stories
Guiding Question: How do we get the most of reading?
Objectives and Terms:
style, diction, syntax, tone, connotation, voice, irony,
intertextuality, allusion
Grammar Highlights:
Syntax: Sentence structure, types of sentences, commas and punctuation
Reading Selections:
From How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
“Barbie-Q” by Sandra Cisneros
“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield
“Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by William Carlos Williams
“Musée des Beaux Arts” by W.H. Auden
Final Products:
Literary Analysis Essay on “The Garden Party”
Style Test: Diction/Syntax
Grammar Basics Test
Personal Narrative with a borrowed style
Unit 6: Independent Reading and Analysis
Guiding Question: How do I determine importance while I read?
Objectives and Terms:
Genre, historical context, biographical context, narrator, plot, style, quote, character, setting, symbolism, theme
Reading Selections: A choice of one of the following
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Night Flying Woman by Ignatia Broker
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Final Product:
Major Works Data Sheet
Prompted Essay test based on previous Advanced Placement essay topics