9th Grade Honors English I
Price
TBA
Duration
4 Quarters; 2 Semesters
Table of Contents
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Honors English I is designed to improve your ability to communicate, interpret, analyze, read, and write in preparation for success in advanced pathways. The course blends the reading of rich, mentor texts with the opportunity for you to engage intimately with the process of research and writing. The ability to read analytically and to write expressively exists as the cornerstone for success in the workplace and post-high school collegiate work.
COURSE FORMAT
The class meets 90 minutes twice a week (M/W or T/Th) for 20 weeks. Like all other courses in our curriculum, 9th Grade Honors English I consists of two components: asynchronous and synchronous learning.
We use the 9th-grade English Textbook course for the asynchronous flipped classroom portion of the course. This makes up 30% of your overall grade.
Your academy instructor will facilitate the virtual in-person synchronous portion of the course. This makes up 50% of your overall grade.
Asynchronous Learning
The 9th Grade English Textbook course on Study.com was created by a panel of expert instructors who break down concepts with bite-sized, animated video lessons organized into topical chapters that improve comprehension and retention, making learning fun and engaging. Each video is approximately 5-10 minutes long and comes with a quick quiz to help you measure your "first exposure learning" during the pre-work phase before the actual class. At the end of each chapter, you will complete a chapter test to see if you're ready to move on or have some material to review.
You should expect to spend 50-70 minutes per week on these homework assignments. The academy intentionally schedules no classes on Fridays to provide dedicated time for homework assignments and out-of-class projects.
Synchronous Learning
Our academy instructor, who will also serve as your Gamemaster, will facilitate the live, virtual classroom sessions, which will supplement and build upon the 11th Grade English Textbook course. Additionally, they will answer any questions you may have about the asynchronous material.
Our primary resources are Excelsior University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) and Online Reading Comprehension (ORC) Lab. These innovative, award-winning tools are designed to complement or even replace traditional textbooks. As a trailblazer in online education since the early 2000s, Excelsior University’s cutting-edge resources are trusted by institutions nationwide for their quality and effectiveness.
The Excelsior OWL and ORC Lab offer an interactive and comprehensive approach to mastering writing and reading skills. Excelsior OWL covers everything you need to know, from grammar and punctuation to essay structure and research techniques. With video lessons, interactive tutorials, and practice exercises, you'll build a strong foundation for college-level writing and learn essential citation styles like APA, MLA, and Chicago.
Excelsior ORC Lab complements the OWL by sharpening your reading skills. This comprehensive resource features a variety of multimedia activities, quizzes, videos, and interactive PDFs. You'll learn strategies for analyzing complex texts, including identifying main ideas, understanding context, making inferences, and evaluating arguments. With practice exercises and reading passages, you'll become a confident reader and develop the critical thinking skills necessary for success.
Our in-person sessions are designed to make learning fun and interactive! Here's what you can expect:
Interactive discussions: We will delve deeper into key concepts from the asynchronous material and address any common misconceptions.
Game-based activities: Earn points and badges, and climb the leaderboard as you embark on edventures through grammar and !
Simulations: Step into the shoes of the President and other political leaders to experiment with key concepts in the political system such as passing a federal law, balancing federal and county budgets, environmental crises, international conflicts, foreign policy, terrorism, and more.
Exams
Each semester, there will be a comprehensive mid-term exam over all content covered during the first quarter and a comprehensive final exam over all content covered during the second quarter. Each of these four exams is weighted equally, and the combined average will make up 20% of your course grade.
COURSE TOPICS
Chapter 20; Lessons 189
INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION BOARD
Each chapter features an interactive discussion board powered by Discussion Hero, a gamified platform developed by Northwestern University. Students choose between "hero" and "villain" roles and avatars, earning points for their contributions. This fosters a sense of competition and engagement, making discussions even more rewarding.
Benefits of Participating in Discussions:
Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills: Go beyond memorization and passive learning by analyzing information, evaluating different perspectives, and forming your own conclusions.
Enhance communication skills: Practice clear communication, learn to articulate your ideas effectively, and develop respectful listening and rebuttal skills.
Fosters a collaborative learning environment: Learn from each other, share knowledge, and collaborate on problem-solving, creating a dynamic and enriching learning community.
Deepen your understanding of the content: Actively engaging with the course material through discussion solidifies and expands your understanding beyond lectures and readings.
Provides diverse perspectives: Discussions expose you to different viewpoints and interpretations, encouraging critical thinking and broadening your understanding of the subject matter.
Offers opportunities for self-reflection: Examining your own thoughts and arguments in response to prompts and engaging with others' perspectives helps solidify your learning and identify areas for further exploration.
Apply knowledge to real-world scenarios: Apply course concepts to real-world situations through discussions, enhancing the material's relevance.
Build a digital learning portfolio: Discussions serve as a reference for your learning journey, allowing you to revisit key concepts and track your progress.
Develop digital literacy: Discussions provide a platform to practice online communication etiquette, including respectful disagreement, constructive argumentation, and responsible information sharing.
To actively engage in meaningful learning and reap the benefits mentioned above, participation in each chapter's discussion board is expected and will contribute to your overall grade. Your instructor will provide a clear rubric within Discussion Hero outlining the expectations for participation and how your contributions will be evaluated. This ensures consistent and transparent assessment while allowing you to showcase your understanding and critical thinking skills throughout the course.
GREAT LITERATURE READING LIST
The Western literary canon is a collection of works recognized for their exceptional stylistic quality, cultural significance, and intellectual value. These texts set a benchmark for what is considered exemplary literature, shaping how we think, imagine, and interpret the world. The canon has evolved over time, gaining widespread acceptance in university classrooms, academic journals, and through the influence of curriculum publishers and organizations like the College Board.
While the canon traditionally centered on white, male, and Western voices, it has expanded to reflect broader cultural values. Since the mid-20th century, ongoing debates about diversity and representation have led to the inclusion of more voices from women, people of color, and other marginalized groups. This shift has reshaped the canon to offer a richer, more inclusive array of perspectives and experiences.
Our academy’s literary canon reflects this ongoing dialogue. It comprises over 100 of the most frequently featured texts from the College Board’s AP English Literature exam, sourced from a list of titles maintained since the 1970s. These works offer students a rich, well-rounded exploration of timeless themes, artistic innovation, and the cultural challenges of different eras. Acting as literary guideposts, they help students navigate the intricacies of language, culture, and history while fostering the critical thinking skills necessary to engage with both literature and society.
Throughout this course, you will read 10 selected works from our academy’s literary canon. Your instructor will provide the titles and links to their digital formats, which include Read Aloud features and built-in tools for highlighting and annotations. These texts will be free from Planet eBook or elsewhere for a small fee. Independent exploration of additional texts and genres is always encouraged.
COMMONLIT 360
Level up your reading and writing with CommonLit 360! Embark on a transformative journey through high school literature and critical thinking across six dynamic units. From classic novels to contemporary issues, you'll tackle thought-provoking texts that build essential skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Explore compelling questions that sharpen your ability to analyze complex ideas and articulate your understanding with confidence.
In CommonLit 360, learning is a collaborative edventure. You'll join forces with peers to dissect ideas, conduct research, and present your findings, fostering both a deep understanding of the material and strong interpersonal skills. Connect your studies to real-world issues and diverse perspectives, gaining practical insights into how what you learn applies to your everyday life and the world around you. Get ready to explore, discuss, and discover!
QUILL INTERACTIVE WRITING AND GRAMMAR
COURSE OUTCOMES
After completing this course, you will be able to:
Differentiate between various forms of prose, including novels, short stories, and fables.
Analyze key themes and literary elements in influential American novels from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Examine the impact of American short stories and their reflection of cultural and social issues.
Understand the significance of ancient literature, including epic poems and religious texts, and their influence on modern literature.
Explore key works and themes in British fiction, focusing on social, historical, and thematic elements.
Evaluate contemporary fiction, analyzing themes, characters, and societal reflections in major works from the last 50 years.
Identify the elements of drama and its evolution through different historical periods and genres.
Analyze the influence of ancient Greek theater and key playwrights on the development of drama.
Interpret and analyze poetry from different eras, gaining an appreciation for poetic expression and literary devices.
Identify and understand literary elements such as metaphors, irony, allegory, and symbolism in various texts.
Develop skills in text analysis and close reading to uncover deeper meanings and themes in literary works.
Master the fundamentals of high school writing, including responding to prompts, crafting thesis statements, and avoiding logical fallacies.
Identify different types of essays, including narrative, descriptive, informative, and persuasive, and understand how to structure each.
Apply the writing process from brainstorming to drafting and revising to create clear and compelling essays.
Understand conventions in writing, focusing on diction, sentence structure, and tone to produce polished prose.
Learn methods of citing sources correctly and evaluating the reliability of research materials to avoid plagiarism.
Identify and correct common grammar errors, including subject-verb agreement and proper verb tense usage.
Apply capitalization rules, distinguish commonly confused words, and enhance proofreading skills.
Develop a strong foundation in grammar, including understanding nouns, pronouns, verbs, and sentence structure.
Enhance writing clarity and style by mastering sentence construction, parallel structure, and avoiding misplaced modifiers.
PREREQUISITES
8th-grade English or its equivalent.
Your Instructor
TBD
