English 9 Curriculum Map 2023-2024

Key Content

Reading Writing
ANALYZE LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY
1. literary element 9. Organization
2. figurative language 10. Thesis
3. Symbolism 11. Strong/relevant CDs and blending
4. Conflict 12. Inference/Connecting Commentary
5. Suspense
6. Irony
7. Characterization
8. Theme

Unit Unit 1: Classic Short Stories for Review of Literary Elements

Time Frame September-mid October (6 weeks)

Essential What makes a good story?

Questions How do authors use language and literary devices to make a good story?
How does literature reflect the human experience?
How does what I’m reading connect with my life?

Unit Review: Content that may warrant additional practice:

Vocabulary ● Characterization (Direct Characterization, Indirect Characterization)
● Static Character
(Literary ● Dynamic Character
Elements & ● Foreshadowing
Terms) ● Irony (Dramatic Irony, Verbal Irony, Situational Irony)
● Point of View (First Person, Third Person-Limited, Omniscient)
● Protagonist, Antagonist
● Setting
● Suspense
● Theme
Taught: Priority content that is critical for students to learn or go more in-depth with:.
● Conflict (Indirect Conflict, Direct Conflict)
● Figurative Language (Metaphor, Simile, Hyperbole, Personification, Imagery)
● Mood
● Tone
Preview: Content that may be introduced, but not explicitly taught:
● Diction (Connotation, Denotation)
● Symbol

Instructional Primary Texts: Selected short stories from Holt McDougal Literature Grade 9 (purple)
Materials text book
● “Checkouts” by Cynthia Rlyant pages 32-35
● “The Most Dangerous Game” Richard Connell pages 60-80
● The Open Window” Saki pages 606-609
● The Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe pages 372-379
● “The Sniper” Liam O’Flaherty pages 437-439

Supplemental Texts: n/a

Common Formative:
Assessments ● “The Open Window” Select Best detail
● “The Most Dangerous Game” Blending
● Mid-Unit Assessment
● Creative writing practice
● Ongoing contextual vocabulary practice
Summative:
● End of Unit Assessment (covering all of the short stories)
● Literary Analysis Essay
● Thesis creation

Skills and Writing

Content ● Basic paragraph structure (including thesis & topic sentence review)
● Blending and in-text citations in MLA format

Reading
● Define and identify literary elements in context
● Analyze and interpret literary elements in context
○ Stop and think
○ Targeted passages
○ Reader’s Response & Connection Questions

Vocabulary (ongoing throughout year):

Resilient, Stagnant, Imperative, Precarious, Elude, Incessantly, Exorbitant, Futile, Bewildered,
Dogged, Naïve, Eccentric, Concede, Grave, Inquisitive, Predicament, Amiable, Abominable,
Asinine, Provocation, Perpetual (*Critical vocabulary)

Common Reading Standards for Literature

Core State RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Standards RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
RL.9-10.3 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.
RL.9-10.4 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).

Writing Standards
W.9.2e Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms
and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
W.9.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Language Standards
L.9-10.2 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.
Unit Unit 2 Identity- The House on Mango Street

Time Frame Mid October-Early December (8 weeks)

Essential What makes words powerful?

Questions How does poetry (and poetic language) reflect the human experience?
What influences the shaping of our identity? What kinds of experiences help us learn to
evaluate the world around us?
How does a writer’s style influence our understanding of the text?

Academic Review: Content that may warrant additional practice:

Vocabulary ● Characterization (Direct Characterization, Indirect Characterization)
● Static Character
● Dynamic Character
● Foreshadowing
● Irony (Dramatic Irony, Verbal Irony, Situational Irony)
● Point of View (First Person, Third Person-Limited, Omniscient)
● Protagonist, Antagonist
● Setting
● Suspense
● Theme
Taught: Priority content that is critical for students to learn or go more in-depth with:.
● Conflict (Indirect Conflict, Direct Conflict)
● Figurative Language (Metaphor, Simile, Hyperbole, Personification, Imagery)
● Mood
● Coming-of-age story
● Discrimination (classism, racism, sexism)
● Vignette
● Prejudice
● Tone
Preview: Content that may be introduced, but not explicitly taught:
● Stream of consciousness
● Style
● Diction (Connotation, Denotation)
● Poetic Devices
● Symbolism
● Structure

Additional ideas & concepts:

Instruction Primary Text: The House on Mango Street

al
Supplemental text: “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (reviewing
Materials plot chart), Selected short stories from Holt McDougal Literature Grade 9 (purple) text book
● Excerpts from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” pages 256-263
● “Island Morning” Jamaica Kincade pages 560-565
● Excerpts from “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday
● “And Three Makes Tango” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Common Formative:
Summative ● Annotations
● Reading analysis questions
Assessments ● Connections journal responses (text to real life, character analysis, etc)
● Personal metaphor writing practice
● Memory quilt
● Blackout poem
● Scene analysis
● Group Work
● Ongoing contextual vocabulary practice

Summative:
● Narrative Writing Assignment (Personal Vignettes)

Skills and Reading:

Content ● Review of previously taught literary terms with more complex text
● Text-based analysis of characterization, symbolism, conflict, and theme
● Purposeful text annotations
● Reader’s Connection questions
● Identify and explain poetic devices and elements
● Analyze poetic elements

Writing:
● Narrative/Vignettes
● Personal responses/connections
● Support a theme using evidence

Vocabulary (ongoing throughout year):

Stolid, Infinitely, Pulverized, Illuminate, Inclined, Odious, Condemnation, Ravenous,
Cacophony, Feigning, Nomadic, Exploitation, Custodian, Retaliation, Diverted, Skepticism,
Insidious, Accord, Complementing, Invigorate, Manifested, Resilient, Stagnant, Imperative,
Precarious, Elude, Incessantly, Exorbitant, Futile, Bewildered, Dogged, Naïve, Eccentric,
Concede, Grave, Inquisitive, Predicament, Amiable, Abominable, Asinine, Provocation,
Perpetual (*Critical vocabulary)

Common Reading Standards for Literature

Core State ● RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Standards ● RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
● RL.9-10.4 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).
 ● RL.9-10.10 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

Writing Standards
● W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
● W9.10.3.d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey
a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
● W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Language Standards
● L.9.2 Acquire and use accurate 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.

Speaking and Listening Standards

● SL.9.1a 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.
● SL.9-10.5 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.

Unit 3 Unit 3 The Human Experience - Poetry

Time Frame December-January (6 weeks)

Essential What makes words powerful?

Questions How is poetry different from other forms of writing?
How does poetry reflect the human experience?

Academic Review: Content that may warrant additional practice:

Vocabulary ● Imagery
● Metaphor
● Mood
● Onomatopoeia
● Personification
● Rhyme
● Rhyme Scheme
● Simile
● Theme
Taught: Priority content that is critical for students to learn or go more in-depth with:.
● Alliteration
● Connotation
● Denotation
● Free Verse
● Hyperbole
● Repetition
● Speaker
● Stanza
● Symbol
● Tone
Preview: Content that may be introduced, but not explicitly taught:
 ● Couplet
● Diction
● Quatrain
● Shift

Instruction Primary Texts (from Holt McDougal Literature Grade 9 (purple) text book)
al ● “Hope is the thing with feathers—” by Emily Dickinson pg 871
● “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke pg. 748
Materials ● “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
● “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes pg. 986
● “Egg Horror Poem” by Laurel Winter pg 782
● “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
● “Incident in a Rose Garden” by Donald Plummer pg 151
● The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros excerpts 614-618
● “I Am Offering this Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca (Assessment)
● “Ode to My Socks” Pablo Neruda (Assessment)
● “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (Assessment)
● “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Secondary Texts: Additional poems, prose poetry, and song lyrics from textbook or teacher
including “I Asked My Mother to Sing” by Li Young Lee pg 752, “Grape Sherbet” by Rita Dove pg
753, “Today” by Billy Collins pg 761, selected poetry from Shel Silverstein, additional texts added
upon approval

Common Formative:
Summative ● Poetic Elements Test
● Reading Exit Tickets
Assessments ● Narrative Writing Exit Tickets
● Analysis Tools (graphic organizers such as SWIFT)
● Poetic Element Practice Entry Tasks
● “Where I’m From” poems
● Reader’s Response and Connection questions
● Ongoing contextual vocabulary practice

Summative:
● Independent Poetry Project and Presentation

Skills and Reading:

Content ● Review previous unit elements and terms
● SWIFTT Poetry Analysis tool
● Identify and explain poetic devices and elements
● Analyze poetic elements
● Identify theme developed in poem

Writing:
● Poetry Explication Analysis Paragraph
● Paragraph writing practice

Vocabulary (ongoing throughout year):

Stolid, Infinitely, Pulverized, Illuminate, Inclined, Odious, Condemnation, Ravenous,
Cacophony, Feigning, Nomadic, Exploitation, Custodian, Retaliation, Diverted, Skepticism,
Insidious, Accord, Complementing, Invigorate, Manifested
Common Reading Standards for Literature
Core State ● RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Standards ● RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
● RL.9-10.4 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).

● RL.9-10.10 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

Writing Standards
● W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
● W9.10.3.d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey
a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
● W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Language Standards
● L.9.2 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.

Speaking and Listening Standards

● SL.9.1a 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.
● SL.9-10.5 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.

Unit 4 Unit 4 Knowledge Empowers - Fahrenheit 451

Time Frame February-mid April (10-11 weeks)

Essential What is the value of knowledge for a fully functioning society?

Questions What is the value of individuality for a fully functioning society?
How does technology influence society and relationships?
How do themes in the text serve as a warning to modern society?

Academic Review: Content that may warrant additional practice:

Vocabulary ● Propaganda
● Dystopia
● Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction
● Theme
Taught: Priority content that is critical for students to learn or go more in-depth with:.
● Author’s Purpose
 ● Allusion
● Figurative Language
○ Imagery
○ Metaphor
○ Simile
○ Personification
● Hero’s Journey
● Symbol
● Synthesis
Preview: Content that may be introduced, but not explicitly taught:
● Stream-of-consciousness

Additional ideas & concepts: Censorship

Instruction Primary Text: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

al
Secondary Texts: “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury; Fahrenheit 451 1966 film; Fahrenheit 451
Materials HBO film (Scholastic Edit)

Common Formative:
Summative ● Part 1 Reading Quiz
● Part 2 Reading Quiz
Assessments ● Symbolism Practice
● DIRTT (Did I Read the Text?) quizzes with TBQ (Text-based Questions) practice
● Formative Writing Checks for Parts 1 & 2 (full paragraph for at least one of these)
● Ongoing contextual vocabulary practice

Summative:
● Theme Analysis Essay: knowledge and power; technology; individuality versus conformity.
● Unit Final (Part 3 Test)

Skills and Reading

Content ▪ Review of previously taught literary terms
▪ Analyzing symbols in the text
▪ Apply themes to modern and contemporary society
▪ Analyze and discuss text structure

Writing
▪ Crafting sophisticated and purposeful analytical commentary to support thesis
statement
▪ High-quality evidence that connects to the thesis

▪ Synthesizing ideas from multiple texts

Vocabulary (ongoing throughout year): Discourse, Perfunctorily, Incomprehensible, Writhing,

Excursion, Converge, Incite, Mutiny, Pernicious, Augment, Purge, Posterity, Marred, Rancor, Idolatry,
Enmity, Chide, Rogue, Agile, Calamity, Garish
Common Reading Standards for Literature
Core State ● RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Standards ● RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
● RL.9-10.3 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.
● RL 9-10.5 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.
● RL.9-10.9 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).
● RI.9-10.2 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.

Writing Standards
● W.9-10.2 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.
○ W.9-10.2a 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.
○ W.9-10.2b 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.
○ W.9-10.2e Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending
to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
○ W.9-10.2f 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).
● W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
● W.9-10.5 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.
● W.9-10.7 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.
● W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.
○ W.9.9a Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literature
● W.9.10 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.

Language Standards
 ● L.9-10.2 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.
● L.9-10.3a 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. ● L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
○ L.9-10.5.A Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context
and analyze their role in the text.
○ L.9-10.5.B Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Speaking and Listening Standards

● SL.9-10.1a 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.
● SL.9-10.1c 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.
● SL.9-10.1d 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.

Unit 5 Unit 5 The Tragic Hero - The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Time Frame Mid April-June (8-9 weeks)

Essential Is love stronger than hate?

Questions How do character traits impact story development?

Academic Review: Content that may warrant additional practice:

Vocabulary ● Drama
● Dramatic Irony
● Figurative language
● Oxymoron
● Stage Direction
Taught: Priority content that is critical for students to learn or go more in-depth with:.
● Aside
● Chorus
● Comic Relief
● Foil
● Prose
● Pun
● Shakespearean Sonnet
● Sonnet
● Soliloquy
● Tragedy
● Tragic Flaw
● Tragic Hero
Preview: Content that may be introduced, but not explicitly taught:
● End-Stopped Line
● Run-on Line
● Iambic Pentameter
 ● Inversion

Instruction Primary Texts: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare in the Holt McDougal
al Literature Grade 9 (purple) text book, Arkangel audio CD, Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet
(1968)
Materials
Secondary Texts: Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996); David Leveaux’s Romeo and Juliet
(2014); Miramax Shakespeare in the Classroom (1999), supplemental articles to support story
and themes

Common Formative:
Summative ● Act 1 & 2 Reading Quiz
● Act 2 Reading Quiz
Assessments ● Act 3 Reading Quiz
● Character & Film Analysis Writing Practice
● Ongoing contextual vocabulary practice

Summative:
● Unit Reading Final Exam

Skills & Reading:

Content Understand the influence of historical context on literary texts
Use context clues to interpret and translate complex language

Analyze and interpret elements of a dramatic work

Analyze character traits and impact on story development

Compare and contrast multiple representations of the same text (see writing)
Analyze visual texts and elements of film

Writing:
Film Adaptation Analysis paragraphs-synthesizing information from multiple places (see reading
compare/contrast)

Vocabulary (ongoing throughout year):

Mutiny, Pernicious, Augment, Purge, Posterity, Marred, Rancor, Idolatry, Garish, Enmity,
Chide, Rogue, Agile, Calamity, Abhor, Inundate, Sojourn, Solace, Amorous, Ambiguous,
Scourge
Common All previous unit standards and...
Core State
Reading Standards for Literature
Standards ● RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail 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.
● RL.9-10.3 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
● RL.9-10.4 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).
● RL. 9-10.9 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).
● RL.9.10 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.

Writing Standards
● W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research
○ W.9.9a Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literature… (all units)
● W.9.10 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 Standards

SL.9.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

Language Standards
L.9.4a 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.
L.9.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in
the text.
L.9.5b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.