Syllabus Grade 9
Syllabus Grade 9
Syllabus Grade 9
OBJECTIVE 3: Writing
Skills Covered: text types and purposes, production and distribution of writing, research to build
and present knowledge, range of writing
A Defining Moment in Editorial Writing (Grade 9-10)
Improving Student Essay Writing (Grades 9-10)
Paideia Seminar Plan: A Soldier Recalls the Trail of Tears (Grades 9-12)
Justice for all?: To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill (Grades 9-12)
OBJECTIVE 5: Language
Skills Covered: conventions of standard English, knowledge of language, vocabulary acquisition
and use
RESEARCH
Skills Covered: gathering facts including search and selection, note-taking, digital tools
Colors and Symbols of Stigmatization (Grades 9-10)
Replica of a period newspaper: World literature (Grades 9-10)
Who Has Seen the Wind? Harnessing Alternative Energy (Grades 9-12)
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The scarlet A: Role-play in writing: This lesson was created to follow a close
reading and examination of Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The
plan uses a small group format and rotation schedule. The activities created
strengthen students' understanding of an author's use of characterization,
while reinforcing reading and creative writing skills.
Issues, we've all got them: Language arts/visual arts integration: Students
will learn how to deal positively with social issues important in their lives
through personal investigation of social issues addressed in literature and art.
The Great Gilly Hopkins: Characterization and prediction: In the final chapters
of the novel, Gilly's grandmother learns she has a granddaughter and decides
to take Gilly out of foster care. Many of my classroom readers are often
dismayed by this unexpected conflict and its outcome. In this lesson, the
classroom becomes a courtroom where students predict the outcome of this
conflict.
This activity can be used at the end of the novel, but I like to use it after
reading chapters 10 and 11 so students can compare the courtroom decision
to the end of the novel.
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Learning outcomes
oral communication
empathizing with characters
understanding differences
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
90 minutes
Materials/resources
Pre-activities
Students should have read through Chapter 21. The lesson could work at
other times, but after the trial is ideal.
Students might generally discuss the verdict and the trial before entering into
this activity.
Using the list of characters on page 2 of the handout, cut up names to draw
and allow students to select randomly a character. Some can be used more
than once depending on class size.
Activities
All student directions are included on the handout.
1. Distribute a few Post-it notes to each student. They should use these Post-its
to Search through your book and place at least seven post-its on pages that
highlight different aspects of your character. On that Post-it, write a sentence
explaining what this passage teaches you about this character (from the
handout). While they are working, you can distribute a notecard and tape to
each student to make nametags.
2. Once the students have researched the characters, they should Write two
diary entries from this character (200 words each). One should come from
any part of the novel before the trial and one should be written immediately
after the trial verdict (from the handout).
3. Finally, students should Prepare a series of questions you would like to ask
other characters in the novel. If you had a chance to talk one on one with
these people, what would you want to know? You should come up with at
least ten questions (from the handout).
4. Next, brainstorm together on the board topics of conversation beyond the
trial that might come up at this event what is Maycomb talking about these
days?
5. Go over the ground rules for the pig pickin (from the handout):
o
When I say mingle you should shift to speak to another person at the
pig pickin.
6. Let them go at it! I think 23 minutes for each mingle is fine, and you can
let it go as long as youd like. I found with a class of 28 students that 1520
minutes was enough.
7. Debrief the experience with the kids. You can ask questions like these:
o
It is important not to skip this part. If you run out of time, come back to it the next day.
Assessment
This rubric is also included on the handout:
___/15 points. Did your Post-its and comments focus on key developments in character?
___/15 points. Were your diary entries realistic representations of what that character was
thinking?
___/10 points. Did you accurately represent your character?
___/10 points. Did you stay in character throughout the pig pickin?
___/50 points TOTAL
I found it useful to enlist a couple of students as evaluators. These students did not have a role
but simply were ghosts listening in and reporting back to me their observations.
Supplemental information
Comments
It is most important that students stay in character. Id suggest visibly taking the first student who
doesnt follow through out of the role-play. Others will choose to have fun with the roles instead.
If you really want to go all out with this, you could make it a Southern food day and incorporate
a mess into the whole thing!
We also had an Academy Award vote at the end for best actor and actress.
Reading: Literature
Grade 9-10
A lesson plan for grades 912 English Language Arts and Social Studies
By Marion O'Quinn
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Learning outcomes
Students will:
understand the Judicial System and selected literary and non-fiction pieces.
reason soundly, take a position, and raise questions.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
2 days
Materials/resources
Two rows of chairs, each row facing the other. A third row is then set up at
one of the first two rows, perpendicular to them and facing the middle
ground between the first two rows.
Signs will be posted pro, con, or undecided.
Pre-activities
Students will need to have studied the Judicial System and have an understanding of the federal
and state court system. In addition, students will need to understand the difference between civil
and criminal law. The students will need to have read the novel To Kill a Mockingbird in English
class. Students need to complete the research component of this unit.
Concept chairs can be used at any point and with a variety of issues; however, we will be using
this as a culminating activity.
Activities
1. When students arrive in the room, a statement is presented on the board or
overhead that will direct them to think broadly and critically about the
function and effectiveness of the judicial system. For example, a statement
such as The law must remain stable and yet it must change or Is there
equal justice under the law? are possible open-ended discussion questions.
2. In the English classroom, questions such as Is Heck Tates decision to cover
up the truth of Bob Ewells death a just decision? or Is our society more
advanced than Maycomb? are examples of questions which might provoke
the discussion.
3. The statement must be one which can be discussed on rational grounds, and
one for which supporting arguments can be proposed and refuted.
4. Students will seat themselves in the rows assigned pro, con, or undecided.
Someone from the pro side begins the discussion with an argument in favor
of the position. Then someone form the con side may respond to the
argument. Students are drawn into the discussion by physically moving to a
seat in the row that currently reflects their beliefs about the position. Anyone
can change seats at will.
Assessment
Complete the Survey Assessment at the beginning of the project then again at the end.
Teacher will monitor verbal statements with rubric and record movement of students.
Supplemental information
here are some possible examples of expanding this method into other disciplines:
Science
o Ethical considerations should not play a role in the formation and
distribution of scientific knowledge.
o
Math
o
Language
o
History
o
Knowledge
o
Comments
The instructor takes the role of the moderator and does not engage actively in the discussion. The
moderator clarifies vocabulary, keeps the discussion on track and ensures fairness. Red and
yellow cards can be used to warn and then exclude participants who fail to observe courtesy, etc.
Statements of divergent positions can be created for any subject area, but this is the crucial step.
Unclear, weak or faulty statements ensured failure. It is a good idea to bounce ideas off
colleagues.
Reserve the last few moments of the exercise for students to reflect and offer evaluations of the
exercise.
Grade 9-10
Grade 912
Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of
computer and other technologies.
o Objective 2.01: Practice and refine knowledge and skills in
keyboarding/word processing/desktop publishing, spreadsheets,
databases, multimedia, and telecommunications in preparing
classroom assignments and projects.
Grade 10
Goal 4: The learner will explore active roles as a citizen at the local, state,
and national levels of government.
o Objective 4.09: Utilize various methods of resolving conflicts.
Goal 10: The learner will develop, defend, and evaluate positions on issues
regarding the personal responsibilities of citizens in the American
constitutional democracy.
o
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A soldier recalls the Trail of Tears In this letter to his children, written on his
eightieth birthday, Private John G. Burnett tells the story of the removal of the
Cherokee to the West. Includes historical commentary.
Help
Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.
This Paideia seminar uses as its text A Soldier Recalls the Trail of Tears in North Carolina
History: A Digital Textbook. The text is a letter from Private John G. Burnett to his children,
written on his eightieth birthday in 1890. In the letter, Burnett tells the story of the removal of the
Cherokee to the West.
About Paideia
Paideia is a philosophy of education that emphasizes quality, rigor, and lifelong learning. In a
Paideia Seminar, students and teacher participate in a collaborative, intellectual dialogue
facilitated with open-ended questions about a text. Teachers who are unfamiliar with the Paideia
Seminar are encouraged to read The Paideia Seminar: Active Thinking Through Dialogue, the
teacher training manual published by the National Paideia Center.
Seminar plan
Ideas and values
History, human rights, memory, property, race
Pre-seminar
Content
1. Have participants number the paragraphs 1-27 on their copy of the
transcript.
2. Then have them do a first, inspectional read of the whole text.
3. Present relevant background information. Note that Cherokee removal, also
called the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 to
1839 of the Cherokee Nation from their lands in Georgia, Texas, Tennessee,
Alabama, and North Carolina to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma)
in the western United States, which resulted in the deaths of approximately
4,000 Cherokees. The policy of Indian Removal was championed by President
Andrew Jackson, despite the strong opposition of the majority of Cherokee
people, led by Chief John Ross. In 1832, the Cherokee petitioned the Senate
of the United States to protect their rights under the Constitution of the
United States, but the Senate rejected their petition.
4. Note the background details given by Burnett in the first paragraph of the
narrative. Note that the narrative was written fifty-two years after the events
he describesand by an eighty-year-old man.
5. Have participants read the text a second time more slowly, marking key
events that Burnett chose to emphasize.
Process
1. Prepare participants to participate in seminar discussion. Be sure participants
are settled and seated where everyone can see each others faces. Then
relay:
Now think about how you usually participate in our seminars. What would be a good goal
for you today? Maybe youd like to choose from one of these:
1. Refer to the text
2. Build on others ideas
3. Listen with a quiet mind
4. Speak out of uncertainty
Please write your personal goal at the top of your copy of the text.
Seminar
Opening
Post-seminar
Process
1. Assess individual and group participation in seminar discussion with an
appropriate version of the following script:
Thank you for your focused and thoughtful participation in our seminar.
1. As part of the post-seminar process, I would first like to ask you to take
a few minutes to reflect on your relative success in meeting the
personal process goal you set prior to beginning the discussion. Please
review the goal you set for yourself and reflect in writing to what
extent you met the goal. In addition, note why you think you
performed as you did. [Pause for reflection.]
2. Would several volunteers please share your self-assessment and
reflection?
3. Now I would like us to talk together about how we did in relation to the
group process goal we set for ourselves [to focus on the details in the
text]. On a scale of one to ten, ten being perfect, how would you say
we did? Why? [Pause for discussion.]
4. As always, our goal is continuous improvement: both as individual
seminar participants and as citizens. Thanks again for your
participation.
Content
History/Social Studies
Grades 6-8
Grade 8
Grade 9-10
Grade 8
Grade 9-10
Grade 8
8.H.1 Apply historical thinking to understand the creation
and development of North Carolina and the United States.
8.H.1.1 Construct charts, graphs, and historical narratives
to explain particular events or issues. 8.H.1.2 Summarize
the literal meaning of...
Goal 2: The learner will use and evaluate information from a variety of
sources.
o
summarizing information.
drawing inferences.
generating questions.
extending ideas.
Objective 2.04: Assess the impact of the major events of the period
including, but not limited to, the Iroquois Confederacy and the Great
Law of Peace; the removal of American Indians from the East; and the
participation of American Indians in the Civil War.
Grade 8
Goal 3: The learner will identify key events and evaluate the impact of
reform and expansion in North Carolina during the first half of the 19th
century.
o Objective 3.05: Compare and contrast different perspectives among
North Carolinians on the national policy of Removal and Resettlement
of American Indian populations.
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Learning outcomes
After viewing the courtroom scene in each movie, students will be able to:
select an issue and take a stance which reflects the viewpoint of the
particular period.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
3 days
Materials/resources
Technology resources
Television, VCR or DVD player
Pre-activities
Students will have already read and discussed the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The teacher will
lead an oral discussion of the court system of the United States and have students identify and
discuss recent controversial court cases which have been in the news.
Activities
1. Teacher will show the courtroom scene in To Kill a Mockingbird. Teacher will
lead an oral discussion using the attached Questions for Discussion. Students
will verbally respond to the questions.
2. Teacher will give background information on A Time to Kill (see Synopsis of A
Time to Kill for notes).
3. Students will view the courtroom scene in A Time to Kill. Teacher will lead an
oral discussion using the same questions as before. Students will verbally
respond to the questions.
4. In small groups of 4-5, students will discuss and fill in the Compare/Contrast
Chart. Teacher will lead a discussion of the results and students will respond
verbally.
5. Teacher will give students a copy of the writing assignment and the
assessment rubric. Students will complete the writing assignment in 2-3 days
outside of class.
6. Students will read and share assignments with class on date due, defending
their positions.
Assessment
Assessment Rubric
Supplemental information
The advanced limited English proficient student will use expanded vocabulary effectively in
social and academic settings with few errors and will rely much less on forms of non-verbal
communication. Learning objectives focus on comprehending academic questions spoken at
normal speed, following multi-step directions on academic topics, demonstrating comprehension
of various literary genres, initiating and participating in group discourse, preparing and
delivering presentations, elaborate effectively using description and comparison, developing
reading fluency, analyzing text and evaluating literature, understanding the elements of poetry,
using reference materials, discerning cultural variations represented in texts, identifying literary
elements of fiction and non-fiction, writing about complex themes, reflecting, evaluating,
analyzing and responding to texts, and examining cause-effect relationships.
Modifications
The student should have a list of the critical vocabulary for English Language
Learners (see above) prior to reading the novel or viewing the video clips.
The student may use an English dictionary and an English/Native language
dictionary to find definitions.
The student should be able to view the video clips at least one time before
viewing them with the rest of the class.
The student should be given the LEP Venn Diagram to complete the
compare/contrast activity.
Alternative assessments
The teacher will use the LEP assessment rubric for the writing assignment.
The student should have extended time to complete the assignment, if
needed.
Critical vocabulary
Trial, Jury, Attorney, Defendant, Prosecution, Testimony, Prejudice, Summation, Verdict,
Arraignment, Sentence, Persuasive, Similarities, Differences, Analyze, Editor
Comments
This novel is taught in the eleventh grade in our school, but the assignment could work for ninth
graders who read the novel.
This lesson plan was developed during the English Language Development Standard Course of
Study lesson planning institutes hosted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
and LEARN NC, June and July, 2004. It includes specific strategies, instructional modifications,
and alternative assessments which make this lesson accessible to limited English proficient
students. Please note that this lesson has been aligned with the goals and objectives of the N.C.
English Language Development standards.
This lesson was modified for the advanced limited English proficient student. Additional
modifications are needed for a novice or intermediate level student.
Reading: Literature
Grade 11-12
Grade 9-10
Grade 9-10
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Defining tyranny: Students will focus on gathering support for and elaborating
on ideas for an essay of definition on tyranny. Students will use examples
from history and from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
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Learning outcomes
Students will apply critical processes and gain an increased stake in the text through real-world
interaction with the characters of the play.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
6 Hours
Materials/resources
Shakespeares Hamlet
a black robe or gown (to be used by the judge)
a gavel
Pre-activities
Assign Shakespeares Hamlet. I have found that the assignment works best
when students have already had a chance to discuss the play and the
difficulties they encountered with the language.
Identify your jury. You may want to let the judge rule on the verdict, or you
may want to use outside observers (if you have volunteers who will commit
to coming to class for the length of the trial). I have, in the past, served as
the jury to keep the peace in the classroom and to keep the students
cognizant that they must make their arguments to me.
Activities
1. Introduce the lesson and give a brief description of the activities to follow.
2. Divide the students into groups: judge, characters, prosecution, and defense.
Students with an interest in drama tend to gravitate toward the character
roles; I encouraged some of the more shy folks to try those roles as well with
fantastic results.
3. Give the students some time to research courtroom procedure and their
texts. You may want to have each group research different facets of
courtroom procedure and present them to each other, so you have a common
understanding of how the trial will work.
4. Give the legal teams some time to work with the witnesses, so they can
prepare strategies for displaying their knowledge of the text.
5. Assign each character to be a witness for either the prosecution or the
defense. Assign the following tasks to each group:
o
6. Defense and prosecution teams can then prepare certain questions and the
witnesses can prepare their answers, using citations from the text. (Limiting
the witnesses to one team or the other ensures that they will be prepared
with citations but will also have to demonstrate knowledge of the text on the
fly.) If you have chosen to integrate HyperStudio or PowerPoint, students
may need more time and instruction as they build their presentations.
7. Conduct the trial. Allow witnesses to use their texts when on the stand. If you
integrate technology, introduce the presentations as evidence or as aids to
the opening or closing arguments.
8. To aid in assessment, you may require a written component at several stages:
witnesses must write their own depositions, legals teams must write opening
and closing statements, and the judge must write his decision explaining
which argument (defense or prosecution) was most convincing and why.
Assessment
Assessment will vary, depending on the role each student played in the trial.
Judge:
Did the judge demonstrate adequate knowledge of the text when admitting
evidence, hearing arguments, and ruling on objections?
Grade the judges decision of the courtroom action based on: fairly weighing
the evidence, evaluation of the two arguments, support for finding of guilt or
innocence.
Attorneys:
Did the prosecution and defense teams do adequate research on the charges
levied against Hamlet?
Did they prepare for each witness?
Did they use the text to form valid arguments to support their cases?
Grade the opening and closing arguments based on: textual evidence and
citations, relevance, grammar, persuasive writing.
Witnesses:
Grade the witnesses depositions based on: textual evidence and citations,
use of Shakespearean language, relevance, and grammar.
You may evaluate the (optional) HyperStudio or PowerPoint presentations for completeness,
correctness and appropriateness of information, and for use of one or more multimedia elements,
such as pictures, sound, or video.
Supplemental information
By giving students ownership of the text, I got some really wonderful and very unpredictable
results. One judge banned a member of the prosecution from his courtroom for wearing
inappropriate clothing after two warnings, citing one of the websites listed below; one group
attempted to call expert witnesses in the form of other teachers and parents; one group called the
ghost of Polonius himself to the stand, which led to a surprisingly well-informed debate on the
legality of using deceased witnesses.
Technology can be integrated into this lesson by having the prosecution and defense team
structure their opening and closing arguments, as well as relevant evidence, as PowerPoint or
HyperStudio presentations.
Comments
I am always looking for additional resources for presenting courtroom procedure to help my
students research this lesson. If you find something useful; or if you adapted, modified, or just
enjoyed using this lesson, please e-mail me!
Reading: Literature
Grade 11-12
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The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute Lesson plans,
classroom resources, speeches, biographical material, and more
History of the Black Panther Party Outlines the party's platform for 1966 and
1972
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Freedom songs of the civil rights movement: Students will listen to freedom
songs recorded during the civil rights movement, 19601965. Students will
write about personal reactions to the music and lyrics. Through reading and
pictures, students will briefly explore historical events where these songs
were sung. Listening again, students will analyze and describe musically
particular song(s).
Civil rights wax museum project: In this lesson plan, students will choose
African Americans prominent in the Civil Rights Movement and research
aspects of their lives. They will create timelines of their subjects' lives and a
speech about their subjects, emphasizing why they are remembered today.
Mountain dialect: Reading between the spoken lines: This lesson plan uses
Chapter 13 of Our Southern Highlanders as a jumping-off point to help
students achieve social studies and English language arts objectives while
developing an appreciation of the uniqueness of regional speech patterns,
the complexities of ethnographic encounter, and the need to interrogate
primary sources carefully to identify potential biases and misinformation in
them. Historical content includes American slavery, the turn of the century,
and the Great Depression.
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Learning outcomes
Objectives:
1. The students will interview people who witnessed the civil rights movement
firsthand and summarize their discussion.
2. The students will participate in a simulation to experience the thoughts and
emotions of the era.
3. The students will create a persona of a person who is affected by the Civil
Rights Movement, either for or against, and will use information from
research, class discussions, and their interviews to help build their
characters personality.
4. The students will write reflective summaries of their experiences.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
1 week
Materials/resources
Gottheimer, Josh. Ripples of Hope: Great American Civil Rights Speeches. BasicCivitas Books.,
2003. (Collection of speeches on Civil Rights, useful but not mandatory)
Technology resources
1. Computer with Internet access
2. Tape recorder and tape
3. Video recorder and video tape
4. CD player
Pre-activities
1. Students need to identify key people and their roles in the Civil Rights
Movement by completing the Major Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement
chart.
2. Students will practice for their interview by interviewing a classmate and a
teacher that they do not know. (In smaller schools, it can be a teacher or an
administrator that they do know.)
Activities
1. Students will draw slips of paper from a hat that has the name, contact
information, and age of someone from the community who has agreed to be
interviewed for this project. Contacts have been previously obtained via
volunteer surveys that teacher can send out to the community at the
beginning of year and through family resources. Interviewees should have
been alive during the Civil Rights Movement and should have specific
memories of this time.
2. Students will have one week to interview their person and to submit a
transcript of the interview to the teacher. Interviews can either be done by
the students on their own or students can arrange to meet people at the
school, either before or after hours. The transcript should include all pertinent
information, answers to the standard interview questions and any other
questions and answers that were given.
3. Students will use their interviews to help develop a character that lived
during the Civil Rights era. Students should use the Character Development
sheet to help with this task.
4. Students will read two primary sources, either speeches or other documents,
about one of the following major events that occurred during the Civil Rights
Movement:
1. Major Topics:
2. Students will conclude the activity by writing a letter to a friend overseas that
describes the events they lived through and how it has changed the way
people live today.
Assessment
1. Rubrics for primary source paper, roundtable, and summative paper
2. Participation in roundtable
3. Summative quiz
Objective 8.05: Assess the extent to which the Civil Rights Movement
transformed American politics and society.