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Al-Madinah School 25 Anniversary

9th Grade English

Course Description

5/9/2016 - 6/10/2016
Speeches and Rhetoric
1. What are Rhetoric Devices? Explanation and class work on methods of persuasion - Ethos, Logos, Pathos. 
2. Article - Banladesh Factory Collapse: Who pays for our cheap clothes: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/25/opinion/bangladesh-factory-collapse-opinion/ 
3. Article - Where Sweat Shops are a Dream: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/opinion/15kristof.html?_r=0
 
 
4/4/2016 - 5/6/2016
Aspiration Unit
 This unit will be about developing insight.  The central idea will be about "aspiration" which is the desire to achieve a success, own a prized possession, or rise in life in some way.  An individual's aspirations are deeply connected to his or her sense of identity.  They involve the perception that who we are is not who we want to or should be.  In some cases, aspiration involves surface values, such as the desire to own luxury items or have status.  In other cases, aspiration comes from deeper values, such as a wish for a more stable, secure life.  All the readings in this section focus on the concept of aspiration.  
 
Quote: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" - Robert Browning
Big Question: Do our differences define us? 
 
1. Excerpt from The Importance of being Earnest - by Oscar Wilde. 
    A. Multi-draft Reading 
         -First reading: Students should read the selection independently and think about its basic meaning.
         -Second Reading: Students should analyze the text's key ideas and details and its craft and structure.
         -Third reading: Students should integrate knowledge and ideas; connect to the Big Question, other texts, and the world; and use teacher-led close reading discussion questions to examine particularly rich and significant passages.
 
2. Objective Summary - Write an objective summary of this scene of "The Importance of Being Earnest". An objective summary is free from opinion and evaluation.  Objective means "non-biased", in other words tell the story as it is without adding your own opinion. Cook it down to a paragraph of five sentences.
 
3. Character Analysis Essay -Your assignment is to write a character analysis of a major character in the passage of “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Once you have chosen a character to analyze, choose three adjectives that describe that character. These adjectives, orcharacter traits, will be the basis of your five-paragraph essay ( You've received a handout in class with full details).
 
4. New Directions - by Maya Angelou 
 
 
 
2/22/2016 - 3/25/2016
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Unit
  1. You may read a translation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet online using the following link: http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/
  2. Sonnet Homework - Write a sonnet to a beloved family member or friend.  Must follow the same rhyme scheme as Shakespeare's Sonnet and also must include literary elements such as personification. 
  3. Writing Puns - The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet includes tons of Puns for comic relief.  Your assignment is to come up with 5 puns of your own.
  4. Romeo and Juliet - Analyzing Text handouts Act 1 - Act 4 (attached on the upper right side).
  5. Creative writing - Find locations that you normally pass by without paying close attention. Write a story describing ideas/details that could happen here if you were to enter this location. (1-2 pages)
  6. JOURNALS ARE DUE 3/21/16 - Points will be deducted on late submissions. 
  7. Ovid's Pyramus and Thisbe - Hand out attached
  8. Connotation and Denotation assignment 
  9. 3/23/16 Comparison Essay 
  10. Final Test of Spring 1 Marking period Friday 3/25/16