Grade 9

1.00 Credit

Level 2

Course # 1112

The purpose of this course is to intensely develop advanced critical thinking skills in the areas of writing, reading, speaking and listening in preparation for college. Students will be required to understand and practice persuasive and informational forms of writing designed to prepare students for writing styles used in various standardized tests.  This will be accomplished on a weekly basis through the rotated use of journal writing, creative writing, formal essays, and in-class prompts.  Students will also be introduced to core elements of MLA-style research writing, such as the thesis statement, the works cited page, and parenthetical documentation, which students must correctly practice by writing a short research paper. Vocabulary development, including recognition of synonyms and antonyms, and grammar development, with an emphasis of subject/verb agreement, active voice, and correct punctuation, will take place in conjunction with reading and writing assignments.

A primary focus of the course will be preparation for the Keystone Literature exam.  Students will read a variety of non-fiction and fiction selections including Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, several short stories and poetry selections. Also, each student will read a teacher-approved novel of his or her choice as a directed independent reading assignment. Some reading will be completed in class, but a focus will be on individual reading outside of class in the form of homework assignments. In addition, students will practice listening skills by interacting with audio/visual materials including recordings and films.  Students are expected to complete a research paper for this course.