English 1 Grade 9: Explorers Unlocking the World of Literature Semester 1
This 1st semester course homeschoolers embark on a journey through the realms of literature & creative expression, analyzing classics, crafting essays, and developing communication skills! Small class ensures more individualized attention.
Kathie Harsch
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(68)
Star Educator
What's included
30 live meetings
25 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. You will need to read texts outside of class to be prepared for class discussions. A few parts of projects may need to be done outside of class, depending on your learning style.Assignments
Some of these assignments may be completed during class.Assessment
I will be using rubrics to assess your writing assignments and projects. I will be providing written reports to both learners and parents to keep learners on target for completion as needed.Class Experience
US Grade 9
OVERVIEW OF 9th GRADE ENGLISH I SEMESTER 1: 😊I keep class sizes small to give more individualized attention to my students. In this semester's course, I won’t teach you what to think, but HOW to think and how to get those ideas into your own words through a variety of texts and projects. We will expand on your reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar and critical thinking skills. UNITS OF STUDY: Unit 1: Why Do We Strive to Belong?- Texts around how our peers influence our behaviors. Unit 2: How Love Changes Us - Texts around the idea of love and how it affects us. All texts will be in the form of PDFs from CommonLit.org. WHEN WE MEET/HOMEWORK: This course meets two days per week, and at least one hour of reading will need to be done outside of class to prepare for our discussions in class. Additionally, you may need to do some parts of the projects outside of LIVE class time. IMPORTANT: I will be posting the Google Classroom link for your section in the Outschool classroom the day before LIVE classes begin. Google Classroom is where students can access all reading texts and assignments for this course. All messages, however, will be inside our Outschool classroom to adhere to the privacy policies of Outschool. OUR DAILY ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE IN OF 9th GRADE ENGLISH I SEMESTER 1: (Please see below for weekly and daily breakdown): - greetings, discussion about reading - writing and other skills activities -breakout group partner discussions -review of concepts HOW I WILL ASSESS: I will be using rubrics based on the standards used by the Department of Defense. These are the highest standards and help you prepare for college and careers. I will also be using Google Forms for my multiple choice quizzes and assessments. Students will be able to revise and resubmit for a higher grade for all writing assignments. LEARNING STRATEGIES: We will be using a variety of learning strategies and media for this course, some of which may include: PDFs, Digital Worksheets inside Google Docs, Google Slide lessons, Google Forms, discussions, the above named texts, Kahoot, YouTube videos. Everything will be provided for you in Google Classroom, but the link to your section will be posted in Outschool. Parents: All parent communication must remain in the Outschool Classroom. I will share all information about your child’s progress in Outschool messages to you. This is per Outschool rules. I will be teaching this course as inquiry-based and will be facilitating the class discussions around the texts we will be reading and writing. I will also be helping students to remain kind and understanding in their differences of opinion to guide them to doing the same and listening to each other.
Learning Goals
We will expand on your reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar and critical thinking skills through inquiry-based study of texts and projects.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)2 Units
30 Lessons
over 15 WeeksUnit 1: Why Do We Strive to Belong?
Lesson 1:
Introduction to Course and Unit 1
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the first unit and how the course will proceed, including homework expectations of the readings, class discussions, assignments, etc.
UNIT OVERVIEW: Ninth graders care a lot about their peers and "fitting in" with their peer groups. Therefore, in this unit, students will examine how the actions of a group can impact the choices of an individual, while practicing reading, writing, discussion, vocabulary and grammar skills. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Vocabulary for Unit 1
Students will be introduced to the vocabulary for unit 1 in an interactive, engaging lesson. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Reading: Cheboygan Day by Brittany Allen
Students will discuss how character interactions contribute to the theme of the story and complete an activity in class. All reading is to be completed before class meets. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Reading: Conformity by Charlotte Harrison
In this lesson, students will trace how a
central idea is developed over the course of an informational text. All reading is to be completed before class meets. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This course will cover some literature that contains violence, references to racism, and suicide (Romeo and Juliet). Students will not be told what to think about any of the literature; however, I will not allow for an degrading comments about any ethnic or gender groups. I will encourage your learners’ understanding in an inclusive and supportive manner.
All literature will be from the 9th grade curriculum from CommonLit.org.
Also, third party tools we may be using for learning and projects are:
Google Classroom (to give assignments to students and collect them as well as share assessments to your child), Kahoot (for review games), YouTube videos (for some lessons, background info, live performances of texts), Google Docs and Google Slides (for assignments and projects),and Google Forms (for quizzes).
Pre-Requisites
Must be able to read and write in English.
Supply List
Students will need a personal Google account (parental guardian of course) so they can get all the materials I will be sharing with them. I will be putting all assignments including homework inside Google Classroom. This makes it easier for me to share files and collect assignments. The link to your section’s Google Classroom will be given inside the Outschool classroom.
Joined June, 2022
4.9
68reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Florida Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of South Florida
I have taught English Language Arts for the past 27 years in the public school system in grades 6-9. I love teaching the joy of reading and writing with my students, and they seem to enjoy our time together as well.
I have taught the above literature during most of those 27 years, so I am mindful of keeping out any of my own personal biases by focusing on student thought and debate that is respectful and text-based. I have also taken classes in teaching about the Holocaust as well as visiting both the Florida Holocaust museum as well as the National Holocaust museum. I have also personally studied the Civil Rights era to learn more about human rights issues as well as issues related to the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. I believe in an inclusive environment, which is why I choose to teach on Outschool.
I'm also a writer and blogger with several published books and a variety of articles on my blog, Teach2Write for teachers.Reviews
Live Group Course
$50
weekly or $750 for 30 classes2x per week, 15 weeks
50 min
Completed by 3 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-15
4-6 learners per class
