8.º/9.º grado, semestre I, ELA, lectura, escritura, gramática y vocabulario

Students will complete reading assignments outside of the class, though we will read segments together during our discussions, especially plays and poetry.  In addition to reading assignments for homework, there are writing assignments, higher-level comprehension questions, and a creative final project. We will have lectures, group discussions, group work, Socratic seminars, Youtube videos, explicit grammar instruction, and vocabulary in context.  I incorporate plenty of time for students to talk and ask questions, as I believe this helps them learn and retain information. I differentiate my instruction based on the learning styles and needs of individual students, including social/emotional needs and challenges. I use graphic organizers to help students manage new information and discuss options for individualized note-taking strategies. 
The following is a list of texts we will read and analyze, followed by a rough breakdown of the sixteen week class schedule: 

Play:  A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Poets: Emily Dickinson
           Billy Collins
           Maya Angelou

Short Stories: The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
                        The Most Dangerous Game
     

Novel: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Speech: I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Expository: Various non-fiction essays and articles related to the topics and themes of the literature we read 
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There are two classes each week, Day A and Day B. Each class will have a homework assignment that will be reviewed at the beginning of the next class meeting. Every week there will be some sort of lecture, discussion of the current text, relevant vocabulary, an expository article/essay, and writing assignments. The two plays and novel will culminate with a Socratic Seminar as a venue for students to demonstrate their understanding of the text. We will also learn the basic structure of a five paragraph essay.

Week 1~Day A: Introductions/warm-ups/discuss class schedule and expectations/discuss final project/discuss homework/Plot, 
              Character Dev., Literary Terms/The Most Dangerous Game
              Day B: The Most Dangerous Game
Week 2~Day A: The Most Dangerous Game
              Day B:  Fahrenheit 451
Week 3~Day A: Fahrenheit 451 
              Day B: Fahrenheit 451 
Week 4~Day A: Fahrenheit 451
              Day B: Fahrenheit 451
Week 5 ~Day A: Socratic Seminar Fahrenheit 451
               Day B: Maya Angelou/poetry
Week 6 ~Day A: A Raisin in the Sun
               Day B: A Raisin in the Sun
Week 7 ~Day A: A Raisin in the Sun
               Day B:  A Raisin in the Sun
Week 8  ~Day A: A Raisin in the Sun
                Day B: Socratic Seminar A Raisin in the Sun
Week 9  ~Day A: Emily Dickinson/Poetry
                Day B: Emily Dickinson/Poetry
Week 10~Day A: Persuasive Writing Introduction
                 Day B: I Have a Dream
Week 11~Day A: I Have a Dream
                Day B: Vocabulary Focus
Week 12~Day A: The Necklace
                Day B: The Necklace
Week 13~Day A: Essay Writing
                Day B: Essay Writing
Week 14~Day A: Essay Writing
                Day B: Catch Up Day
Week 15~Day A: Catch Up Day
                Day B: Billy Collins Poetry
Week 16~Day A: Grammar/Writing Review
                Day B: Final Project