English 9A course roadmap

Before we dive into the world of literature, we need to build a strong foundation.

Setting off on the journey

• What We’ll Read: A short story, poem, and non-fiction essay, that introduce literary elements (theme, symbolism, tone, etc.).
• What We’ll Write: Personal reflections, summaries, literary analysis, and informational writing.
• Skills Focus: Understanding plot, character development, imagery, inference, and theme. We’ll also work on strengthening our writing skills.

• What We’ll Read: Opinion pieces, speeches, and persuasive essays.
• What We’ll Write: Argumentative essays and letters to real-world audiences.
• Skills Focus: Crafting strong arguments, using credible evidence, and recognizing rhetorical strategies.

Finding Common Ground

Words have power, and this unit will focus on using them to persuade, argue, and express opinions effectively.

• What We’ll Read: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
• What We’ll Write: A creative retelling of a scene, a modernized adaptation, or an original short story inspired by the themes of love, rivalry, and fate.
• Skills Focus: Understanding Shakespearean language, dramatic structure, and analyzing characters' motivations.

Love, Fate, and Feuds

Time to bring literature to life! In this unit, we’ll step into the world of drama by reading one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

• What We’ll Read: A novel of your choice.
• What We’ll Write: Literary analysis essays and comparative responses.
• Skills Focus: Close reading, analyzing themes, and supporting claims with textual evidence.

Exploring New Worlds

Now that we have our foundation, it's time to dive deeper into literature and nonfiction texts.

• What We’ll Read: Non-fiction articles, research studies, and investigative journalism.
• What We’ll Write: A formal research paper with citations.
• Skills Focus: Evaluating sources, paraphrasing, and avoiding plagiarism (no AI-generated essays here!).

Becoming Investigator

Time to become researchers! In this unit, you will lsearn how to ask meaningful questions and find reliable answers.