Course Syllabus
English 9H/ Kim kimm@wellesleyps.org
2020-2021 Room 226, 243
9H English
Welcome to 9H English! This year, we will be reading short stories, novellas, novels, and articles and reflecting on how these works of literature allow us to understand our world and ourselves better. Here are the Essential Questions we will be exploring this year:
- Who and what determines who I am?
- What does it mean to be ‘from' a place? How does where we are from influence who we are?
- How do we understand ourselves not only as individuals but also as parts of diverse communities? How are decisions made about who belongs and who does not?
- What constitutes right and wrong in a changing world?
Common English 9H Student Objectives/Core Skills:
- To become an active/close reader who increases their understanding and appreciation of texts by recognizing and analyzing the function of literary devices, such as: conflict, characterization, symbol/motif, allusion, figurative language & theme. We will hone these skills by practicing active/close reading strategies
- To identify, compare, contrast, analyze, and make connections (verbally and in writing) to texts of various literary genres
- To build an inclusive and participatory classroom atmosphere and a sense of belonging that allows us to honor and develop our core values of: achieving academic excellence, fostering cooperative and caring relationships, respecting human differences, and committing to community
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To understand literature as both window and mirror; To build empathy for others and be able to shift perspectives to understand another’s experience and point of view; To express ideas articulately and sensitively, to listen well, and to collaborate productively
- To continue to develop a personal writing style that demonstrates: logical development of unique ideas; clear and cohesive structure; relevant textual evidence; purposeful word choice; clarity of thought and expression; and other elements of good writing, and to participate in the writing process of prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, and peer and self-assessment
Communication
Please check our Canvas Page for announcements, homework assignments, and reading materials. If you have any questions, you can email me at kimm@wellesleyps.org, or we can set up a time to meet on Zoom.
Thematic Units
Unit 1: Short Story Unit
“Trail of the Green Blazer” by R. K. Narayan
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
“Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Unit 2: Human Nature
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Unit 3: Cultural Identity
The House on Mango Street (excerpts) by Sandra Cisneros
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Moving forward, students will have the option to read a selection from the following texts:
Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney
Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao
The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Koningsberg
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Course Summary:
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