Course Syllabus

English 9H/ Kim                                                                                 kimm@wellesleyps.org

2020-2021                                                                                                         Room 226, 243

9H English 

English 9H Syllabus.pdf

 

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:

  1. 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

  2. To identify, compare, contrast, analyze, and make connections (verbally and in writing) to texts of various literary genres

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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