READING

1.0. WORD ANALYSIS, FLUENCY, AND SYSTEMATIC VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: Students apply their knowledge of word origins both to determine the meaning of new words encountered in reading materials and to use those words accurately.

Vocabulary and Concept Development:

1.1. identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words, and understand word derivation

1.2. distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words, and interpret the connotative power of words

1.3. identify and use knowledge of the origins of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology to understand the meaning of new words (e.g., the word "narcissistic" drawn from the myth of Narcissus and Echo)
 

GRADES 9/10

2.0. READING COMPREHENSION (FOCUS ON INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS): Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They analyze the organizational patterns, arguments, and positions advanced. The selections in Recommended Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve (1990) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, by grade twelve, students read two million words annually on their own, including a wide variety of classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, and online information. In grades nine and ten, students make substantial progress toward this goal.

Structural Features of Informational Materials:

2.1. analyze both (1) the structure and format of functional workplace documents, including format, graphics, and headers and (2) how authors use the features to achieve their purposes

2.2. prepare a bibliography of reference materials for a report using a variety of consumer, workplace, and public documents

Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text:

2.3. generate relevant questions about readings that can be researched

2.4. synthesize the content and ideas from several sources dealing with a single issue or written by a single author, and paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension

2.5. extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration

2.6. demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical directions (e.g., graphic calculators, specialized software programs, access guides to Internet worldwide websites)

Expository Critique:

2.7. critique the logic of functional documents by examining the sequence of information and procedures and the anticipation of possible reader misunderstandings

2.8. evaluate the credibility of an author's argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, and how the author's intent affects the text's structure and tone (e.g., professional journals, editorials, political speeches, primary source material)
 

GRADES 9/10

3.0. LITERARY RESPONSE AND ANALYSIS: Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The selections in Recommended Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.

Structural Features of Literature:

3.1. articulate the relationship between the expressed purposes and the characteristics of different forms of dramatic literature (comedy, tragedy, drama, dramatic monologue)

3.2. compare and contrast the presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text:

3.3. analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, and influences) and how they affect the plot

3.4. determine characters' traits by what they say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, soliloquy

3.5. compare works that express a universal theme, and provide evidence to support the ideas expressed in each work

3.6. analyze and trace an author's development of time and sequence, including the use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks)

3.7. recognize and understand the significance of a wide range of literary elements and techniques, including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain their appeal

3.8. interpret and evaluate the impact of ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions, ironies, and incongruities in text

3.9. explain how voice, persona, and narrator affect tone, characterization, plot, and credibility

3.10. identify and describe the function of dialogue, scene design, soliloquies, and asides and character foils in dramatic literature

Literary Criticism:

3.11. evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact that diction and figurative language have on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of literary criticism (Aesthetic Approach)

3.12. analyze how a work of literature is related to the themes and issues of its historical period (Historical Approach)
 

WRITING

GRADES 9/10

1.0. WRITING STRATEGIES: Students write coherent and focused texts that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly-reasoned argument. Student writing demonstrates awareness of audience and purpose and use of the stages of the writing process, as needed.

Organization and Focus:

1.1. establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintains a consistent tone and focus throughout the piece of writing

1.2. use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers, and active rather than passive voice

Research and Technology:

1.3. use clear research questions and coherent research methods (e.g., library, electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence from primary and secondary sources

1.4. develop key ideas within the body of the composition through supportive evidence (e.g., scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheticals, and/or definitions)

1.5. synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and how different perspectives are found in each medium (e.g., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, and technical documents)

1.6. integrate quotations and citations into written text, while maintaining the flow of ideas

1.7. use appropriate conventions for documentation in text, notes, and bibliographies, adhering to style manuals (e.g., the Modern Language Association Handbook or Chicago Style Manual)

1.8. design and publish multi-page documents using advanced publishing software and graphic programs

Revising and Evaluating Strategies:

1.9. revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and controlling perspective, the precision of word choice, and the tone, taking into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context
 

GRADES 9/10

2.0. WRITING APPLICATIONS (GENRES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS): Students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description to produce text of at least 1,500 words, when appropriate. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.

Using the Grades 9/10 writing strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:

2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories:

a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.

b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.

c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.

d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.

e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.

2.2 Write responses to literature:

a. Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works.

b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works.

c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an appreciation of the effects created.

d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.

2.3 Write expository compositions, including analytical essays and research reports:

a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information on all relevant perspectives.

b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.

c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas.

d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.

e. Anticipate and address readers' potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.

f. Use technical terms and notations accurately.

2.4 Write persuasive compositions:

a. Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained and logical fashion.

b. Use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic through reasoning; appeal to emotion or ethical belief; relate a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy).

c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, and expressions of commonly accepted beliefs and logical reasoning.

d. Address readers' concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations.

2.5 Write business letters:

a. Provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience appropriately.

b. Use appropriate vocabulary, tone, and style to take into account the nature of the relationship with, and the knowledge and interests of, the recipients.

c. Highlight central ideas or images.

d. Follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts, and spacing that contribute to the documents' readability and impact.

2.6 Write technical documents (e.g., a manual on rules of behavior for conflict resolution, procedures for conducting a meeting, minutes of a meeting):

a. Report information and convey ideas logically and correctly.

b. Offer detailed and accurate specifications.

c. Include scenarios, definitions, and examples to aid comprehension (e.g., troubleshooting guide).

d. Anticipate readers' problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings.

WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS

English Language Conventions are integral both to Writing and to Listening and Speaking. Thus, these standards have been placed between the other two.

GRADES 9/10

1.0. WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions.

Grammar and Mechanics:

1.1 Identify and correctly use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial), and mechanics of punctuation (e.g., semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens).

1.2 Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination, proper placement of modifiers) and proper English usage (e.g., consistency of verb tenses).

1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax.

Manuscript Form (Grades Nine and Ten)

1.4 Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.

1.5 Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including title page presentation, pagination, spacing and margins, and integration of source and support material (e.g., in-text citation, use of direct quotations, paraphrasing) with appropriate citations.

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

GRADES 9/10

1.0. LISTENING AND SPEAKING STRATEGIES: Students formulate adroit judgments about oral communication. They deliver focused and coherent presentations of their own that convey clear and distinct perspectives and solid reasoning. They incorporate gestures, tone, and vocabulary tailored to audience and purpose.

Comprehension:

1.1. formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those judgments with convincing evidence

1.2. compare and contrast how media genres (e.g., nightly news, news magazines, documentaries, on-line information) cover the same event

Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication:

1.3. choose logical patterns of organization (e.g., chronological, topical, cause/effect) to inform and to persuade by soliciting agreement or action, or to unite audiences behind a common belief or cause

1.4. choose appropriate devices for introduction and conclusion (e.g., literary quotations, anecdotes, references to authoritative sources)

1.5. recognize and use elements of classical speech form (introduction, first and second transitions, body, and conclusion), formulating rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate

1.6. present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types of proofs (e.g., statistics, testimony, specific instances) that meet standard tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance

1.7. use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations
1.8. produce concise notes for extemporaneous delivery

1.9. analyze interests of the audience and implications of the occasion to choose effective verbal and non-verbal strategies for presentations (e.g., voice, gestures, eye contact)

Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications:

1.10 Analyze historically significant speeches (e.g., Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream") to find the rhetorical devices and features that make them memorable.

1.11 Assess how language and delivery affect the mood and tone of the oral communication and make an impact on the audience.

1.12 Evaluate the clarity, quality, effectiveness, and general coherence of a speaker's important points, arguments, evidence, organization of ideas, delivery, diction, and syntax.

1.13 Analyze the types of arguments used by the speaker, including argument by causation, analogy, authority, emotion, and logic.

1.14 Identify the aesthetic effects of a media presentation and evaluate the techniques used to create them (e.g., compare Shakespeare's Henry V with Kenneth Branagh's 1990 film version).

GRADES 9/10

2.0. SPEAKING APPLICATIONS (GENRES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS): Students deliver polished formal and extemporaneous presentations that combine traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion and description. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organization and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0.

Using the Grades 9/10 speaking strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0, students:

2.1. Deliver narrative presentations:

a. Narrate a sequence of events and communicate their significance to the audience.

b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.

c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of characters.

d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate time or mood changes.

2.2 Deliver expository presentations:

a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information on all relevant perspectives.

b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.

c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas.

d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and display information on charts, maps, and graphs.

e. Anticipate and address the listener's potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.

f. Use technical terms and notations accurately.

2.3 Apply appropriate interviewing techniques:

a. Prepare and ask relevant questions.

b. Make notes of responses.

c. Use language that conveys maturity, sensitivity, and respect.

d. Respond correctly and effectively to questions.

e. Demonstrate knowledge of the subject or organization.

f. Compile and report responses.

g. Evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.

2.4 Deliver oral responses to literature:

a. Advance a judgment demonstrating a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of works or passages (i.e., make and support warranted assertions about the text).

b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works.

c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an appreciation of the effects created.

d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.

2.5 Deliver persuasive arguments (including evaluation and analysis of problems and solutions and causes and effects):

a. Structure ideas and arguments in a coherent, logical fashion.

b. Use rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., by appeal to logic through reasoning; by appeal to emotion or ethical belief; by use of personal anecdote, case study, or analogy).

c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning.

d. Anticipate and address the listener's concerns and counterarguments.

2.6 Deliver descriptive presentations:

a. Establish clearly the speaker's point of view on the subject of the presentation.

b. Establish clearly the speaker's relationship with that subject (e.g., dispassionate observation, personal involvement).

c. Use effective, factual descriptions of appearance, concrete images, shifting perspectives and vantage points, and sensory details.