Waterloo Collegiate Institute

Waterloo Collegiate Institute

Grade 9 Academic English: ENG 1DI/W

Course Description from Ministry Guidelines:

The Grade 9 Academic and Pre-Advanced Placement English program continues to develop the analytic reading, writing, oral communication and thinking skills needed in the challenging secondary school academic program and in preparation for the diversity of life. Students will study and interpret a variety of challenging texts from contemporary and historical periods, including novels poems, plays and opinion pieces. They will also analyze and create effective media works. An important focus will be the thoughtful use of spoken and written language.

ENG 1DI – Overview of Main Units: / Accompanying Text(s)
Unit 1 / Reading Fiction and Non-fiction with Purpose / Resource Lines and Sightlines 9/Myth
Unit 2 / Writing with Purpose and Style / Electronic data bases/newspapers
Unit 3 / Novel Study – longer historical fiction / Harper Lee’s: To Kill a Mockingbird
Unit 4 / Oral Language and Drama / Shakespeare’s: Twelfth Night
Unit 5 / Independent Study / Various novels
Unit 6 / Media Literacy / The Laramie Project Film and Play
Unit 7 / Culminating Activity / Sources will be provided.

* You will be assigned a set of course books for the entire year. You are responsible for keeping your books in good condition. You are also responsible for covering the costs for any lost or damaged books.

Learning Skills:

The development of learning skills and work habits is an integral part of a student’s learning. The achievement of these skills is officially reported on the Provincial Report Card. For a full descirption of the 6 Learning Skills: Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self Regulation, please see the WCI Student Planner.

Course Assessment and Evaluation:

The ENG 1DI course will be evaluated based on term work worth 70% of your final report grade and the components of the final evaluation are worth 30% of your final grade.

Essential Skills or “Big Ideas” in this course:

To be successful in this course, your MUST be able to demonstrate all of the following skills:

  • Demonstrate the ability to listen in order to understand, use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with a variety of audiences and reflect on their strengths as a listener.
  • Demonstrate the ability to read and comprehend a variety of texts while identifying literary devices, text forms and features while implementing strategies before, during and after reading.
  • Develop and organize content to write for an intended audience while making connections in your writing (Thesis, Supporting Evidence and implement PPE Structure)
  • Implement editing and proofreading strategies in order to communicate your understanding (TKAM essay,Summative Essay and Journal responses).
  • identify media forms by identifying conventions and techniques as well as create a media text for a specific audience using conventions and techniques.

Breakdown for Essential Course Components

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Overall

Reading Assignments and Quizzes- Novel Study and reading comprehension / 70%
Unit Tests – Short Story Elements, Literary devices, Twelfth Night & To Kill a Mockingbird
Writing Assignments - Short Story Journal writing, opinion writing, formal essay & newsreport
Media Projects (Brochure and PSA productions)
Oral Speaking and Drama Presentations
Independent Novel Study (written and oral presentation)
Culminating Activity / 30%

Guidelines for Late and Missed Assignments

At WCI, it is the expectation that students will submit all required work by the assigned due date as evidence of their learning. Students who fail to meet a due date for an essential course component will be subject to the completion policy found in the student planner. Failure to submit this work, despite these interventions, will be recorded as incomplete and may result in a loss of credit. * Please do your best to communicate when things happen (I will understand). Please tell me in advance, when possible, and do your best to make alternative arrangements for appointments, extra-curricular activities, vacation, etc.

Cheating / Plagiarism Policy

At WCI, it is the expectation that students will submit their own original work for the purpose of demonstrating their learning. In the event that cheating orplagiarism occurs, the following consequences may be implemented, in consultation with administration, depending of the situation:

• The student may be required to redo all or part of the assignment or assessment

• The student may be required to complete an alternate assignment of assessment

• The student’s work may be treated as a missed assignment

• There may be other consequences that are determined to be appropriate, including disciplinary

consequences as outlined in the Cheating / Plagiarism section of the student planner

To Do List

  1. Students will be asked to submit major writing assignments to a website that checks for plagiarism. Please go to turnitin.com and create and account by the end of September.

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