Topic outline

  • General


    English 9A

    English 9A is the first semester of a year-long Language Arts course. In this course, we will study novels, plays, poetry, and articles as a means of improving critical thinking, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and written expression. Through written, audio, and video recordings, students share their reactions to the characters, themes, and issues of the works studied. Grammar, vocabulary, symbolism, plot points, and character development are among the language and literary techniques which students will study in this course. Throughout the course, students will make connections between the themes and characters of literature, and the events and interactions of their own lives. Students will work through all steps of the writing process to create effective paragraphs and essays—skills that will apply in all disciplines throughout high school and beyond. Wikis and group work will allow students to share ideas and connect with other students, and interactive instruction and review will clarify grammar and usage rules to help our students avoid embarrassing mistakes that beset the English written word.

    Creative Commons License

    English 9A course materials created by the Open High School of Utah are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. This course contains open educational resources produced by other organizations which may use a different open license. Please confirm the license status of these third-party resources before reusing them. See OpenCourseWare for additional information about licensing.


    •  Download a copy of this course. File 3.3MB Moodle backup
  • Topic 1

    •  WATCH: English 9 Introduction URL
    •  VIEW: "We thought you was a toad!" Page
    •  VIEW: "Childrens do Learn" Page
    •  READ: Discussion Instructions Page
    •  PRINT: Parts of Speech Handout Page
    •  PRACTICE: Parts of Speech Quiz Page
    •  READ: Introduction to "The Outsiders" File
  • Topic 2

    •  WATCH: Week 2 Grammar Instruction Subjects and Verbs URL
    •  WATCH: Week 2 Usage Instruction There/Their/They're URL
    •  PRINT: List of Prepositions Page
    •  PRINT: List of Irregular Verbs Page
    •  PRACTICE: Finding Subjects Page
    •  PRACTICE: Finding Verbs Page
    •  WATCH: Lesson 2 Writing Presentation URL
    •  WATCH: Screencast how to do clustering assignment Page
    •  REVIEW: Prepositional Phrases Page
  • Topic 3

    •  PRINT: Subject-Verb Agreement Handout Page
    •  WATCH: Week 3 Grammar--Subject-Verb Agreement URL
    •  WATCH: Week 3 Usage Instruction URL
    •  PRACTICE: Subject-Verb Agreement Page
    •  WATCH: Week 3 Composition Instruction: Writing Process (Planning) URL
    •  REVIEW: Articles A vs. An Instruction Page
    •  REVIEW: Articles A vs. An Exercises Page
  • Topic 4

    •  WATCH: Week 4 Grammar Instruction:Verb Shifts URL
    •  LISTEN: Grammar Girl on Passive Voice Page
    •  PRACTICE: Active vs. Passive Verbs Page
    •  PRACTICE: Shifts in Tense Page
    •  WATCH: Week 4 Usage--its/it's/your/you're URL
    •  WATCH: Week 4 Composition Instruction: Support URL
    •  PRINT:Paragraph Structure Handout Page
    •  REVIEW: Action vs. Linking Verbs Page
  • Topic 5

    •  WATCH: Week 5 Grammar Instruction--Run-on Sentences URL
    •  PRACTICE: Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Page
    •  WATCH: Week 5 Usage Instruction: knew, new, no, etc. URL
    •  WATCH: Week 5 Composition Instruction: Unity and Coherence URL
    •  PRINT: Transitions Handout Page
    •  REVIEW: Subject-Verb Agreement Page
  • Topic 6

    •  WATCH: Week 6 Grammar Instruction: Sentence Fragments URL
    •  PRACTICE: Sentence Fragments Page
    •  WATCH: Week 6 Usage Instruction then/than/loose/lose URL
    •  WATCH: Week 6 Composition pt. 1: Revision URL
    •  WATCH: Week 6 Composition Instruction part 2 Page
    •  WATCH Week 6 Instruction part 3 URL
    •  PRINT Rubric Page
    •  PRINT: Week 6 Slang/Cliche Note-taking Guide Page
    •  WATCH: Week 6 Instruction--Slang/Cliche URL
  • Topic 7

    •  WATCH: Capitalization Instruction Page
    •  PRINT: Capitalization Handout Page
    •  PRACTICE: Capitalization Page
    •  PRINT and READ: Peer Edit Guidelines and Example File
  • Topic 8

    •  REVIEW: Peer Editing Guidelines and Example Page
  • Topic 9

    •  STUDY and ADD to: Midterm Study Guide Page
  • Topic 10

    •  *WATCH: Week 10 Grammar Instruction URL
    •  READ and PRINT: Pronoun Case Page
    •  PRACTICE: Pronoun Case Page
    •  WATCH: Week 10 Usage Instruction: Affect/Effect URL
    •  READ and PRINT: Affect vs. Effect Page
    •  LISTEN: Grammar Girl on Affect vs. Effect Page
    •  WATCH: Week 10 Composition Instruction URL
    •  VIEW: Sample 5-Paragraph Essay Page
    •  VIEW: Sample 5-Paragraph Essay URL
    •  PRINT: Week 10 Composition Assignment--essay organization Page
    •  REVIEW: Confused Words Page
  • Topic 11

    •  WATCH: Week 11 Grammar: Pronoun Problems URL
    •  STUDY: Pronon Agreement Handout Page
    •  STUDY: Accept vs. Except handout Page
    •  PRACTICE: Accept vs. Except. Page
    •  REVIEW: Using the Correct Pronoun Page
    •  WATCH: Thesis Statements URL
    •  STUDY: Thesis Statement Handout Page
  • Topic 12

    •  WATCH: Week 12 Grammar Instruction: Point of View URL
    •  WATCH: Usage Video: Fewer/Less URL
    •  WATCH: Week 12 Composition Instruction URL
    •  PRINT: Sample Outline Template and Sample Outline Page
    •  PRINT: Handout on Sentence Variety Page
    •  REVIEW: Sentence Variety Page
    •  PRACTICE: Avoiding Sexist Language Page
  • Topic 13

    •  WATCH: Week 13 Comma Usage Instruction URL
    •  PRINT: Comma Rules Handout Page
    •  PRACTICE: Comma Usage Page
    •  PRINT: Adjectives and Adverbs Handout Page
    •  LISTEN: Grammar Girl on Bad vs. Badly Page
    •  LISTEN: Grammar Girl on Good vs. Well Page
    •  WATCH: Week 13 Composition Intstruction: Introductions URL
    •  REVIEW: Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Page
  • Topic 14

    •  WATCH: Punctuation Instruction URL
    •  PRINT: Punctuation Handout Page
    •  PRACTICE: Punctuation Exercises Page
    •  WATCH: Week 14 Usage Instruction: Woman/Women/Among/Between URL
    •  WATCH: Buiding Depth and Detail Instruction URL
    •  PRINT: Body Paragraph Outline and Example Page
    •  WATCH: Writing the Body Paragraph Video Page
    •  REVIEW: Transitions with Grammar Girl Page
  • Topic 15

    •  WATCH: Week 15 Apostrophes Instruction URL
    •  PRINT: Apostrophe Handout Page
    •  PRACTICE: Apostrophe practice quiz Page
    •  MORE PRACTICE: Apostrophes Page
    •  WATCH: Week 15 Composition Instruction: Conclusions URL
    •  READ: How to Write a Conclusion Page
    •  READ: How to write an effective conclusion Page
    •  WATCH: Conclusion Checklist Video Page
    •  REVIEW: Commas vs. Semicolons Page
    •  REVIEW: Capitalization Page
    •  REVIEW: Essay Organization Page
  • Topic 16

    •  PRINT: Essay Scoring Guide Page
    •  PRINT: Week 16 Revision Quiz Information Page
    •  REVIEW: Writing Process Page
  • Topic 17

  • Topic 18

    •  READ: how to prepare for essay exam Page
    •  REVIEW: Using the Correct Words Page
    •  REVIEW: Essay Organization Page
    •  PRINT: Final Exam Study Guide Page
    •  CONTRIBUTE: to Class Study Guide Page
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