NINTH AND TENTH

GRADE

OVERVIEW

READING

In ninth and tenth grades, reading is purposeful and automatic. Readers are aware of comprehension and vocabulary strategies being employed especially when encountering difficult text and/or reading for a specific purpose. They continue to increase their content and academic vocabulary. Oral and written responses analyze and/or synthesize information from multiple sources to deepen understanding of the content .Readers have greater ability to make connections and adjust understandings as they gain knowledge. They challenge texts, drawing on evidence from their own experience and wide reading. Students continue to read for pleasure.

WRITING

Writing as a Literary Form
Overview: At these grades, most students create their own literary texts with confidence. They can explore, interpret, and reflect on a wide range of experiences, texts, ideas, and opinions. Their work portrays complex thoughts in a strong personal voice, using a wide range of literary techniques. They write, revise, edit, and present texts to explore ideas imaginatively and in depth, using forms, language, and conventions accurately and intentionally. They are able to work toward new goals in authorship and evaluate their writing, its literary qualities, and their own writing processes with objectivity.
A Quick Check:

Does the student:
• Write confidently, fluently, and independently?
• Craft text, using a range of literary techniques effectively, considering the topic, purpose, and anticipated audience?
• Demonstrate well-considered thought, comprehensive reading and research, and careful planning in written work?
• Employ revision and editing processes until accuracy and desired emphases are achieved?
• Seek criticism in order to improve quality of writing?
• Maintain a portfolio or collection of own literary writing?

Writing in the Content Areas
Overview: At these grades students increase their competence in writing reports, explanations, and reviews on a range of complex topics, reflecting a secure understanding of the theme and/or issue. The students are able to relate their knowledge and opinions to personal, social, cultural, political, and historical contexts. They structure well-researched material effectively, in appropriate forms and style for an increasing range of audiences and purposes. They retrieve, select, organize, synthesize, and evaluate material from a variety of resources, including technology
A Quick Check:

Does the student:
• Research in sufficient depth to formulate ideas and present accurate information or effectively debate a proposition or a point of view?
• Present information and organize writing according to the dictates of specific disciplines?
• Revise and edit to reflect accurately an understanding of the topic, audience, purpose, form, and format?
• Manage time and resources for optimum benefit?
• Evaluate work from several perspectives, including process employed, content, and breadth and depth of treatment of topic?

MATH

In ninth and tenth grades, there may be a number of different course offerings for students. Regardless of the particular title of the course, students will be proficient with operations on rational numbers in all forms and scientific notation representing very large and very small numbers. Students analyze effects of changes in dimension and apply formulas to measurement. They understand both the U.S. and metric systems and are able to convert units within each system. Students use a variety of methods and formulas to find area, volume, the slope of a line, and the distance between points on a coordinate grid. They apply multiple transformations to figures or points, and can apply conditional probability in situations. Students develop equations for linear models. They analyze statistical arguments for accuracy and bias, arithmetic and geometric patterns using recursive definitions, and solve multi-step equations and systems of equations in two variables.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The main focus in ninth and tenth grade Social Studies is World History.

The themes are:

A. Global expansion and encounter

B. Age of Revolution (1750-1914)

C. Causes and consequences of International Conflicts (1870-Present)

D. Challenges to democracy and human rights (1900-Present)

E. Emergence and Development of new nations (1945-Present)

SCIENCE

In ninth and tenth grade students examine scientific theories and master both their field and controlled investigative skills. They develop physical, conceptual, and mathematical models to represent and investigate objects, events, systems, and processes. Students infer and make predictions based on scientific evidence and then apply their skills and knowledge to new situations. The guiding question is "How do we investigate to validate or contribute to our understanding of theories used to explain natural systems?" Students work on the investigative skills of Evaluating using data, Inferring using data, Predictions based on scientific evidence, and Application.