Ninth Grade Language Arts, taught by Tanya Stuart, is designed to strengthen students’ reading,

writing, critical thinking, and communication skills through the study of diverse texts and media.

Throughout the year, students will explore literature across multiple genres, including novels,

short stories, poetry, drama, and film.

Students will engage in close reading and literary analysis of selected works, while also

analyzing film adaptations and other visual storytelling formats. Through discussion, writing,

and projects, students will examine literary elements such as theme, character development,

symbolism, conflict, and the author’s purpose.

Writing instruction will focus on developing clear, organized, and effective communication.

Students will compose a variety of pieces, including analytical essays, persuasive essays, short

stories, poetry, and a formal research paper. Emphasis will be placed on the writing

process—planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

Vocabulary development and grammar instruction will be integrated throughout the course to

support reading comprehension and improve writing mechanics. Students will practice sentence

structure, punctuation, usage, and academic vocabulary in context.

By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze complex texts, write thoughtfully and

coherently for multiple purposes, conduct research using credible sources, and communicate

ideas confidently in both written and spoken forms.

Books that will be read:

1. Animal Farm

2. Antigone

3. God’s Smuggler

4. A Christmas Carol

5. Joni: An Unforgettable Story

6. Anne of Green Gables

7. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats

8. The Practice of the Presence of God

Movies we will watch:

1. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

2. A Christmas Carol

3. Mr. Holland’s Opus

4. Hook

5. The Truman Show

No Curriculum is required to purchase. Mrs. Stuart will provide the students with handouts to

put into their binders. You may purchase the books or rent them from the library. We will watch

and analyze the movies in class.

What to bring to class:

Pencils/Pens

Highlighter-any color

binder with lined paper

Google Classroom:

Students and/or parents will be required to sign into Google Classroom each week to

receive homework, communications from Mrs. Stuart, and check grades.

Homework Expectation:

There will be approximately 3-4 hours of homework a week. This will include reading

the assigned book and writing papers.

Cell Phone Policy:

Cell phones are not allowed to be out in class unless instructed by the teacher to do so for

research purposes. Parents must contact the front desk if there is a need to get a hold of

their student.