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English Language Arts 9
Curriculum English Language Arts Grade 9
PDF Grade-Set: k-9
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Big Ideas
Grandes idées
Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy.
story
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers. Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
stories
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers. texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
People understand text differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Texts are socially, culturally, and historically constructed.
Texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
Learning Standards
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Curricular Competencies
Using oral, written, visual, and digital texts, students are expected individually and collaboratively to be able to:
Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing)
Access information and ideas for diverse purposes and from a variety of sources and evaluate their relevance, accuracy, and reliability
diverse purposes
such as to inquire, to explore, to inform, to interpret, to explain, to take a position, to evaluate, to problem solve, to entertain variety of sources
includes digital sources; students need to develop the language and tools to successfully navigate digital media (e.g., be familiar with terms and concepts such as browser, cookie, browsing history, hyperlinked text, thread, URL, fair use/copyright, plagiarism, posting etiquette, following social media, tweeting, privacy, digital identity, predictive text, evaluating digital resources, how search engines work, collaborative writing online, the language register of texting versus standard Canadian English, digital ownership, data mining) relevance
Students should be prompted to ask: Does it meet the purpose? Is it current? Does it add new information? accuracy
Students should be prompted to distinguish fact from opinion and to consider the source of the information, whether it is supported by evidence, whether it is factually correct, and whether other sources support it. reliability
Students should be prompted to consider the credibility of the source’s voice, whether it is a primary or secondary source, and the trustworthiness and authority of the source. Apply appropriate strategies to comprehend written, oral, and visual texts, guide inquiry, and extend thinking
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
inquiry
asking creative and critical questions supported and inspired by texts extend thinking
may include questioning and speculating, acquiring new ideas, analyzing and evaluating ideas, developing explanations, considering alternative points of view, summarizing, synthesizing, problem solving Synthesize ideas from a variety of sources to build understanding
Recognize and appreciate how different features, forms, and genres of texts reflect different purposes, audiences, and messages
different features, forms, and genres of texts
vary depending on the purpose and audience of the text; students should be encouraged to focus on the relationship between form and function (e.g., considering the role in various texts of elements such as negative space in graphic novels, advertisements on websites, lighting and camera angles in film and photography, use of music, paragraph length, line breaks in poetry, silence and intonation in spoken word, and colour) Think critically, creatively, and reflectively to explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts
Think critically, creatively, and reflectively
questioning, interpreting, comparing, and contrasting a range of texts (e.g., narrative, poetry, visual texts); students should be encouraged to think outside the box, moving beyond the text and comparing texts; useful strategies include “exit slips,” “one star, one wish,” and quick activities to identify thinking texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize and identify the role of personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives in texts
personal, social, and cultural contexts, values, and perspectives
Students should be prompted to understand the influence of family, friends, activities, education, religion, gender, age, place, settlement patterns, immigration, economic factors, and political events (local and beyond); to understand that authors write from a perspective influenced by such factors; and to understand the relationship between text and context. texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize how language constructs personal, social, and cultural identity
how language constructs personal, social, and cultural identity
Our sense of individuality and belonging is a product of the language we use; oral tradition, story, recorded history, and social media; voice; cultural aspects; literacy history; linguistic background (English as first or additional language); register; and language as a system of meaning. Students should recognize that how we use language defines who we are in the world. Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
personal, creative, and critical ways
Students should be prompted to demonstrate comprehension, understanding of connection, and thoughtfulness; support positions with evidence/reasoning; identify and challenge their own assumptions; show awareness of their emotional and cognitive reactions and of their own point of view; and show they can consider texts from different point of views. Explain how literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance and shape meaning
how literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance and shape meaning
for example, metaphor brings a fresh perspective to the common; irony can add social critique to an argument; allusion suggests connections between diverse elements; form often reflects function; diction influences emotion, persuasiveness, and meaning Recognize an increasing range of text structures and how they contribute to meaning
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize and appreciate the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view
story
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers. Develop an awareness of the diversity within and across First Peoples societies represented in texts
diversity within and across First Peoples societies
variety of worldviews and perspectives, diverse traditions, range of historical experiences, wealth of human experiences texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Recognize the influence of place in First Peoples and other Canadian texts
Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)
Exchange ideas and viewpoints to build shared understanding and extend thinking
Exchange ideas and viewpoints
collaborating in large and small groups through activities such as think-pair-share, debates, four corners, quiet conversation, and lit circles (in which students take on new roles); using active listening skills and receptive body language; paraphrasing and building on others’ ideas; disagreeing respectfully; extending thinking (e.g., shifting, changing) to broader contexts (social media, digital environments) Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes and audiences
literary and informational texts
Students should be supported in planning, drafting, and editing multimedia and multimodal texts, such as paragraph compositions that include a theme (subject and author’s opinion) and TAG (title, author, genre); other examples of texts include opinion pieces, poetry, short stories, narratives, slams, spoken word texts, storyboards and comic strips, and masks audiences
Students at this level expand their understanding of the range of audiences to include children, peers, authorities, and technical and business audiences, and are introduced to evidence-based writing for a variety of audiences. Assess and refine texts to improve their clarity, effectiveness, and impact according to purpose, audience, and message
refine texts
using techniques such as adjusting diction and form according to audience needs and preferences, using verbs effectively, using repetition and substitution for effect, using active instead of passive voice, maintaining parallelism, adding modifiers, replacing be verbs with stronger verbs, varying sentence types, using precise diction, eliminating wordiness audience
Students at this level expand their understanding of the range of audiences to include children, peers, authorities, and technical and business audiences, and are introduced to evidence-based writing for a variety of audiences. Use an increasing repertoire of conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation
spelling
focus is on Canadian spelling (e.g., -our, -re, and –ize endings; doubled consonants in words such as counselled and travelled; words such as grey, licence) Use and experiment with oral storytelling processes
oral storytelling processes
creating an original story or finding an existing story (with permission), sharing the story from memory with others, using vocal expression to clarify the meaning of the text, using non-verbal communication expressively to clarify the meaning, attending to stage presence, differentiating the storyteller’s natural voice from the characters’ voices, presenting the story efficiently, keeping the listener’s interest throughout, using an expanding repertoire of techniques to enhance audience experience Select and use appropriate features, forms, and genres according to audience, purpose, and message
Transform ideas and information to create original texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Express an opinion and support it with credible evidence
Content
Students are expected to know the following:
Story/text
- forms, functionsformssuch as narrative, exposition, report, and genresfunctionspurposes of textof textgenresliterary or thematic categories such as fantasy, humour, adventure, biographytextText and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
- Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
- Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
- Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
- Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
- Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
- text featurestext featureshow text and visuals are displayed
- literary elementsliterary elementscharacterization, narrative structures, setting
- literary devicesliterary devicessensory detail (e.g., imagery, sound devices); figurative language (e.g., metaphor, simile, hyperbole); irony, paradox, oxymoron
- elements of visual/graphic textselements of visual/graphic textslayout, infographics, emoticons, icons, symbols, interactive visuals, hypertext, colour; illustration style (realism, cartoon, sketch, outline)
Strategies and processes
- reading strategiesreading strategiesusing contextual clues; using phonics and word structure; visualizing; questioning; predicting; previewing text; summarizing; making inferences
- oral language strategiesoral language strategiesfocusing on the speaker, asking questions to clarify, listening for specifics, expressing opinions, speaking with expression, staying on topic, taking turns
- metacognitive strategiesmetacognitive strategiestalking and thinking about learning (e.g., through reflecting, questioning, goal setting, self-evaluating) to develop awareness of self as a reader and as a writer
- writing processeswriting processesmay include revising, editing, considering audience
Language features, structures, and conventions
- features of oral languagefeatures of oral languagesuch as tone, volume, inflection, pace, gestures
- multi-paragraphingmulti-paragraphingdeveloping multi-paragraph compositions that are characterized by unity, development, and coherence
- language changelanguage changeLanguages change slowly but continually (e.g., Old English to Modern English):
- elements of styleelements of stylediction, figurative language, tone, inclusive language, and degree of formality
- usageusagesuch as avoiding double negatives, mixed metaphors, malapropisms, word misuse
- syntax and sentence fluencysyntax and sentence fluencyuse of a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences; correct pronoun use; subject-verb agreement; use of transitional words; awareness of run-on sentences and sentence fragments
- conventionsconventionscommon practices in all standard punctuation use, in capitalization, in quoting, and in Canadian spelling
- presentation techniquespresentation techniquesAny presentation (in written, oral, or digital form) should reflect an appropriate choice of medium for the purpose and the audience, and demonstrate thought and care in organization.
- rhetorical devicesrhetorical devicesfigurative language, parallelism, repetition, irony, humour, exaggeration, emotional language, logic, direct address, rhetorical questions, and allusion
- connotation and denotation
Note: Some of the learning standards in the PHE curriculum address topics that some students and their parents or guardians may feel more comfortable addressing at home. Refer to ministry policy regarding opting for alternative delivery.