We gratefully acknowledge, respect, recognize and appreciate that we live, learn and work and teach on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dun First Nations and the Ta'an Kwächän Council. 
​Shä̀wnítha / Shro neethun

The Curriculum Document

Click on the embedded link below to visit the B.C. Curriculum page for English Language Arts 9

Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum

Story/text forms such as narrative, exposition, report , functions, and genres literary or thematic categories such as fantasy, humour, adventure, biography of 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.

​The Grading
​Standards Based Assessment & Evaluation

Ms. Carrey does her assessment and evaluation using a combination of Aspen (the student information system) and MS 365 Teams/Class Notebook.

Below you will find the reporting standards for the class.  Specific assignments may have elements that fall into more than one standard, but an assignment will be mostly focused in one standard area. 

In the descriptions below, there are some examples of skills/content from the curriculum document to help you understand what each standard cluster includes. This list of examples is not exhaustive. 

With Standards Based Assessment, the goal is to not weight categories, so much as it is to offer students repeated opportunities to practice skills (formative assignments, because they are forming skills) and then, when evaluating summative (marked) assessments, look at the best of the most consistent and most recent results.  This means that a few difficulties here and there don't penalize learners and that as the semester goes on and there are more summative (marked) vs. formative assignments, they're being graded after they have practice! 

The Reporting Standards

​Reading Strategies

Communicating Creative & Critical Thought

Connecting to and Understanding Story and Language as Culture

Research, Discussion and Acknowledging Sources

Writing Structures, Strategies & Processes

​The Course Outline
​The Plan 

Below is an interactive online 'book' that contains the plan for this semester. 

Click on the pointing finger in the top right to see the interactive elements where you will find links, and more information.  You can open the 'book' by making it full screen (click on the three dots in the bottom right corner and navigate through the material). ​

Semester Plan EN 09 Aug 2021 - Jan 2022 by Robin Carrey on Genially

MEN--09 2021/22 Semester Plan English 09 INDEX iNTRODUCtion Staff objectives time Frames TOPICS resources EVALUAtion MEN 09 2021/22 English 09 In the English classroom thanks INTRODUCtion ABOUTTHE SUBJECT English Language ArtsThe key to all language is the communication of clear ideas.Although many students in English classes speak it as a first or second language, that is not the same as using English artfully, thoughtfully and consistently to clearly communicate a variety of ideas to a wide range of audiences for diverse purposes.

​The Course Materials
​The Content  

• The Novel Study

• Other Fiction

• Non-fiction

• 4

• 5

• 6

• 7

• 8

• 9

• 10

• 11

• 12

• 13

• 14

• 15

• 16

• 17

• 18

• 19

• 20

• 21

• 22

• 23

• 24

• 25

• 26

• 27

• 28

• 29

• 30

• 
  ​Our novel study this semester will be The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. 
  
  Novels will be kept in the classroom as there will be two sections of the course that need to share one class set. 
  
  If a student would like to get a personal copy at their own expense they may order a hard copy, see if a copy is available at local bookstore or library, or purchase a digital copy online (i.e. via Apple Books, Kindle, Kobo, etc.) but this would be at the student's own expense. 
  
  There is a an audiobook available, narrated by the author, which students/parents could also choose to access at their own expense, if listening along with reading is helpful to the student. 
  
  The teacher will generally read the book out loud to the class to ensure that the entire class is able to participate in ongoing discussions about theme, plot development, characterization, setting, literary devices and elements, etc.  Attendance is highly recommended as simply reading the book is not the same as analyzing it, which is the literary process we undertake in a novel study. 
  
  Students are welcome to read ahead on their own time, but: 

  • no spoilers for other class members
  • having read ahead does not excuse a student from paying attention to in-class discussion and analysis of material they have already read 

  
  
  
• Other fiction materials may include but not be limited to: 

  • Short stories
  • Short films
  • Full length films
  • Plays
  • Poetry
  • Songs
  • Recorded Performances

  
  Selection of these materials is determined based on the following: 

  • Student engagement 
  • Connection to course themes of personal identity and responsibility
  • Currency
  • Accuracy
  • Relevance
  • Availability

  
  ​
• Non-fiction materials may include but not be limited to: 

  • Magazine articles
  • Short films - documentary or docudrama
  • Full length films - documentary or docudrama
  • News articles or news casts
  • Biography
  • Infographics

  
  Selection of these materials is determined based on the following: 

  • Student engagement
  • Connection to course themes of personal identity and responsibility
  • Currency
  • Accuracy
  • Relevance
  • Availability
  • Authenticity of sources
  • Format

Keeping up with The Class

Please note that this page will feature descriptions of the plan for the week / a debrief of the week.  Actual materials are available on the password-protected Yukon Education Digital Cloud Services MS 365 Class Notebook/Team, which students access using their Rapid Identity credentials.  

​Plans are subject to change so please keep an eye on this page for updates!

January

Week 1 - January 17th - 21st

Unit: Intro to English 09 with Ms. Carrey 

MONDAY

Professional Development Day - No classes for students

TUESDAY

The 7 Grandfather Teachings and Classroom Community

• Respect - Courtesy
• Honesty - Trustworthiness and sincerity
• Truth - knowing your goals and yourself
• Courage - taking creative risks, doing the right thing
• Widsom - making good choices 
• Humility - balancing your own needs with consideration for others in the room
• Love - kindness, care and thoughtfulness

WEDNESDAY

The Day-to-Day and Getting to know you (classroom procedures) 
Basic Summary of Expectations: 

• Student are expected to arrive on time (be in the room when the 2nd bell goes) with paper, writing instruments, and any other things they need for class (i.e. water bottle filled with water). 
  • There are breaks right before class (a 15 min morning break and a 45 min lunch break); necessities first (bathroom, water, snack, call/text parents) then socializing in the remaining time.  😊
• Students can leave once per class for 5 mins (because life happens). Students put their name, time out, and destination (b for bathroom, d for drink, l for locker, o for office, lb for library, w for quick walk) on the chart on the whiteboard.  When they get back, they record the time they returned. 
  • Only one student may be out of the room at a time. 
• Personal Devices in class: 
  • NO for social media (incl taking pics or vids to post), gaming, texting, chatting, personal calls, or watching non-class-related videos
    • PARENTS:  please help your child/student to manage their device effectively, I respectfully ask that you try to limit texts during class times, that way I know that if a call/text comes through it is an unexpected emergency. 
      • Note: a text on a phone does not constitute permission to leave the building as students can change contact settings.
        • If your child/student needs to leave the building for an appointment, please call the front office at 867-667-8044 and the office will call the classroom to notify the student that they can/need to meet you outside or need to leave to get where they need to be on time.
          • A physical note or email to the classroom teacher (including a parent signature) will also be fine. 
          • This is also important for tracking whether or not a student's absence, late arrival or early dismissal is excused (for the attendance system). 
  • YES - with staff permission -  for listening to music (quietly!) during individual work, looking up information for class work, taking pics of notes, checking class Teams/Class Notebook, submitting digital work to the teacher, participating in class activities (i.e. Kahoot!) 
• Students should have a binder, notebook or other way to store and organize their work for this class. 
  • If a student thinks that they are likely to misplace work, they can keep a file folder in the classroom, just ask the teacher or an EA for help setting one up! 
• Food, beverages and fidgets are fine, as long as: 
  • All garbage, compost and recycling are cleaned up and put in the appropriate container before the end of class and any messes cleaned up (there are paper towels, etc. in the room). 
  • None of these things should be used in such a way that they distract the student or other students from the learning. 
• Students are encouraged to share their thoughts and to ask questions! 
  • Putting up hands before speaking lets the staff manage the noise level of the room and make sure that those who are shy or uncertain are also heard / can participate. 
  • Students should listen to instructions and then ask questions to make sure that they understand before beginning assignments.  Ignoring instructions to socialize or talk over the staff is likely to result in confusion. 
• Students should stay in the room at their desks until the teacher/staff dismisses them. 
  • Crowding the door can be a safety hazard. 
  • The bell lets teachers know when we are allowed to dismiss the entire class, but the teacher may still need a moment or two of your time. Please do not pack up or leave before the teacher instructs you to do so.  

THURSDAY

Doing the Digital - Laptops in Learning - Logging in to Class Notebook

• Students used the laptops to access their Rapid Identity credentials to log in to their Yukon Education Digital/Cloud Services and to access the course Team / Class Notebook (MS 365) 
  • PLEASE NOTE: The YukonEd Digital Services are a password-protected digital 'area'.  Students cannot use their personal Google or Microsoft accounts hat they might have outside of school to access these tools. 
    • It is best that when using a home device to access these tools that students use Chrome as their browser and use an Incognito window, which allows the computer to keep different accounts separated. 

Unit: #1 Nuts & Bolts

FRIDAY

A bit about the history of English - in order to appreciate the tool that language is and can be, we need to have a feel for how languages work in the world. 

In class, students watched a slide show on a timeline of the history of the English language. 
Related Assignments:

• Fill-in-the-blank notes (Formative, Class Notebook, DUE Fri, Feb 4th) 
• Influences on Etymology of English Reading, Questions and Mapping Activity (Summative, ClassNotebook, DUE Fri Feb 4th)   

The links/images below may help students to complete these assignments.

Timeline of the English Language

The story of English-from its start in a jumble of West Germanic dialects to its role today as a global language-is both fascinating and complex. This timeline offers a glimpse at some of the key events that helped to shape the English language over the past 1,500 years.

25 maps that explain the English language

English is the language of Shakespeare and the language of Chaucer. It's spoken in dozens of countries around the world, from the United States to a tiny island named Tristan da Cunha. It reflects the influences of centuries of international exchange, including conquest and colonization, from the Vikings through the 21st century.

Tiber River

Tiber River Historic river of Europe and the second longest Italian river after the Po, rising on the slope of Monte Fumaiolo, a major summit of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano. It is 252 mi (405 km) long.

---

Week 2 - January 24th - 28th 

Unit: #1 Nuts & Bolts (continued) 

MONDAY

We continued learning about the history of languages this by watching the TED Ed lessons below. 
Related Assignment: TED Ed Viewing Reflection (1summative, 1 formative, Class Notebook, DUE Fri, Feb 4th) 
** pro tip: if you view the video on YouTube, you can click on ellipsis (...) and sometimes  there is a transcript of the script of the video! (Just in case that helps you with any notes you want to take.) 

Below is a MicroSoft Sway of the information from these videos and the timeline assignment. 

TUESDAY 

We talked about the fact that gramma - a blueprint of the patterns and habits of agreed-upon language use - can be prescriptivist (rules! all about the rules! all the rules all the time for all the language!) or descriptivist (syntax - how language actually gets put together - and grammar change over time and tell us about culture, and about history) approaches to learning language. 

We discussed the following: 

• Different formats (i.e. texting vs. writing a résumé) have different conventions of grammar
• Different audiences and relationships between the one doing the communicating and those taking in the communication may involve different conventions (i.e. talking with your grandmother may be different than the things you'd say to your friends) 
• Written language and wide-spread literacy is fairly new in human history. 
  • Oral language, including storytelling and the keeping of knowledge like laws, religious teachings, science teachings like information about the environment, trade information, etc. was common for all human cultures for almost all of history. 
    • When ancient writing forms first emerged, they were usually just used for accounting, so they were more about math crossed with language than what we think of as a language class today. 
    • Slowly some cultures began recording important cultural teachings (like law, religion and history) but since most people couldn't read or write, this was limited to those with the money and time for formal education. 
    • Ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Socrates  thought that writing things down made people lazy, forgetful and less intelligent!
• Some languages, like ASL (American Sign Language) are unique and valid languages with their own grammar and syntax.  (There is even a language of whistling found in a remote part of Turkey!) 

We watched this video together in. class. The two other videos are just extras, in case you are interested! 

WEDNESDAY

Today we started learning about the Parts of Speech in English.  It's important that students have this basic understanding and vocabulary because the curriculum requires that they use and be evaluated on using conventions at each level of English Language Arts (ELA).  If they know the terms for things they've been using all of their lives as English speakers, they will be better able to use these building blocks effectively and will know how to find the information they need if they need to improve or correct written work.  Some great basic resources can be found using the buttons below.

Students got an "All About ... " package that includes sheets for the main eight parts of speech in English (available via Class Notebook) as a reference they can keep going forward, as well as a single page parts of speech 'cheat sheet'. 

Please Note: for most high school students, the FREE versions of these tools will suffice, and it's great to get into the habit of using tools like this.  Keep in mind that these are American tools so some of the spelling prompts will NOT reflect Canadian spelling conventions (i.e. colour, neighbour, honour, etc.) and the paid versions will be more expensive in CAD! Try them out, see if your student/child/ward finds them helpful. In my opinion, most people won't need the full, paid version unless they are in an upper year university or college course. 

Grammarly

Ginger

The first part of speech we learned about was nouns.  For the parts of speech we learn about in class, I will post the relevant Grammar Monster page, one of the best online resources I have found (which generally includes lots of examples, a video, many of which we watch in class, and quizzes students can try to practice their knowledge.)
​
Related Work: 

• In-class participation in Grammar Ninja Nouns Slideshow Game
• Grammar Party Nouns Worksheet (Formative, Class Notebook, DUE: Wed Feb 9) 

Nouns

Nouns are words used to represent people, places, or things (including objects, animals, and ideas). Everything we talk about is represented by a word that names it. That 'naming' word is called a noun. This page has lots of examples of the different types of nouns, an explainer video, and an interactive test.

THURSDAY

Today the part of speech was the adjective.  
Related Work - later there will be a quiz from Grammar Party that includes adjectives. 

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They are 'describing words.' ('Old,' 'green,' and 'cheerful' are examples of adjectives.) This page has lots of examples of the different types of adjectives, an explainer video, and an interactive test. It also highlights the differences between descriptive adjectives and determiners.

FRIDAY

This was an in-class work period / catch up day. 

February

Unit: #1 Nuts & Bolts (continued) 

Week 3 - January 31st - February 4th 

MONDAY

We began the week by getting right into the action ... actions words that is - verbs and adverbs! 
Related Work: 
Grammar Party Verbs and Adverbs Worksheet (Formative, Class Notebook, DUE Wed Feb 9th) 

Verbs

Verbs are doing words. A verb expresses a physical action (jump), a mental action (guess), or a state of being (exist). This page is a grammar lesson on verbs, the type of verbs, and verb terminology. It includes examples of the different types of verbs, a video, and an interactive exercise.

Adverbs

Adverbs are words that tell us how, when, where, how often, or how much. An adverb is a part of speech that can modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. This page has lots of examples of the different types of adverbs and two interactive tests.

TUESDAY

Today was all about the linking words that connect objects and ideas - prepositions and conjunctions. 
Related Work: 

• Sketch Notes - Coordinating Conjunctions, Subordinating Conjunctions and Correlative Conjunctions (Formative, Class Notebook, DUE Fri Feb 11th) 
• Grammar Party Prepositions Worksheet (Formative, Class Notebook, DUE Fri Feb 11th) 

Conjunctions

A conjunction is a word that links other words, phrases, or clauses together. Common conjunctions are 'and', 'or' and 'but'. There are three types of conjunction: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.

Prepositions

Prepositions are words that tell us where or when something is in relation to something else. Prepositions are often short words. Common prepositions are above, about, below, for, from, in, inside, into, of, to, until, and with.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Wok periods / catch up day.

Week 4 - February 7th - 11th 

MONDAY

Unit: #2 Reading & Writing - Structures and Strategies

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Week 5 - February 14th - 18th 

TBA

Week 6 - February 21st - 25th 

TBA

March

Week 7 - February 28th - March 4th

TBA

Week 8 - March 7th - 11th 

SPRING BREAK - No Classes - Enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday! 

Week 9 - March 14th - 18th  

SPRING BREAK - No Classes - Enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday! 

Week 10 - March 21st - 25th 

TBA

Week 11 - March 28th - April 1st

TBA

April

Week 12 - April 4th- 8th 

TBA

Week 13 - April 11th - 15th 

TBA

Week 14 - April 18th - 22nd

TBA

Week 15 - April 25th - 29th 

TBA

May

Week 16 - May 2nd - 6th

TBA

Week 17 - May 9th - 13th

TBA

Week 18 - May 16th - 20th

TBA

Week 19 - May 23rd - 27th

TBA

June

Week 20 - May 31st - June 4th

Final Evaluation Tasks - Written Component (In-class) 

Week 21 - June 7th - 11th

Monday & Tuesday - Complete and Submit Final Evaluation Task Written Component (In-class) 
Wednesday - Exam review & study block
Thursday & Friday - Exam Week begins (exam schedule TBA)

Week 22 - June 13th - 17th

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - Exam Week (exam schedule TBA) 
Wednesday - Term 4/Semester 2 ends
Thursday & Friday - Students are done for summer! 

Week 23 - June 20th - 24th 

School's out for SUMMER! Enjoy a safe, fun and relaxing holiday.  See you next year!