The Year's Plans

This unit provides a wide-ranging look at how humans endure in the face of adversity, and how and why people survive in life-or-death situations. We will also explore how the phrase "a matter of life and death" refers to a concern or a feeling, as opposed to literal life or death, and how a sense of life is also shaped by a universal desire for freedom.

Readings/Media:

• The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang

• The Hmong and the Secret War - film

• Selections from California Collections - 9th Grade textbook: "Cairo, My City Our Revolution" - memoir essay by Ahdaf Soueif; "I Have a Dream" - argument speech by Martin Luther King Jr.; "The Censors" - short story by Luisa Valenzuela; "The Truth At All Costs" - argument speech by Marie Colvin; "The View of the Wall" - media collection from various photojournalists

Main Projects: Informative writing/speeches, argumentative writing, and letter/narrative writing

The hero's journey takes many forms, from traveling through forbidding places to exploring the mind. A quest is a journey taken to search for or to accomplish some kind of goal. In this unit we will explore why and how people undertake different quests and the truths that the people and characters learn along the way.

Readings/Media:

• Life of Pi by Yann Martel

• Life of Pi - film

• Selections from California Collections - 9th Grade textbook: "The Cyclops" - short story; "Poems about survival" - poem collection; "The Journey" - poem

Main Projects: Narrative writing and multimedia storytelling, and analytical writing

This unit will dive into the nature of love and the conflicts surrounding it; how it can be both sweet and full of sorrow. We'll explore ideas about how love is and has been viewed and experienced in various contexts, and the challenging aspects of relationships.

Readings/Media:

• Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

• Romeo + Juliet - adapted film

• Selections from California Collections - 9th Grade textbook: "My Shakespeare" - media poem; "Duty" short story

Main Project: Analytical and narrative writing

The focus of this unit is how the individual and society find common ground, from understanding each other's struggles to unite for a common cause to discover a new point of agreement when we have different backgrounds. We do this by exploring the bonds between us, from family, friends, even pets and our community. We have emotional, physical, and intellectual bonds that tie us together, no matter who we are.

Readings/Media:

• Selections from California Collections - 9th Grade textbook: "A Quilt of a Country" - argument essay; "Making the Future Better, Together" - argument essay; "Night Calls" - short story; "Rituals of Memory" - essay; "The Gettysburg Address" - speech

Main Projects: Argumentative writing guided practice (provided prompt) followed by student-driven topic argumentative speech presentations