CREC Grade 9 American Literature

CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Grade 9 - American Literature
Course Description
The study of American Literature is an essential experience for a high school student. In this course, students will read
some of the most revered authors in American Literature while looking at their works through the lens of what it means
to be American. Several issues in American society (race, identity, war and gender) are examined through an exploration
of literature written about or through those issues. Students will revisit the theme of what it means to be American
throughout this entire course and will evaluate how the literature they have read has helped them answer this question
for themselves.
Units of Study
Required Units: Teachers must teach all four units. Each unit is designed to take approximately one academic quarter to
complete (9-10 weeks).

Unit 1 Defining the American Dream
Unit 2 American Philosophies Romanticism and Realism
Unit 3 - Justice for All - Race, Gender, and/or Class Struggle in America
Unit 4 America in the Modern Context

Additional Information:
Teachers must use a variety of literary and informational texts in each unit. Texts should be of appropriate and
increasing complexity throughout each unit.
Teachers should incorporate both print texts and non-print texts (media, works of art) in each unit.
Students must complete one drafted, polished process piece of writing per quarter.
Students should complete pieces in each of the three writing modes argumentative, informational, and
narrative/creative within each unit. These anchor activities are guaranteed experiences every student must
have. Provided prompts are for example purposes.
Students should complete a range of response types in each
Students should engage in the types of formative assessments that will lead them towards mastery of skills
assessed in each units summative assessments.
While teachers are free to shift the thematic sequence of units, skills sequences should be followed in the order
in which they are prescribed in each unit.

Overall Course Goals (Umbrella Standards)
Reading
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.10: By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas,
and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.10: By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10
text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting,
or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual
or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display
information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Language
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
Speaking and Listening
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-
one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others'
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study;
explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to
stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B: Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g.,
informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and
individual roles as needed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify,
verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement
and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new
connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.















CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Unit 1 Defining the American Dream

Pacing: 9-10 weeks

Stage 1 Desired Results
Unit Overview
Thematic Focus (suggested): In this opening unit, students will consider the American Dream as both a
geographic destination and a complex, symbolic concept. Students will work to recognize how America has and
continues to serve people as both a nation and an intangible set of ideals related to freedom, opportunity, and
success. Students will generate and support their own ideas about America as well as examine texts whose
authors are making related claims.

Reading Focus: In response to a broad range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts, students
will analyze and evaluate authors uses of texts to develop and communicate ideas both explicitly and implicitly.
Students will develop skills of drawing conclusions and inferences about text and supporting such ideas with
relevant, important, specific details. Students will also develop important skills for summarizing and
paraphrasing what they read. Additionally, students will consider how and why authors deliberately structure
text to both suit their purposes and achieve intended effects. Finally, in analyzing text-driven arguments,
students will become critical evaluators of what authors are trying to claim and the effectiveness with which
they develop and communicate their intended positions.

Writing Focus: Students will improve their abilities to introduce, develop, support, and conclude their thoughts
for a variety of purposes, audiences, and tasks. Students will produce original pieces in a variety of modes
argumentative, informative, and narrative/creative. As students become skilled evaluators of author craft
particular to unit standards, they should attempt to employ the techniques about which they are learning into
their own writing.

Language Focus: Students will solidify their knowledge of basic grammar rules and conventions in order to avoid
mistakes such as misspellings, incomplete sentences, and inconsistent verb tense. Students will learn how to
use context clues to approach, process, and understand challenging words encountered in text. Students will
also work to develop a writing process that will help them to strengthen their own work.

Speaking and Listening Focus: Students will develop skills that will enable them to produce dynamic, structured,
logical presentations that appeal to their audiences needs and which suit the purposes and tasks for which they
are presenting.

Thematic Essential Questions
(Suggested)
Corresponding Thematic Big Ideas
(Suggested)
What is America?


What does it mean to be an American?
America, as both a place and a concept,
means different things to different people.
There is no single or standard definition of
what it means to be an American.
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15


Content Standards
Reading:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.


How has the definition or concept of America
changed over time? In what ways has it
remained the same?

Throughout history, America has been and
continues to be associated with ideals of
freedom, democracy, opportunity,
individuality, and success.
The definition of America has changed and
expanded over time.

Skill-based Essential Questions Corresponding Skill-Based Big Ideas
Reading:
How do readers find meaning a text?
How do readers support their interpretations,
opinions, and ideas about a text?

Writing:
How and why do writers organize text?
What is a good argument?
How do writers create good stories?







Speaking and Listening:
What is a good presentation?



Language:
Why is it important to follow language rules
and conventions when communicating?
Why is it important to edit and revise writing?


Reading:
Readers closely examine a text for what it
says and what it suggests.
Readers support their interpretations about a
text with relevant evidence.

Writing:
Writers use structure and sequence organize
text so that readers can follow their ideas.
A good argument includes a strong central
claim supported with valid reasons and
sufficient evidence.
A good argument is one that addresses
counter-claims and opposing viewpoints.
Writers use specific techniques to create
memorable stories.

Speaking and Listening:
A good presentation has organized evidence
that appeals to the knowledge and needs of
the audience.

Language:
Following rules and conventions willj help my
ideas to be heard without distraction or
confusion.
Good writers strengthen their writing
through editing and revising.
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an
objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false
statements and fallacious reasoning.

Writing:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A: Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information
to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A: Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's
knowledge level and concerns.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B: Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts,
extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to
the audience's knowledge of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.E: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.F: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of
the topic).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.E: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

Language:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.

CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.A: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text;
a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Speaking and Listening:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely,
and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development,
substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Integrated Standards





Skills
(students need to be able to do)
Knowledge
(students need to know)

Reading Skills:
Effectively annotate a text.
Differentiate between implied and explicit
information in a text.
Make credible inferences and draw supportable
conclusions about a text.
Select and cite relevant details to support my
inferences and conclusions.
Use explicit information to support implied ideas
in a text.
Analyze a text in order to determine the theme
or central idea.
Explain how specific details in a text contribute
to its theme or central idea.
Objectively summarize a text.
Paraphrase significant parts or details from a
text.
Identify an argument and its claims.
Make and support judgments about the validity
of an argument.
Explain whether an author provides effective
evidence (relevant, sufficient) to support an
argument.
Recognize an illogical point and/or logical fallacy
and explain its flaws.

Reader Knowledge of
Annotation
Inferences
Conclusions
Implicit vs. explicit information
Relevant, appropriate information
Citation techniques and rules
Theme and central idea
Argument
Claim
Validity
Logical and illogical points
Paraphrase
Summary





CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Writing Skills:
Format a paper with appropriate headings,
graphics, and multimedia when useful and/or
required.
Write an effective introduction in which the
student
o Answers important, immediate
questions for the reader (who, what,
why, when, where, how, etc.).
o Presents a topic, problem, situation, or
cause.
o Defines a point(s) of view or
perspective.
o Establishes purpose, premise, or central
claim.
o Distinguishes his or her claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims.
o Introduces a narrator and/or important
characters (narrative).
o Orders ideas and details in a smooth,
sequential, and logical manner.
Develop a piece of writing in which the student
o Anticipates and accommodates the
audiences knowledge of the topic.
o Gives balanced coverage to his or her
claim(s) and counterclaims and/or his or
her perspectives and other perspectives.
o Points out the strengths and limitations
of his or her position and other
positions.
o Provides relevant and sufficient
evidence (facts, statistics, quotes,
definitions, examples, etc.) to support
his or her purpose and/or claim.
o Uses narrative elements effectively (i.e.
dialogue, pacing, description, reflection,
and plot lines) to tell and enhance a
story.
Write an effective conclusion in which the
student
o Provides a summary of his or her central
and supporting claims and/or key pieces
of information covered earlier in the
piece.
o Supports the argument and/or
information presented previously in the
Writer Knowledge of
Proper paper format (MLA)
Visual and informational enhancements
Writing types as relates to purpose, task,
and audience
Effective organization and development,
including
o introduction purposes and
techniques
o body paragraph purposes and
techniques
o conclusion purposes and
techniques
o appropriate text evidence to
support claim(s)
Appropriate or necessary vocabulary
complexity
Proper grammar conventions
Proper revision and editing techniques


























CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

piece.
o Logically concludes a story by offering
resolution and/or reflection.
o Explicitly articulates or implicitly
suggests the implications or significance
of the topic, argument, or story.

Speaking and Listening Skills:
Craft and deliver a presentation appropriate to
my purpose and/or task.
Account for and accommodate the audiences
knowledge of the topic.
Present work in such a way that the audience
can follow along.
Present in organized, concise, and logical ways.

Language Skills:
Use increasingly complex vocabulary correctly
according to its part of speech and definition.
Avoid fragments and run-on sentences by
demonstrating an understanding of dependent
and independent clauses.
Write increasingly complex sentences in which
student uses and demonstrates understanding
of simple and complete subjects and predicates.
Use context clues such as surrounding language,
word position, and word function to
comprehend and include new and complex
vocabulary.
Establish and maintain an appropriate and
consistent verb tense in writing.
Avoid misspelling words in writing, including
both complex and commonly misspelled words.
Recognize, edit, and revise texts, including
students own, wherein grammatical and usage
errors or weaknesses are present.







Presenter knowledge of
Audience, task, and purpose
Effective presentation techniques
Organization
Clarity
Conciseness


Language knowledge of
Parts of speech
Complex vocabulary
Fragments and run-on sentences
Dependent and independent clauses
Complex sentences (simple and complete
subjects and predicates)
Context clues
Consistent verb tense
Correct spelling, esp. commonly misspelled
words
Appropriate grammar conventions
Proper revision and editing techniques



Content and Academic Vocabulary
annotation
inference
implicit
explicit
introduction
conclusion
body paragraphs
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

text evidence

Stage 2- Assessment Evidence
Summative Assessments
Performance Tasks
1. Particular to unit themes and/or texts, produce and self-assess a drafted, polished piece of writing.
Students must select a new type of writing to polish each quarter (quarters 1-3).

2. Particular to unit themes and/or texts, participate in a presentation in which students will:
gather evidence through research.
craft an effective presentation with audience in mind.
present an informational topic or argument.
provide specific evidence to support claims.
use technology to strengthen presentation, when appropriate.
formally reflect as an individual on the presentation and process.
Options - Whole class or small group presentation, student-teacher conference, gallery walk,
Socratic seminar, online writing group, debate.

Unit Assessment
1. CREC District Quarterly Assessment

Formative Assessments
Through these assessments, students will demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives. Teachers will assess and provide feedback to students about
the following:
After reading O. Henrys Mammon and the Archer, students will draw conclusions about the authors theme
in the story. Students will use a graphic organizer to compile textual details that support their idea of the
authors theme.
While reading Of Mice and Men, students will rewrite a significant passage from the novel in first-person
narration as told through the perspective of one of the books characters. Students will discuss how narrative
perspective influences the reader and how Steinbecks use of third person narration affects the novel.
After reading/listening to The Star Spangled Banner and reading/listening to MLKs I Have a Dream
speech, students will compare and contrast the different ways in which each piece speaks to the notion of the
American Dream. Students will then research and present a third non-fiction piece (news story or magazine
article) and analyze its relevance to either Keys or Kings vision of an American Dream.
CREC Essential Skills for Student Success
*Identify the essential skills demonstrated by students through the assessment evidence.
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Critical Thinking &
Problem Solving
Communication &
Collaboration
Creativity & Innovation Self-Direction&
Resourcefulness



*All units do not have to include a unit assessment in addition to a performance tasks.
Stage 3 Learning Plan and Resources
Anchor Activities
(guaranteed experiences, include scaffolding and enrichment)
1. Argumentative writing
Focus: authors definition of abstract idea (i.e. justice, freedom, America, heroism, etc).
o Ex: In Of Mice and Men, how does Steinbeck define freedom? Are his ideas about freedom
logical and/or plausible? Use specific details from the novel to support your claims regarding
Steinbecks definition. Be sure to address opposing viewpoints or counterclaims to your
arguments.
2. Informational writing
Focus: Theme or central idea in a text/story
o Ex: What is a theme Hansberry suggests or develops in A Raisin in the Sun? Use specific details
from the play to support your conclusions about theme.
3. Narrative/creative writing
Focus: student definition (implied) of an abstract idea
o Ex: Write a creative short story told through a first-person narrator whose experiences lead to
or suggest a definition of what it means to be American.
Resources
(specific to the unit anchor activities, additional strategies or supplemental resources)
Novels/Plays
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry
Short Stories
Mammon and the Archer O. Henry
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Link: http://www.ciudadseva.com/sevacity/stories/en/henry/mammon_and_the_archer.htm
Winter Dreams F. Scott Fitzgerald
Link: http://mrgunnar.net/files/Winter%20Dreams%20Text.pdf
A Wagner Matinee Willa Cather
Link: http://cather.unl.edu/ss011.html
Poetry
I Hear America Singing Walt Whitman
Link: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/i-hear-america-singing
Harlem Langston Hughes
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175884
I am an American Steve Connell
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLHdSovhzcA&safe=active
Those Winter Sundays Robert Hayden
Link: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/those-winter-sundays
Dreaming America Joyce Carol Oates
Link: http://teacherweb.com/ME/SanfordHighSchool/BradleyChiasson/Dreaming-America-by-Joyce-Carol-Oates.pdf
Burning the Christmas Greens William Carlos Williams
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse/63/4#!/20583707
Non-Fiction/Informational
Excerpts from Letters from an American Farmer Crevecoeur
Excerpts from Narrative life of Frederick Douglass Douglass
Excerpts from Benjamin Franklins Autobiography Franklin
Declaration of Independence
Link: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
America and I - Anzia Yezierska
America and I -
Yezierska.docx

The Right to Fail William Zinsser
Link: http://teacherweb.com/CA/ACE/Betzel/TheRightToFail.pdf
Art, Music, and Media
Star Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key
Link: http://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/the-lyrics.aspx
Dear Mr. President Pink
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmMS9XVIa00&safe=active
I Have a Dream Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Link: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts (The Oxbow) Thomas Cole
Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/10497
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

The Veteran in a New Field Winslow Homer
Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.187.131
Four Freedoms Norman Rockwell
Link: http://www.nrm.org/2013/08/norman-rockwells-four-freedoms/
Nighthawks Edward Hopper
Link: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/111628
Christinas World Andrew Wyeth
Link: http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=78455

CREC Essential Skills for Student Success
*Identify the essential skills demonstrated by students during anchor activities.
Critical Thinking &
Problem Solving
Communication &
Collaboration
Creativity & Innovation Self-Direction&
Resourcefulness


















CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Unit 2: Early American Perspectives Romanticism and Realism

Pacing: 9-10 weeks

Stage 1 Desired Results
Unit Overview
Thematic Focus (suggested): In this unit, students will work to gain foundational understandings of Americas
two first literary movements, romanticism and realism. Through research and a rich variety of texts
representing both schools, students will study core principles of romanticism and realism and trace these
principles through critical works of each movement. Students will work to understand the value romantics
placed on the five Is (imagination, intuition, idealism, inspiration, and individuality) and how Americas
development in the early-mid 1800s supported such notions. Students will study how changing events in
American history in the mid-late 1800s gave rise to realism as a contrast and response to romantic ideals.
Students will evaluate and create texts in such ways as to demonstrate a solid grasp of the tenets and hallmarks
of both philosophies.

Reading Focus: In response to a broad range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts, students
will analyze and evaluate some of the specific techniques authors use to organize and develop writing. Within
literary texts, students will analyze how authors use specific details and sections of text to develop both
characters and themes. In informational texts, students will analyze how authors use specific details and
sections of text to develop or suggest a perspective as well as to advance a central idea or claim. Additionally
students will consider work in which authors manipulate time and sequence to create such effects as mystery,
tension, and surprise.

Writing Focus: Building on unit 1 skills, students will continue to work on structural aspects of writing,
improving their abilities to introduce, develop, support, and conclude their thoughts for a variety of purposes,
audiences, and tasks. Students will produce original pieces in a variety of modes argumentative, informative,
and narrative/creative. As students become skilled evaluators of author craft particular to unit standards, they
should attempt to employ the techniques about which they are learning into their own writing.

Language Focus: Through knowledge of dependent and independent clauses, students will learn to avoid
writing fragments and run-on sentences. Students will enhance the quality and specificity of their sentences by
using appositive, adverb, and adjective phrases. They will demonstrate understanding of conventional rules for
capitalizing, quoting, and italicizing as well as how to appropriately use end punctuation, commas, italics, and
quotation marks. Students will learn how word endings change parts of speech and word meaning and will
continue to develop a writing process that will help them to strengthen their own work.

Speaking and Listening Focus: As both audience members and presenters, students will learn to evaluate and
employ the use of rhetoric, reasoning, and evidence to support a position.

Thematic Essential Questions Corresponding Thematic Big Ideas
What were the values of the Romantics, and
how did these values affect American
Romantics valued the five Is: imagination,
intuition, idealism, inspiration, individuality
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15


Content Standards
Reading:
imagination?
What is American Individualism and how does
it align to fundamental American principles?
What conditions gave rise to and are reflected
in the literary movement known as American
romanticism in the years 1800-1865?
Who were the transcendentalists and how do
their beliefs still influence American life?


American individualism is an ideology that
values a persons moral worth, goals, and
desires.
America was founded on the principle that
any man or women can and should succeed
as an upstanding citizen, a key principle of
American individualism.
Westward expansion and moral debates over
Native American relations, land acquisition,
and slavery gave rise to and are reflected in
American romanticism.
The transcendentalists were a group of
writers and thinkers who extended romantic
thought to include spiritual ideas, an
insistence of self-reliance, and a value in
spontaneous feeling.
Skill-based Essential Questions Corresponding Skill-Based Big Ideas
Reading:
How does character development occur
throughout a text?
How does authors craft impact the audience?


Writing:
How and why do writers organize text?
What is a good argument?
How do writers create good stories?





Language
Why is it important to edit and revise writing?



Speaking and Listening:
What is a good presentation?

Reading:
Good readers identify and explain how a
character develops throughout the course of
a text.
Good readers can identify relevance of
authors craft.

Writing:
Writers use structure and sequence organize
text so that readers can follow their ideas.
Good arguments include strong claim,
sufficient evidence and counter-claim
Writers use specific techniques to create
memorable stories.

Language:
Good readers/writers identify and use proper
grammar and appropriate grade level
vocabulary.

Speaking and Listening:
A good presentation has organized evidence
that appeals to the knowledge and needs of
the audience.

CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3: Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events,
including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the
connections that are drawn between them.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5: Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text,
order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.5: Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and
refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).

Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A: Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information
to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A: Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's
knowledge level and concerns.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B: Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts,
extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to
the audience's knowledge of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.E: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.F: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of
the topic).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.E: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other
information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Language:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.B: Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate
different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).

Speaking and Listening:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3: Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Integrated Standards





Skills
(students need to be able to do)
Knowledge
(students need to know)

Reading Skills:
Explain how and why a character develops and
changes over the course of a text (conflict,
motivation).
Discuss the significance of characterizing details
in a text as they advance the plot and/or
develop character(s) and/or theme(s).
Explain how and why a text is organized.
Explain how ideas connect to one another in a
text.
Explain how an author uses structure (time and
order of events) to affect the reader (incl.
mystery, tension, surprise).
Explain the importance of a part of text in
relation to the texts central ideas, claims, or
themes.

Writing Skills:
Format a paper with appropriate headings,
graphics, and multimedia when useful and/or
required.
Write an effective introduction in which the
student
o Answers important, immediate
Reader Knowledge of
Close reading skills
Character development
Characterization
Theme(s)
Text organization/structure
Effects of text organization/structure
Plot development









Writer Knowledge of
Proper paper format (MLA)
Writing organization
o introduction
o body paragraphs
o conclusion
o appropriate text evidence/ claim
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

questions for the reader (who, what,
why, when, where, how, etc.).
o Presents a topic, problem, situation, or
cause.
o Defines a point(s) of view or
perspective.
o Establishes purpose, premise, or
central claim.
o Distinguishes his or her claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims.
o Introduces a narrator and/or important
characters (narrative).
o Orders ideas and details in a smooth,
sequential, and logical manner.
Develop a piece of writing in which the student
o Anticipates and accommodates the
audiences knowledge of the topic.
o Gives balanced coverage to his or her
claim(s) and counterclaims and/or his
or her perspectives and other
perspectives.
o Points out the strengths and limitations
of his or her position and other
positions.
o Provides relevant and sufficient
evidence (facts, statistics, quotes,
definitions, examples, etc.) to support
his or her purpose and/or claim.
o Uses narrative elements effectively (i.e.
dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and plot lines) to tell and
enhance a story.
Write an effective conclusion in which the
student
o Provides a summary of his or her
central and supporting claims and/or
key pieces of information covered
earlier in the piece.
o Supports the argument and/or
information presented previously in the
piece.
o Logically concludes a story by offering
resolution and/or reflection.
o Explicitly articulates or implicitly
suggests the implications or
significance of the topic, argument, or
Audience
Vocabulary complexity
Grammar conventions
Proper revision and editing techniques









































CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

story.
Use technology to
o Produce, update, and share writing
pieces.
o Publish my writing.
o Enhance my writing and to connect my
own writing to the larger world of
information and ideas.

Language Skills:
Use increasingly complex vocabulary
correctly according to its part of speech and
definition.
Avoid fragments and run-on sentences by
demonstrating an understanding of
dependent and independent clauses.
Write increasingly complex sentences in
which student uses and demonstrates
understandings of appositive, adverb, and
adjective phrases.
Follow conventional rules for capitalization,
quotations, and italicization.
Employ appropriate and varied punctuation,
including end punctuation, commas, Italics,
and quotation marks.
Use and identify variations of words as to
demonstrate understanding of word endings,
parts of speech, and differences in meaning.
Recognize, edit, and revise texts, including
students own, wherein grammatical and
usage errors or weaknesses are present.
Speaking and Listening Skills:
Analyze and evaluate a speakers position.
Identify and critique a speakers use of
rhetoric, reasoning, and evidence.









Language Knowledge of
Parts of speech
Complex vocabulary
Complex sentence structures
Appositive phrases
Adverb phrases
Adjective phrases
Prepositional phrases
Independent and dependent clauses
Capitalization rules
Quotation rules
Italicization purposes and rules
End punctuation
Comma usage rules
Word endings and their effects
Proper revision and editing techniques







Presenter Knowledge of
Claims
Reasoning and Evidence
Rhetoric

Vocabulary


Stage 2- Assessment Evidence
Summative Assessments
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Performance Tasks
1. Particular to unit themes and/or texts, produce and self-assess a polished, drafted piece of writing.
Step 1 - After seeking out feedback, revise and polish a piece of writing.
Step 2 - Reflect on work and the writing and presentation processes. Students should:
o Discuss or reflect on choices as an author particular to unit standards/skills.
o Discuss use of peer feedback to enhance writing process and pieces.
Students must select a new type of writing to polish each quarter (quarters 1-3).

2. Student-Teacher Conference - Students provide a reflection about their growth as a writer on one or
more polished pieces of writing of students choosing.
o Student discusses specific ways in which they have grown particular to curriculum-based
standards and learning targets for the specific piece
o Student discusses how they will continue to grow particular to curriculum-based standards
and learning targets.
o Student points to specific examples from their polished piece and rough draft of the piece
that demonstrate specific growth and room for continued improvement.

Unit Assessment
1. CREC District Quarterly Assessment

Formative Assessments
Through these assessments, students will demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives. Teachers will assess and provide feedback to
students about the following:
After learning the basic tenets and hallmarks of the romanticism movement, students will study paintings
from the Hudson River School and draw connections between the ways in which the artists depicted
landscapes and the ideals towards which Romantics strove.

After reading Stephen Cranes poem, I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon, students will analyze how the poem
does or does not qualify as a work of realism. Students will create original response poems, written from the
perspective of the pursuer in which they establish a perspective particular to the ideals of the realism
movement.

Working in small groups, students will find current news stories that they feel would, given their subject
matter, particularly resonate with romantics and/or realists. Students will present their found stories and
explain their selections given the relevancy they find to either or both literary movements.

CREC Essential Skills for Student Success
*Identify the essential skills demonstrated by students through the assessment evidence.
Critical Thinking &
Problem Solving
Communication &
Collaboration
Creativity &
Innovation
Self-Direction&
Resourcefulness

CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15



*All units do not have to include a unit assessment in addition to a performance tasks.
Stage 3 Learning Plan and Resources
Anchor Activities
(guaranteed experiences, include scaffolding and enrichment)
1. Argumentative writing
Focus: Character development, developing a position, citing evidence, supporting inferences and
conclusions
o Ex: In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, does Twain develop Huck as a character who more
so embodies the ideals or romanticism or realism? Use your knowledge of both literary
movements and specific details from the novel to support your position. Be sure to address
opposing arguments or counterclaims.
2. Informational writing
Focus: Author craft and structure
o Ex: Analyze Poes use of suspense in The Black Cat. How does he use structure, sequence, and
plot to create an effect for the reader of anxious curiosity or questioning? Use specific details
from the story to support your analysis.
3. Narrative writing
Focus: Craft and structure, point of view
o Ex: Write a creative short story in which you use structure and/or sequence to create an effect
of mystery, tension, or surprise and in which you demonstrate how a characters point of view
influences tone and mood.
Resources
(specific to the unit anchor activities, additional strategies or supplemental resources)
Novels/Plays
Romanticism titles
o Moby Dick Herman Melville
o The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne
Realism titles
o The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
o Ethan Frome Edith Wharton
o Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Short Stories
The Black Cat Edgar Allan Poe
Link: http://poestories.com/print/blackcat
Ministers Black Veil Nathaniel Hawthorne
Link: http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/mbv.html
The Devil and Tom Walker Washington Irving
Link: http://classiclit.about.com/od/devilandtomwalker/a/aa_deviltomwalker.htm
Poetry
Romanticism poems
o The Raven Edgar Allan Poe
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178713
o A Psalm of Life Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173910
o Inscription for the Entrance to a Wood William Cullen Bryant
Link: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/inscription-for-the-entrance-to-a-wood/
o Pioneers! O Pioneers! Walt Whitman
Link: http://www.bartleby.com/142/153.html
o Beat! Beat! Drums! Walt Whitman
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174737
o Hope is the thing with feathers (314) Emily Dickinson
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171619
o Success is Counted Sweetest (112) Emily Dickinson
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174990
o Because I could not Stop for Death (712) Emily Dickinson
Link: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/because-i-could-not-stop-death-712
Realism poems
o I saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon Stephen Crane
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/180805
o Spoon River Anthology Edgar Lee Masters
Link: http://spoonriveranthology.net/spoon/river/
o Richard Cory Edward Arlington Robinson
Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174248
o Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana Eli Siegel
Link: http://www.aestheticrealism.net/poetry/HotAfternoons.htm
o The Man with the Hoe Edwin Markham
Link: https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~wyllys/manwhoe.html
Non-Fiction/Informational
Walden; or, Life in the Woods Henry David Thoreau
Self-Reliance Ralph Waldo Emerson
Link: http://www.emersoncentral.com/selfreliance.htm
CREC Grade 9 American Literature



CREC 2014-15 8/1/15

Art, Music, and Media
Hudson River School Paintings
Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hurs/hd_hurs.htm
Photography Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Stieglitz
CREC Essential Skills for Student Success
*Identify the essential skills demonstrated by students during anchor activities.
Critical Thinking &
Problem Solving
Communication &
Collaboration
Creativity &
Innovation
Self-Direction&
Resourcefulness