Bill Woodward School​ - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Winter 2018

Introduction​__________________________________________________________________ 
Welcome to English Language Arts 9! I really look forward to working and 
learning with you this semester ​☺ 
This class will be an opportunity for you to prepare for high school language arts 
credits that will be used toward your diploma.  
All students in this course will write the English Language Arts Provincial 
Achievement Test (PAT) in June.  
Course Outline______________________________________________________________ 
The goal of ELA is to develop your skills in 6 areas of communication: reading, 
writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing. We will focus on 
the power and meaning that comes from: 
 
● Exploring thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences. 
● Comprehending and responding personally and critically to oral, print, 
and 
other media texts. 
● Managing ideas and information. 
● Enhancing the clarity and artistry of communication. 
● Respecting, supporting, and collaborating with others. 
 

 
 
Course Content:______________________________________________________ 
Unit 1: Me, Myself, and I 
● Reading & writing inventories. 
● Writer’s Workshops focused on developing students ideas, opinions, 
feelings, and impressions on a variety of topics. 
● Writing strategies - sentence structure, paragraph writing, verb tense 
forms, subject-verb agreements.  
● PM & Jerry John’s reading assessments. 
Unit 2: Short Stories & Elements of Fiction 
● Authors purpose (writing to explain, entertain, inform, convince) 
● Elements of a short story (plot, setting, characters, etc.) 
● Introduction to figurative language & imagery. 
● Reading strategies - finding the main idea, recalling information, 
understanding sequence, finding word meaning in context, inferring and 
making predictions. 
● Introduction to plagiarism, citing sources, MLA format. 
 
Unit 3: Novel Study 
● I am David ​by Anne Holm 
● Characterization, plot development, setting, mood and atmosphere. 
● Reading comprehension strategies. 
● Summarizing and retelling. 
Unit 4: Non-Fiction 
● Media literacy (looking into the idea of “fake news”) 
● Distinguishing between fact and opinion. 
● Determining audience, author’s purpose, and main idea. 
● Using evidence to support a topic. 
 
Unit 5: Poetry 
● Poems & song lyrics will be used in this unit. 
● Introduction to figurative language & literary devices. 
● Poetry workshops and portfolios. 
 

*Units of study and their order are subject to change* 

 

Assessment________________________________________________________________ 
 

Assignments: 20% 
Journal Prompts: 15% 
Projects: 20% 
Essays (outlines, drafts, and final submissions: 15% 
Provincial Achievement Test: 30% 
 

All assignments are subject to change 

Expectations & Policies_______________________________________________________ 
 
 
Students are expected to follow the code of conduct as outlined in the BWS 
Student Handbook for 2017-2018, this includes the cell-phone/PCD policy. These 
policies are posted in the classroom and available online.  
 
The cell phone policy states that no cell phones are to be used in school unless 
for educational purposes designated by the teacher. Students who do not 
comply with this policy will have their device confiscated until the end of the 
day. 
Active participation, consistent work habits and taking responsibility for your 
conduct are key to your success in this class. If you put dedication and effort 
into each of these areas, you should achieve good marks and understanding of 
knowledge and skills. Your success is up to you! I can only help you achieve it if 
you are willing to put in the work.  
Extra help is always available to you should you need it!