Curriculum Night – 9th English Class Overview Jessica Scaggs D108 scaggsj@fultonschools.org

Topics to cover Basic information and contact What we’ve done so far What’s coming up Important syllabus points/reminders

A bit about me Received both my Undergraduate and Masters Degrees at University of NC at Chapel Hill Have held other teaching jobs related to literacy (adult and child), remediation, test prep, and college-level writing Speaker and advocate for Narcolepsy Network and rare disorder organizations, specifically in educational settings Raise rabbits and teach medical care classes at shelters…I have many pets!

Class Overview so far Began with free choice novels for study of structure and techniques in fiction Almost every novel in the class will be student chosen within certain thematic guidelines Students have been tracking progress on their individual books and setting goals Students who finish books early will be encouraged to pick another and end up with several book choices for the eventual assessment Classes often involve 1) independent reading time, 2) teacher-guided mini lesson on reading or writing strategies, 3) study of strategy in a mentor text, and 4) application of strategy to student’s book

Class Overview so far (continued) Most end-of-unit assessments involve 1) a test on key skills or strategies learned and 2) a writing assignment on the book they’re reading Skills-based instruction (not just content-based) better prepares students for the tasks required on End of Course Tests and for critical thinking in real life Writing assignments are developed over a series of smaller “quickwrites” that are then revised to avoid the stress of giant, periodic essay assignments

What’s to Come Students will be choosing from a list of novels that follow the Hero’s Journey trope and participating in a small “book club” of others reading the same book We will have whole-class lessons on certain patterns throughout literature, which they will then be discussing in student-lead book club meetings Students will also be completing the assessments for their first unit, which will be 1) a plot map applying some of the terms and concepts we’ve learned and 2) a written analysis of a key scene in their books For the first few tests or assessment grades, instructions and study guides will be sent to parents as well in advance, so be on the lookout for one coming up

Evidence that student choice in reading Works Actual responses from last week’s reading quiz when asked about their books (even kids who said they were non-readers on the first day of school!): “To describe what I think about my book so far, I love it. It is one of the books that I just can’t seem to put down. This book always ends every sentence on something that will leave the reader wanting more.” “So far in Forrest Gump, I like how honest he is with the world and the reader.” “I truly enjoy this book, and it gives me happiness imagining the sights, struggles, and even terrain of this world. I think that JRR Tolkien wanted to unleash his ideas and imagination into this wonderful book, and I like it!” “I’m actually in love with my book. Best book I’ve ever read. I love how relatable to society it is. That’s so cool. I can relate because I didn’t have friends when I first got here.”

Contact and class resources * Will show preview of each after this slide My website: jscaggs.weebly.com The 9th grade class page contains instructions on accessing our OneNote, a list of upcoming assignments, and links to join our Vocab.com and Remind accounts OneNote Class Notebook Contains all lesson plan calendars, standards, syllabus info, and materials for the course Basic view can be accessed by anyone via the link on the webpage; students log in to receive access to all materials