Year 9 English

Course Overview

Term 1
We begin the 9ENG year with a unit focusing on Cultural Narratives. Students will investigate bicultural and multicultural literature, focusing on Māori narratives and analysing ideas of nationhood, whakapapa, personal identity, and community. Students are encouraged to reflect on how they fit in within their own communities, and how they express or respond to the bicultural world in which we live. After analysing the variety of narratives and mythologies presented, the students will write their own version of a myth, which is then subsequently assessed. After this, students will study a written text, either a novel, short stories or poetry. Students will respond to this written text through creative writing and essay writing.

Term 2
The focus of Term 2 is the Mid-Year Exams, which gives teachers a great insight into how students have progressed after Term 1. We begin the term by revising reading comprehension skills; analysing unfamiliar texts and identifying language features, parts of speech and the effect of these. In the exam, students will complete a reading comprehension paper, as well as an essay responding to their written text. After these exams, the rest of the term will be spent reading and understanding a range of 'Historical Poetry' and an introduction to Shakespeare. Students will learn about aspects of the Elizabethan era and read important extracts from Macbeth.

Term 3
In Term 3, the students will either rewrite a scene from Macbeth and then perform in front of the class, or they will create a static image illustrating how specific themes are developed in the play. They will then move on to watching and analysing a film. They will be looking at how directors utilise a variety of film techniques and conventions to create meaning. This close analysis will lead into an essay response and provide inspiration for their Speaking Assessment in Term 4.

Term 4
In Term 4, students will write and perform a speech based on their understanding of the film they have watched and analysed in class. The students will then begin revising for their exams. This revision will be focused on reading comprehension, reinforcing conventions of essay writing, and grammar skills. The exam is made up of a reading comprehension section, a grammar/editing section, and an essay response on their the studied film. After exams, students will embark on a genre study. In this unit, students will choose a genre of their choice and find a range of visual and written texts within this genre. They will then analyse these texts based on the identification of specific genre conventions.