English Literature 9

English Literature 9 is a full year course designed to develop skills to improve written and oral communication. The main emphasis of this course will be to prepare all 9th grade students for the Keystone Literature exam.  The preparation will include the study of written composition through close reading strategies, constructed response writing, essay writing, and literary analysis.  Vocabulary and grammar are studied in conjunction with composition.  Short stories, novels, nonfiction, poetry, and drama are also integral components of the course.  Skills developed will align with the common core standards such as reading independently and critically, text dependent analysis, and interpretation of literature.