English 9A
Course Description:
This is the first course in a two-course sequence. As students progress through the course, they will explore two main themes, “Courage” and “Choice”, and address essential questions while reading a variety of works. Students will read novels, short stories and informational texts, engage in poetry analysis, view informational videos and write for various purposes. Larger writing assignments include a research project and a narrative essay. As a supplement to these writing assignments, students will partake in grammar challenges where they learn about grammar concepts and develop a mastery of their use. In addition to building their writing skills, students will learn several reading strategies such as how to use graphic organizers to extract important information and summarize to monitor comprehension. Furthermore, students will explore several rhetorical devices and strategies like symbolism, figurative language, theme, setting and more.
Course Details:
| Course Title (District): | English 9A | ||||||||||
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| Course Title (NCES SCED) : | English/Language Arts I (9th grade) | ||||||||||
| Course Provider : | Whitehall District Schools | ||||||||||
| Content Provided By : | Michigan Virtual | ||||||||||
| Online Instructor Provided By : | Whitehall District Schools | ||||||||||
| Standards Addressed : | Common Core State Standards, National Collegiate Athletic Association | ||||||||||
| Alignment Document : | http://media.mivu.org/mivhs/alignchart/ela/ela_9a.pdf | ||||||||||
| Academic Terms : | Accelerated, Semester, Trimester | ||||||||||
| NCES SCED Code : |
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How To Enroll:
| Enrollment Website : | https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YdR3HokdLLxYI12PREUtRtEJiA-ehiyvHe6rCao1d4I/edit?ts=611abbf3 |
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| Email : | [email protected] |
| Phone : | (888) 889-2840 |
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (888) 889-2840
Additional Cost Description: None
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to do the following:
Unit 1:
• identify their values and beliefs
• activate prior knowledge and build a personal connection with unfamiliar texts.
• use graphic organizers to write a variety of paragraphs
• understand, identify, and evaluate the effectiveness of several literary and rhetorical devices like setting and characterization.
• develop an effective argument essay with claims and counter claims.
• create a works cited page and parenthetical documentations using MLA format.
• use graphic organizers and summarizing to guide them through readings and help them to think critically about literary and informational texts.
Unit 2:
• understand, identify, and evaluate the effectiveness of several literary and rhetorical devices like oxymoron, soliloquy, allusion, and irony.
• evaluate how the passage of time alters perspectives and choices.
• understand and identify the elements of an informative essay
• construct an effective informative essay
• use comparison and contrast for evaluation.
iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses
| Instructor and Student Support | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. | Fully Met | |
| Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. | Fully Met | |
| Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. | Fully Met | |
| Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. | Fully Met | |
| The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. | Fully Met | |
| Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. | Fully Met |
| Accessing Course Effectiveness | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. | Fully Met | |
| The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. | Fully Met |
| Course Updates | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. | Fully Met |
| Certification | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. | Fully Met |
| Academic Content Standards and Assessments | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. | Fully Met | These are very clear! |
| The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. | Fully Met | Yes, the syllabus lists objectives and how they connect with state standards. |
| The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. | Fully Met | |
| Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. | Fully Met | |
| Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. | Partially Met | For the most part, yes - however, more information on modifications/accommodations for reading would be great. |
| Course Overview and Introduction | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. | Fully Met | This is very clear and informative. |
| Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. | Fully Met | |
| Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. | Fully Met | Communication information is clear. |
| Legal and Acceptable Use Policies | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. | Fully Met | |
| Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. | Fully Met | |
| Privacy policies are clearly stated. | Fully Met |
| Instructor Resources | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Online instructor resources and notes are included. | Fully Met | There is an "Instructor's Only" section that has some useful notes and tips. |
| Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. | Fully Met | Rubrics are included. |
| Instructional and Audience Analysis | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. | Partially Met | Students could use more help with accommodation ideas. |
| Course, Unit and Lesson Design | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. | Fully Met |
| Instructional Strategies and Activities | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. | Fully Met | |
| The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. | Partially Met | There are multiple learning opportunities, however, they are student-selected, not based upon students' needs. |
| The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. | Fully Met | There are many open-ended responses, analysis, evaluation, and even creating on a Sketch Pad. |
| The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. | Partially Met | Yes, the course can be adapted, but more information on this would be helpful to students. |
| Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. | Fully Met |
| Communication and Interaction | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. | Fully Met | |
| The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. | Fully Met | |
| The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. | Fully Met |
| Resources and Materials | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. | Fully Met | There are many! |
| Evaluation Strategies | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. | Fully Met | |
| The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. | Fully Met |
| Feedback | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. | Fully Met | There are discussion boards, formative and summative writing assessments |
| Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. | Fully Met | Discussion boards with comments. |
| Assessment Resources and Materials | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. | Fully Met | |
| Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. | Fully Met | |
| The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. | Fully Met |
| Course Architecture | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. | Fully Met | |
| The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. | Fully Met |
| User Interface | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. | Partially Met | For the most part, navigation is user-friendly, but there is SO MUCH information that some info seemed to be embedded in the links and was hard to locate. |
| Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. | Fully Met |
| Technology Requirements and Interoperability | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. | Fully Met | |
| Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. | Fully Met | |
| The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. | Fully Met | |
| The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. | Fully Met | |
| Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. | Fully Met |
| Accessibility | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). | Fully Met |
| Data Security | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). | Fully Met |
Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review:
07/14/2014
Course Units and Major Topics:
Unit 1: Courage
Establishing Values and Beliefs
• Introduction To Kill a Mockingbird
• Values and Beliefs Short Response
• To Kill a Mockingbird Anticipation Guide
• TKAM Anticipation Guide DB
• Get to Know the Times and Setting: Mockingbird Museum
• Mockingbird Museum DB
Societal Beliefs
• Courage and Cowardice in To Kill a Mockingbird (graphic organizer)
• Setting in To Kill a Mockingbird
• Values and Beliefs in TKAM Ch 1-6 DB
• Characterization in TKAM
• Innocence and Ignorance in Ch 7-11 TKAM DB
• Similes and Metaphors in TKAM
• Expectations of Behavior in Ch 12-17 TKAM DB
• Idioms in TKAM
• Understanding the South and Taking a Stand(instructional lesson)
• Understanding the South and Taking a Stand DB
• Symbolism in TKAM
• Themes in TKAM Ch 25-31 DB
Argument Essay
• Introduction to the Argument Essay
• Developing the Intro--Argument Essay
• Developing a Counterclaim--Argument Essay
• Developing the Claims Paragraph--Argument
• Crafting the Conclusion--Argument Essay
• Revising with Transitions--Argument Essay
• Creating a Works Cited Page
• Final Submission: Argument Essay
Unit 2: Choices
Choices in Society
• How Do You Relate to You Family, Community, and Society? Short Response
• Allegory and "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment"
• Imagery in "The Road Not Taken"
• Conflict and "The Interlopers"
• Do I Recognize and Learn from My Mistakes? DB
Getting to Know Shakespeare
• Shakespeare Biography
• Shakespeare's World--The Globe Theatre
• A Study in Elizabethan Language
• Attitudes--Romeo and Juliet DB
• The Prologue
• Choices in Romeo and Juliet
• Characterization and Act I of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act I of Romeo and Juliet
• Difficult Decisions in Act I of R&J DB
• Personification and Act II of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act II Romeo and Juliet
• Impetuousness in Act II of Romeo and Juliet DB
• Oxymoron and Act III of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act III Romeo and Juliet
• Strong Emotions in Act III of Romeo and Juliet DB
• Soliloquy and Act IV of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act IV Romeo and Juliet
• Decisions in Act IV of Romeo and Juliet DB
• Dramatic Irony and Act V of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act V Romeo and Juliet
• Responsibilities in Act V of Romeo and Juliet DB
Informative Essay
• The Hatfields and McCoys--A Comparison to Romeo and Juliet
• Comparison and Contrast Chart for Juliet and Roseanna
• Introduction to the Comparison and Contrast Essay
• Developing the Outline
• Construct the Body of the Informative Essay
• Developing the Thesis Statement--Informative Essay
• Writing the Intro--The Informative Essay
• Crafting the Conclusion of the Info Essay
• Revising with Transitions--Info Essay
• Final Submission: Informative Essay
Unit 1: Courage
Establishing Values and Beliefs
• Introduction To Kill a Mockingbird
• Values and Beliefs Short Response
• To Kill a Mockingbird Anticipation Guide
• TKAM Anticipation Guide DB
• Get to Know the Times and Setting: Mockingbird Museum
• Mockingbird Museum DB
Societal Beliefs
• Courage and Cowardice in To Kill a Mockingbird (graphic organizer)
• Setting in To Kill a Mockingbird
• Values and Beliefs in TKAM Ch 1-6 DB
• Characterization in TKAM
• Innocence and Ignorance in Ch 7-11 TKAM DB
• Similes and Metaphors in TKAM
• Expectations of Behavior in Ch 12-17 TKAM DB
• Idioms in TKAM
• Understanding the South and Taking a Stand(instructional lesson)
• Understanding the South and Taking a Stand DB
• Symbolism in TKAM
• Themes in TKAM Ch 25-31 DB
Argument Essay
• Introduction to the Argument Essay
• Developing the Intro--Argument Essay
• Developing a Counterclaim--Argument Essay
• Developing the Claims Paragraph--Argument
• Crafting the Conclusion--Argument Essay
• Revising with Transitions--Argument Essay
• Creating a Works Cited Page
• Final Submission: Argument Essay
Unit 2: Choices
Choices in Society
• How Do You Relate to You Family, Community, and Society? Short Response
• Allegory and "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment"
• Imagery in "The Road Not Taken"
• Conflict and "The Interlopers"
• Do I Recognize and Learn from My Mistakes? DB
Getting to Know Shakespeare
• Shakespeare Biography
• Shakespeare's World--The Globe Theatre
• A Study in Elizabethan Language
• Attitudes--Romeo and Juliet DB
• The Prologue
• Choices in Romeo and Juliet
• Characterization and Act I of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act I of Romeo and Juliet
• Difficult Decisions in Act I of R&J DB
• Personification and Act II of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act II Romeo and Juliet
• Impetuousness in Act II of Romeo and Juliet DB
• Oxymoron and Act III of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act III Romeo and Juliet
• Strong Emotions in Act III of Romeo and Juliet DB
• Soliloquy and Act IV of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act IV Romeo and Juliet
• Decisions in Act IV of Romeo and Juliet DB
• Dramatic Irony and Act V of Romeo and Juliet
• Comprehension Check: Act V Romeo and Juliet
• Responsibilities in Act V of Romeo and Juliet DB
Informative Essay
• The Hatfields and McCoys--A Comparison to Romeo and Juliet
• Comparison and Contrast Chart for Juliet and Roseanna
• Introduction to the Comparison and Contrast Essay
• Developing the Outline
• Construct the Body of the Informative Essay
• Developing the Thesis Statement--Informative Essay
• Writing the Intro--The Informative Essay
• Crafting the Conclusion of the Info Essay
• Revising with Transitions--Info Essay
• Final Submission: Informative Essay
| Term Type | Enrollment Opens | Enrollment Ends | Random Draw Date | Enrollment Drop Date | Course Starts | Course Ends | # of Seats | Course Fee | Potential Additional Costs |
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| Drop Policy | Completion Policy | Term Type | Enrollment Opens | Enrollment Ends |
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Students can use chat, email or private message system within the course to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance.
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