Ninth Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Lord of the Flies
Lesson 1
The Call
Students complete a vocabulary activity that asks them to match words (e.g., leviathan, susurration, furtive, discursive) to definitions and to the quotations in which they appear, requiring interpretation of those words in context. The Parent Plan skills explicitly state students will "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings" and analyze the impact of word choices on meaning and tone. The vocabulary pages provide contextual quotes from Lord of the Flies so students must infer meanings from usage.
Unit 2: Short Stories
Lesson 1
The Gift of the Magi
Students are asked to identify and research the allusion in the story title and other references (the Magi, Queen of Sheba, King Solomon) and to write why the author alludes to these figures. The lesson's "Things to Know" defines an allusion and the homework prompt requires students to explain how knowledge of these references contributes to their understanding of the story. The Parent Plan and activities state students will "explore the literary devices allusion and irony," reinforcing explicit attention to interpreting allusion in context.
Lesson 3
Literary Response
Students are prompted in the Brainstorming Similarities activity to look for literary devices, including an explicit note that "the two stories use hyperbole (obvious exaggeration)" and "the use of irony in the stories." Students are asked to find specific examples or quotations from each text and to "prove" and "extend" ideas using the APE method, which requires explaining how selected quotations support their points.
Lesson 5
Edgar Allan Poe
Students are asked in Activity 2 to locate 3–4 examples of foreshadowing in "The Tell-Tale Heart" and to record what each example refers to, which requires interpreting language in context. The Parent Plan provides explicit examples students might identify (the narrator's heightened hearing, the repeated "heart/beat" words, the watch metaphor "enveloped in cotton," and the "eye of a vulture") and explains how those figurative expressions foreshadow later events.
Final Project
Writing a Short Story
The lesson asks students to use and evaluate literary devices: the rubric includes a "Descriptive Language & Literary Devices" criterion and revision guidance explicitly asks students to use symbolism to communicate theme. The text tells students they "learned to recognize literary devices such as irony and allusion," and the reader-review pages prompt reviewers to evaluate whether descriptive language contributes to meaning. Students are also guided to revise toward clearer use of literary techniques and descriptive language to strengthen theme and characterization.
Unit 4: Poetry
Lesson 1
Introduction to Poetry
Students read and annotate poems such as "Richard Cory," marking words and phrases that create his appeal and noting examples like "sole to crown," "imperially slim," and "richer than a king." Students complete a denotation/connotation activity for an Emily Dickinson poem ("There is no frigate like a book"), underlining words, writing dictionary meanings, listing connotations and similar words, and explaining why the original word is more effective (the provided example analyzes "frigate"). Students mark and respond to "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins, identifying words with strong positive or negative connotations and explaining why the poet chose them.
Lesson 2
Sound and Rhythm
Students identify and label sound-based figurative devices (alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia) in Activity 1 using phrases and in the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay," and they write a short response explaining why an example is effective. In Activity 2 students determine rhyme types and rhyme scheme in "Counting-Out Rhyme" and identify examples of internal rhyme, alliteration, and assonance. For homework students mark up "The Tyger" for alliteration, assonance, and consonance and write a journal reflection analyzing how the rhyme and sound choices affect the reader. Activities on rhythm, meter, and scansion ask students to mark stressed/unstressed syllables and reflect on how rhythm influences a poem's effect.
Lesson 3
Figurative Language
Students read named poems (e.g., Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," "To His Coy Mistress," "Fire and Ice") and are asked to identify specific figures of speech with stanza and line numbers. Students complete activity pages requiring them to explain the comparisons in similes/metaphors, note meanings of symbols, and describe instances of personification and imagery. In Option 2 and journal tasks, students must identify irony/understatement/overstatement/paradox in poems, provide the exact line or phrase, and explain how the poem uses that device.
Lesson 5
What Does It Mean?
Students are asked to identify and interpret symbolism and extended metaphor in poems (e.g., asking who the captain and ship represent in "O Captain! My Captain!" and labeling Whitman's poem as an extended metaphor). Students analyze allusions in "Old Christmas Morning," answering specific questions about cultural references and how those references aid comprehension. Homework tasks have students identify and interpret extended metaphors in "A Poison Tree" and "The Fish," describing literal vs. figurative meanings and what the comparisons signify.
Lesson 6
Fooling with Words
Students are explicitly told to "listen for some things you have learned thus far like metaphors and allusions or literal versus figurative language" while watching the poets. Students will watch a one-hour video of poets performing their work, which exposes students to figurative language in context as the poets read and speak.
Lesson 7
Analyzing Poetry
Students are asked to identify and annotate figurative language in multiple activities (e.g., the Poetry Map includes an "Other Figurative Language" box and Activity 1 prompts commenting on words or phrases that convey strong images or feelings). Sample answers and teacher notes point out specific figurative devices (e.g., similes in "Blackberry-Picking," imagery in "October," and allusion to Bluebeard) and ask students to note how tone changes and how word choice affects meaning. The parent-plan skills explicitly state that students should determine meanings of words and phrases including figurative meanings and analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Lesson 8
Types of Poems
The lesson defines apostrophe as a figure of speech and asks students to identify the apostrophe in Whitman's "A Noiseless Patient Spider," with the parent notes indicating students should understand the apostrophe to be the speaker's soul. Students are asked to analyze how comparisons in Billy Collins's poem (comparing the 17-year-old to famous achievers) create humor. The free-verse writing option requires students to include at least two literary devices (simile or metaphor, personification, apostrophe), and the activities/I LA direct students to look for simile/metaphor, personification, and alliteration in texts.
Lesson 9
The Crossover
The lesson's Skills list explicitly asks students to "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings," which targets interpretation of figurative language. Homework Option 1 asks students to track how the word "crossover" changes meaning across poems and to evaluate whether using the word in different ways is effective, prompting interpretation of a word used figuratively. Vocabulary Option 2 asks students to write their own vocabulary poem using three "As in:" sentences that apply the word to people and events, requiring students to place words in context and show shifting meanings.
Lesson 10
Poems and Poets
Students are asked to determine the meaning of words and phrases including figurative and connotative meanings in the Skills section and to analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. The Poetry Map student activity includes a dedicated "Other Figurative Language" box and directs students to annotate, paraphrase, and analyze word choice, imagery, symbols, tone, and sound devices. In Questions, students identify repeated literary devices (e.g., similes in Rossetti) and sound devices (alliteration in Byron). The Hu Xudong example in Activity 4 models interpreting cultural symbols and references (e.g., "autumn tiger," "grasshoppers") and asks students to explain how those references enrich the poem.
Lesson 11
Reciting Poetry
Students are directed to mark unfamiliar words and look up their meanings and pronunciations, and to "consider why the poet chose to use certain words," with a specific example analyzing the verb "chaired" to show how word choice creates strong imagery. The Parent Plan lists as a skill: determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings, and analyze cumulative impact on meaning and tone. Homework asks students to determine speaker and tone, consider poem meaning, and identify images the poem's words put in their mind, which requires attending to nonliteral language and word choice.
Final Project
Poetry
The Parent Plan lists as a skill: "Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings," and also instructs students to "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings." Choice 5 (Poetry Explication) directs students to identify and discuss figurative language devices (for example, metaphor, irony, personification, overstatement, understatement) and to analyze aspects of the poem in a presentation. The unit test's short-answer section asks students to give an example of onomatopoeia and distinguishes denotation and connotation, providing some direct assessment of figurative/connotative knowledge.
Unit 5: Nonfiction
Lesson 1
Types of Nonfiction
Students are explicitly expected (in the Parent Plan Skills) to interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining figurative meanings and analyzing how word choices shape meaning or tone. Students are also directed to consult the glossary for unfamiliar terms when reading I Am Malala, indicating attention to word meaning and nuance during reading.
Lesson 2
Pakistan
Students are asked to explain what the "magic pencil" symbolized for Malala, prompting them to interpret a figurative element and state its meaning (answer: the ability to help and protect others). A chapter title prompt, "A Warning from God," appears in discussion questions, which could require students to consider a nonliteral or connotative reading of that phrase in context.
Lesson 10
Learning from the Past
Students are asked to notice Wiesel's style and tone and to annotate the speech, which supports close reading of language. The Answer Key explicitly states, "Wiesel was a master of metaphor" and directs students to "Provide one example of a sentence he wrote that makes a clear point but is not literal," requiring identification of a metaphor in context. The activities prompt students to find and quote sentences from the text to support answers, which gives students practice locating figurative language.
Lesson 11
A Boy's Story
Students are asked to explain the adage "we must strive to be like the moon" and to describe how the author's response (studying the moon, seeing the same images as a child) connects to meaning (Reading And Questions / Homework Q3–Q4). The vocabulary activity has students look up words, record definitions in their own words, and fill in sentences drawn from the text (including a sentence using "adage"), which requires interpreting words and phrases in context. The Parent Plan skills explicitly state that students will "interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining ... figurative meanings," indicating an expectation that students engage with figurative language.
Lesson 14
Rehabilitation
Students are asked to choose one of Elie Wiesel's quotations (including metaphorical lines such as "the memory of evil will serve as a shield against evil") and explain how it relates to Beah's memoir, requiring interpretation of figurative phrasing in context. In the discussion prompts, students compare an allusion to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon in A Long Way Gone with an allusion in "The Gift of the Magi," asking how the references differ, which asks students to interpret an allusion's role. Students are also asked to analyze the repeated phrase used by soldiers and UNICEF staff and explain how repetition functions to influence belief, which involves analyzing a rhetorical/figurative device in context.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
Students are asked explicitly to identify and analyze figurative language: Day 2 lists that they will identify metaphor, personification, irony, understatement, overstatement, and paradox in poems and analyze imagery, symbolism, and allusion. Poem analysis and The Sick Rose questions require students to identify examples of personification, simile/metaphor, apostrophe, onomatopoeia, and rhyme/enjambment and explain their effects. Short-answer and discussion prompts ask students to provide examples of irony and explain why it was effective and to describe the significance of symbols in Lord of the Flies.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Ender's Game
Lesson 2
We're People, Not Thirds
The Skills statement explicitly asks students to "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone." A discussion question prompts interpretation of the line "We're people, not Thirds," noting that dehumanization makes it easier to hurt someone, which asks students to interpret a phrase in context and consider its role. The Activities ask students to explore the significance of "Third" in multiple contexts, which can involve thinking about figurative or connotative uses of that label.
Lesson 3
Science Fiction
Students are asked to define and paraphrase genre vocabulary (e.g., romanticization, anachronism) and match examples to those terms on the identification section of the Quiz Prep. One homework question asks "What does 'icing out' mean?" and expects students to interpret that phrase in context as "Sent back to Earth." These items show students practice determining word meaning from context and matching terms to examples.
Lesson 4
Divergence
Students are asked to interpret the line, "Ender's anger is cold, and he could use it. Bonzo's was hot, and it used him," in Question #3 and to explain its meaning. The provided answer explains that the phrase compares types of anger and links the metaphor to control and decision-making. This requires students to interpret a metaphor in context and to explain its effect on character behavior.
Lesson 9
Conflict Within and Without
The lesson includes Activity 2 focused on the Latin phrase "Veni, vidi, vici," asking students to interpret the allusion in context and to explain how it foreshadows plot developments. Students are instructed to write one to two paragraphs speculating on why the author chose that historic allusion and where else the phrase could have appeared in the text. The Parent Plan explicitly indicates that thoughtful responses should connect the phrase to Ender "beating the system" and conquering Battle School, which directs students to analyze the figure of speech's role in theme and plot.
Lesson 11
Thud, Whump, Huut
Students are given an explicit definition of onomatopoeia in the Things to Know section and asked to "Review the definition of onomatopoeia." The Activities direct students to compare the novel to the comic adaptation and note where descriptions are shortened to onomatopoeias (e.g., THUD WHUMP, HUUUT) and whether the comic communicates omitted words through pictures. The Comic Adaptation student activity asks students to decide what narration or dialogue was omitted or changed and to judge whether the comic conveyed the message of omitted words.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
The lesson's Skills list explicitly asks students to "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings," which references figurative language work. The acrostic activity asks students to identify onomatopoeia (buzz, thump, swoosh), and the vocabulary section asks students to use the word "invective" in a sentence—both require attention to word choice and word types. Several activities (rewriting a passage in first person, adding historical quotes, and comparing tone/leadership) involve close reading and rephrasing that could engage with word meaning and stylistic choices.
Unit 2: Grammar, Part II
Lesson 6
Word Choice
Students are asked to distinguish idioms from clichés in the discussion prompts and to identify clichés in a sample paragraph, underlining them and "translating" them into clearer language. In the College Essay Editor activity, students locate clichéd phrases (e.g., "step out of my comfort zone," "gave 110 percent") and revise the draft to replace vague or overused expressions with more specific wording. Multiple activities require students to find and replace clichés, wordy expressions, and vague language, and to reflect on why such phrases weaken writing.
Final Project
Wrapping Up
Students are given an Explanatory Guide mini-project that specifically suggests: "Foreign students studying English often struggle with understanding the meaning of idiomatic expressions, including clichés. Create a short guide explaining what clichés are and 'translating' some of the most common ones so students can better understand their meaning." The project instructions require students to create their own descriptions and examples and to present information clearly to a specific audience, which would cause students to interpret and explain idiomatic expressions.
Unit 3: Informational Texts
Lesson 2
Outliers
Students are asked in Activity 1 to identify and explain how Gladwell uses analogy to help define and develop the idea of an "outlier," including re-reading the Roseto study and explaining its role. In the homework questions, students explain where the phrase "Matthew Effect" comes from (a Bible verse) and what it means in the chapter, requiring interpretation of that figurative phrase in context. The vocabulary activities require students to analyze denotation and connotation and choose synonyms that fit context, which practices nuance in word meaning.
Lesson 6
The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
Students are given definitions of mitigated speech and euphemisms in the "Things to Know" and Activity 3 sections and encounter Gladwell's discussion of mitigated speech on p.194. Students answer a comprehension question about Gladwell's line "We mitigate when we're being deferential to authority," explaining its meaning. In Activity 3 students brainstorm scenarios, sketch role-play examples, and write explanations showing when mitigated speech or euphemisms are appropriate or harmful.
Lesson 8
With Malice Toward None
The lesson defines and exemplifies rhetorical/literary devices such as parallelism, antithesis, allusion, simile, metaphor, and repetition. Students are asked to complete an activity chart in which they identify quotes from Lincoln's speech, name the literary device used, and explain the intended effect on the audience. The provided answer key shows students labeling instances as antithesis or allusion and explaining their persuasive or tonal effects.
Lesson 10
Science Writing
The lesson introduction explicitly lists "Analogy" as one of the methods science writers use to explain unfamiliar terms. The student activity asks learners to identify what method(s) the author uses to explain the term "centripetal force," directing students to the lesson introduction's list of methods. The parent plan and activity prompt require students to name and evaluate specific explanatory techniques (e.g., highlighting, explanation, example, illustration).
Unit 4: Drama
Lesson 2
How to Read Drama
The Diction/Language activity directs students to identify figurative language (e.g., metaphors or symbolism) and to explain how it functions in the play. Journal and activity questions ask students to explain how language evokes feelings and to cite specific figurative devices used to distinguish characters. The provided answer key models interpretation and analysis (e.g., the bird as a symbol for Mrs. Wright, the simile "She was like a bird herself," and the house's "coldness" as both literal and figurative).
Lesson 5
Act II
The lesson explicitly identifies the Prometheus allusion in Act II Scene 1 and provides background on the Prometheus myth in the "Things to Know" section. Students are prompted to discuss "Why does George call Walter Prometheus?" in the "Questions to Discuss," which asks them to interpret that figure and relate it to Walter's character. Vocabulary and context-clue activities require students to infer word meanings from context, reinforcing skills used in interpreting figurative language.
Lesson 6
Act III
Students are asked to read Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem" and to identify five similes used in the poem on the "A Dream Deferred" activity page. They are prompted to analyze imagery, including the last line "Or does it explode?", and to compare those images/similes with characters' deferred dreams in the play. The Parent Plan and discussion questions also highlight and ask students to interpret Mama's simile "Like a rainbow after the rain."
Lesson 8
Shakespeare
The lesson introduction names that many figures of speech come from Shakespeare and gives examples ("Too much of a good thing," "dead as a doornail"), making figurative phrases explicit. The activity sheet directs students to use contextual clues or a dictionary for unclear words and notes peculiarities of Shakespearean spellings and meanings. The reading questions and activity prompt students to "watch for hidden meanings," identify speakers' meanings, and use left‑hand page notes to help interpret challenging words and phrases.
Lesson 9
Romeo and Juliet
Students are asked to interpret Juliet's line "My only love sprung from my only hate!" (Day 2, Question 4) and provide its meaning in context. The lesson records the expected student response that she loves Romeo despite him being from the family her family hates. The lesson also signals that figurative language will be the focus in a subsequent lesson.
Lesson 10
Figurative Language
Students read Romeo and Juliet scenes and are asked to locate and mark oxymorons and paradoxes in Romeo's speech, explain what two oxymorons mean, and answer an analysis question about why Shakespeare uses many oxymorons and paradoxes. In Activity 3, students identify and explain idioms and euphemisms in sentences, match Shakespearean and modern examples of puns/idioms/euphemisms, and work with Shakespearean examples (e.g., Hamlet's pun on 'lie' and Merry Wives' 'dickens'). Multiple student pages require students to explain the meanings of the figures of speech in context and to relate them to the play's situations.
Final Project
Drama
Students are directed to use the Unit Review Sheet to review definitions and important concepts, which supports learning vocabulary about figurative language. The unit test (Part III) explicitly asks students to identify literary devices—pun, idiom, euphemism, and oxymoron—by matching examples to labels. The test also includes quoted lines from Romeo and Juliet that expose students to figurative language in the text context (e.g., "What's in a name? That which we call a rose…").
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
Day 2 explicitly tells students to "review figurative language devices such as foreshadowing, oxymoron, pun, idiom, and euphemism." Multiple Student Activity Pages ask students to define figures of speech (e.g., oxymoron, euphemism, idiom) and to provide examples, including examples drawn from Ender's Game, Romeo and Juliet, or A Raisin in the Sun (e.g., a question asking for foreshadowing examples). The answer key supplies definitions and model examples (e.g., oxymoron = "genuine imitation," euphemism = "she passed away") that students are expected to reproduce or apply.