The Beekman School's First Year English Class for Freshman
Ninth grade marks the beginning of many important transitions, including the experience of becoming a young adult. The overarching theme in ELA this year will focus on, “Coming of Age.” We will explore the theme of “Coming of Age” and examine how writers in a variety of texts use stylistic choices to create the voices of characters who are going through life-changing experiences. Along the way, you will conduct interviews, analyze arguments, and examine the complex relationship between an author’s purpose, their audience and the ways in which they appeal to readers. By the end of the year, your academic “Coming of Age” will be marked by an understanding of voice, appeals and persuasive techniques including pathos, logos and ethos.
We will cover all fundamental principles of the writing process. Essays will be written to generate text analysis and persuasive writing as well as to study models for structure and style. This class also requires students to conduct and compose a final research paper. We will work on improving grammar skills and expanding the acquisition of grade level vocabulary.